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Bibigo’s grand reopening at Westfield Century City
At lunch time last Wednesday, a particular corner of the Westfield Century City food court saw bustling long lines of customers during lunch hours, perhaps due to a certain Korean restaurant’s grand re-opening.
Bibigo, with its new and improved menu, has successfully combined the freedom that comes alongside Subway- or Chipotle-style ordering and the international culinary experience that comes alongside a variety of Korean food options.
Bibigo is no stranger to the Westside, as its only three locations in the U.S. are located in Westwood, Beverly Hills, and Century City.
The restaurant’s name is based off of the quintessential Korean food called bibimbap, which literally means “mixed rice.”
This signature dish typically consists of rice, vegetables, meat, and sauce, and is normally served in a steaming hot stone bowl to maintain the heat level of the food.
Bibigo’s Century City location now exclusively offers the option of choosing the types of vegetables and meats that go into the meal, among other rice- and noodle-based entrees.
As of now, its Westwood and Beverly Hills locations, both of which opened in 2010, have only preselected meal options.
Though Bibigo first debuted in the Westfield food court back in 2012, the reasoning behind last week’s grand re-opening of the Century City location was to celebrate the newly formatted ordering process.
“We used to have meal options that had a set of five preselected vegetables,” Rachel Kang, project manager of the U.S. branch of Bibigo, said. “Now we’ve expanded to a selection of 11 vegetables that customers can pick and choose from.”
As an international restaurant branch, Bibigo naturally faces the challenges of varying preferences of customers worldwide. Therefore, Bibigo closely monitors and keeps in mind the differing perspectives of its myriad of consumers.
“American audiences generally like to be familiar with what is in their food,” Kang said. “They like to have choices.”
The re-formatting of the Bibigo menu occurred largely due to the fact that the restaurant wanted to cater to the American preference.
“Now you can choose what kind of meat and how much meat you want in your bowl, as well as if you want any at all,” Kang said. “We have vegetarian options as well.”
From “bold, meaty” options to more “light, fit” choices, Bibigo seeks to serve a “wide spectrum” of customers and be able to meet the wants and needs of every guest.
These new changes in the ordering process will undoubtedly appeal to those interested in trying a foreign cuisine but unsure of all of the elements that are infused within the food. In this sense, Bibigo has made a wise decision with the menu alterations, as optimal customer service will also be included with the changes as well.
“We are letting our customers choose what they want,” Kang said.
The crowds of intrigued customers lined up in front of the restaurant are telling of the new menu, the food quality, and the customer service. Bibigo and its recent transformation seem to be very much worth a visit.
Bibigo Century City is located on the second floor food court at 10252 Santa Monica Boulevard at Westfield Century City. For more information, call 310.557.0011 or visit bibigo.com.
