LAURA KIM'S FORBIDDEN RICE BIBIMBAP
Laura Kim (@tokibunbun) is a Creative Director, designer, and food lover based in New York City. As the founder of MONSE, she’s known for her eye for beauty and detail—both in fashion and in the kitchen. Cooking is her form of self-care, and she believes great meals start with high-quality ingredients. With a demanding schedule, she doesn’t always have time for farmers’ markets or specialty stores, which is why she’s trusted FreshDirect for over a decade to deliver fresh, top-quality groceries straight to her door.
One of Laura’s signature meals is the Korean dish bibimbap. She’s sharing her personal recipe with us—here’s what she has to say about it:
Bibimbap is one of my favorite meals to make. It’s one dish and totally customizable based on what’s in season. I try to make mine as colorful as possible—so that every bite is packed with different vitamins and nutrients. I make sure I am always stocked up on Asian pantry items (FreshDirect’s selection is so impressive!) as well as seasonal vegetables.
Laura Kim’s Forbidden Rice Bibimbap
Serves 4
What You’ll Need:
Rice Base:
3 cups cooked forbidden rice (or white or brown rice)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Protein:
4 eggs
Small rice paper sheets (optional)
1 lb beef rib
Soy sauce
Garlic
Honey
Scallion
Shallot
Sesame oil
Vegetable toppings:
1 cup spinach
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch of salt
Toasted sesame seeds
1 carrot
Avocado oil
1 zucchini
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons bulgogi marinade
1 shallot
¼ red cabbage
Kimchi
Microgreens
Sauce:
4 tablespoons gochujang
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
1 garlic clove
What to do:
1. Cook the rice and keep warm.
2. Marinate the beef: Slice beef into bite-size pieces and marinate at least 15 minutes in a mix of soy sauce, garlic, honey, scallion, shallot, and sesame oil.
3. Prep the veggies:
– Blanch the spinach 30 seconds, squeeze, and season with 1 teaspoon sesame oil, a pinch of salt, and toasted sesame seeds.
– Cut carrot into matchsticks, sautée 2 minutes in avocado oil, season with salt and sesame seeds.
– Julienne the zucchini, sautée 2 minutes in avocado oil, season with salt and sesame seeds.
– Quickly sautée the mushrooms with the bulgogi marinade.
– Thinly slice shallot, sautée in avocado oil until golden, and season with a pinch of salt.
– Cut cabbage into thin strips, sautée 2 minutes in avocado oil, season with salt and sesame seeds.
Tip: Cook each veggie separately in small batches so the colors stay bright. Sprinkle sesame seeds as you go.
4. Prepare the proteins: Pan-fry the marinated beef until browned. Fry eggs sunny-side up (on rice paper if using).
5. Make the sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients until smooth.
6. Assemble bowls: Fold the coconut oil into the warm rice, then spoon rice into 4 shallow bowls and drizzle lightly with sesame oil. Arrange the cooked veggies, kimchi, and beef in sections around the bowl like a rainbow. Place fried egg in the center. Top with microgreens.
Drizzle bowls with the sauce, sprinkle over sesame seeds, and mix well before eating.