Bibimbap is one of Korea's most photogenic dishes — a bowl of rice topped with colourful vegetables, protein, and gochujang. We tried three kit options available in the UK to see if any capture the magic.
What Makes Great Bibimbap
Bibimbap translates to "mixed rice" and at its best it is a masterpiece of colour, texture, and flavour. A proper version has individually seasoned vegetables (namul), a protein (usually beef or tofu), a fried egg, and a generous spoonful of gochujang, all arranged over hot rice. The ritual of mixing everything together at the table — breaking the egg yolk, incorporating the sauce — is part of the experience. It is a dish that rewards effort, which is why kit versions face a high bar.
Bibigo Bibimbap Kit
CJ Bibigo's kit includes rice, dried vegetable toppings, and a gochujang sauce sachet. You microwave the rice, rehydrate the vegetables, and assemble. The result is edible and convenient but falls short of genuine bibimbap. The vegetables are thin and lack the distinct seasoning that makes each component of a real bibimbap interesting in its own right. The sauce is decent. This works as a quick lunch option but should not be mistaken for the real experience.
Sempio Bibimbap Sauce
Sempio takes a different approach — they sell just the sauce, and you build the rest yourself. This is actually the more useful product. The sauce is a sweetened gochujang blend with sesame oil that tastes proper and authentic. With a bowl of freshly cooked rice, a fried egg, and whatever vegetables you have in the fridge (spinach, carrot, courgette, bean sprouts), you can assemble a bibimbap that is genuinely good. The sauce does the heavy lifting, and at four pounds it is excellent value.
Ottogi Dried Vegetables
Ottogi's dried vegetable mix is designed for both japchae and bibimbap. The packet contains dried bellflower root, bracken fern, and shiitake mushrooms — ingredients that are otherwise difficult to find in the UK. Rehydrate them, season with soy sauce and sesame oil, and they add an authenticity that fresh UK vegetables cannot quite match. They work best as a supplement to fresh vegetables rather than a replacement.
The Verdict
Skip the all-in-one kits and instead buy Sempio's sauce and Ottogi's dried vegetables. Combine them with fresh rice, a fried egg, and whatever fresh vegetables you can julienne, and you will have a bibimbap that genuinely impresses — for less money and only marginally more effort than opening a kit box.
K-Food → Review
Bibimbap Kit Review: 3 UK Options Tested
We tested three bibimbap kits to see if they deliver on the promise.
Skip the all-in-one kits and instead buy Sempio's sauce and Ottogi's dried vegetables. Combine them with fresh rice, a fried egg, and whatever fresh vegetables you can julienne, and you will have a bibimbap that genuinely impresses — for less money and only marginally more effort than opening a kit box.
Ottogi's dried vegetable mix is designed for both japchae and bibimbap. The packet contains dried bellflower root, bracken fern, and shiitake mushrooms — ingredients that are otherwise difficult to find in the UK. Rehydrate them, season with soy sauce and sesame oil, and they add an authenticity that fresh UK vegetables cannot quite match. They work best as a supplement to fresh vegetables rather than a replacement.
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Sempio Bibimbap Sauce
Sempio takes a different approach — they sell just the sauce, and you build the rest yourself. This is actually the more useful product. The sauce is a sweetened gochujang blend with sesame oil that tastes proper and authentic. With a bowl of freshly cooked rice, a fried egg, and whatever vegetables you have in the fridge (spinach, carrot, courgette, bean sprouts), you can assemble a bibimbap that is genuinely good. The sauce does the heavy lifting, and at four pounds it is excellent value.
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Bibigo Bibimbap Kit
CJ Bibigo's kit includes rice, dried vegetable toppings, and a gochujang sauce sachet. You microwave the rice, rehydrate the vegetables, and assemble. The result is edible and convenient but falls short of genuine bibimbap. The vegetables are thin and lack the distinct seasoning that makes each component of a real bibimbap interesting in its own right. The sauce is decent. This works as a quick lunch option but should not be mistaken for the real experience.
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What Makes Great Bibimbap
Bibimbap translates to "mixed rice" and at its best it is a masterpiece of colour, texture, and flavour. A proper version has individually seasoned vegetables (namul), a protein (usually beef or tofu), a fried egg, and a generous spoonful of gochujang, all arranged over hot rice. The ritual of mixing everything together at the table — breaking the egg yolk, incorporating the sauce — is part of the experience. It is a dish that rewards effort, which is why kit versions face a high bar.