ooooh the hype on this place is real! i found out about this place through an article on the San Francisco Chronicle saying that their Stone Bibimbaps was one of the best in the area and I must say that he was right! The stone pot is HUGE and if you let the rice sit for about 10 minutes it gets super nice and crispy. Tradition is to mix it but I don't like doing that because I don't want the wetness of the beautiful ingredients on top to mess the crunch on the bottom. Yes, it's $22 but it's on par with other Korean restaurants but I feel like the ingredients are all super top notch (beef was nice and tender) plus the stone pot is HUGE so you DO get a lot of food. Wonderful banchan; we got three rounds. we also got the japchae which was really delicious and had strong sesame oil flavor. the stone bi bim bap though was def the star and we will be back for this! read more

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We came here for dinner and got the corn cheese appetizer, seafood dosat bibimbap, and beef bibimbap and it was all yummy! I loved the crispy rice on the bottom of my dolsat and it tasted just as good as it looked! It's a little milder than what I'm used to but it did have a kick and all of the sides were wonderful--especially the shredded potatoes. The corn cheese appetizer was good but nothing to write home about. My sis got the beef bibimbap and loved it. Very tasty and the portions were large. We both had enough leftovers for dinner the next day and made our own eggs to top it off cuz we love our runny eggs over rice. Small family run place in a strip mall by pak n save. Staff was attentive and helpful, food was great and the portions were large. I'll definitely be back anytime I need my bibimbap fix! read more

Vivid Bibim - Seafood Dolsat Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - San Leandro, California

This place was excellent. Their kimchi amazing. The waitress was very nice and gave me a free bowl of rice and kept bringing our table more kimchi because I kept saying how good it was. I had the beef ramen and chicken wings. Wings were delicious and the soup was very good but super hot! I had to wait a little to eat it so I didn't burn myself. read more

After the raving SF Chron review, we were seriously disappointed. Actually it was basically OK . We each got a dolsot bibimbop. Theirs was good, the standard with good flavors and nicely toasted rice at the bottom. I had the reviews recommended seafood dolsot bibimbop. Not a successful variation since it didn't bring out the seafood flavors. Also, it was lacking the toasted rice crust at the bottom. Mediocre service too. read more

I went on a weekday at lunch time, so I could try their lunch specials and it was my first time with the new ownership. I think the specials are fair and good deal with an average price of $15. That is comparable to Hainan chicken, a bowl of pho, or teriyaki bowl at other local restaurants. The beef bulgogi was a good size for a lunch portion. The beef bimbibap had lot of veggies and rice. We also ordered a seafood pancake off regular menu and it has crispy edges with soft seafood (I hate when the seafood is overly chewy). The staff was really nice. They asked us several times if we wanted more banchan or tea. I think it was good based on the lunch menu and will return. read more

Vivid Bibim - Seafood Pancake - Korean Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Ordered food here and wasn't impressed. Lots of stuff on the menu were unavailable. I asked to substitute the pork with chicken and the person taking the order flat out refused. I used to like coming to JP Seoul but under this new ownership I will not be back. read more

Loved the food here, was very Vegetarian friendly. The service was also nice, and had a comfy ambiance. Would definitely visit here again for the stone pot bibimbap and the japchae read more

Vivid Bibim is Great!!!! Soothing tea, fun drinks, attentive service. Fresh, tasty, gorgeous colors of vegetables, banchan (small savory table dishes before the main course) included a yummy grated potato and sweet spicy kale. Our favorite is Beef Bibimbop-Purple rice underneath and at least seven unique flavors. Convenient free parking, near BART too. read more

I've been looking for a good Korean restaurant for a few years since Tofu House in Castro Valley closed. This place looks like it's under new management, since it used to be JP Tofu. JP was okay, only went once and didn't like it. I was hopeful this place would be better. For the most part it was good. I got the beef dolsot bibimbap and seafood tofu soup. Both were good. The dolsot bibimbap came in a large shallow stone bowl/plate and it was great to get the carmalized rice. The tofu soup didn't come with a raw egg like most other Korean restaurants. I'm not sure if that's the norm but it's not the same without it. Overall, I would go again. read more

The seafood pancake was very tasty. The short rib soup was very bland. And the salmon hot rice bowl, pedestrian in flavor, and ok at best.

My family used to love the old restaurant at this location so we were disappointed to see it changed ownership. However, we decided we should give it a shot. We tried Vivid Bibim today to see how it compared to JP Seoul and was pleasantly surprised! We arrived close to closing for their lunch break. I was worried that it was too close to their lunch closing time, but the staff was very welcoming. They were great the entire time, frequently checking in to see if everything was going well. We also got to order from their lunch specials menu, which has a variety of items for a reasonable price for Korean food. We'll start with the banchan: - Fishcake: My kids are fish cake fanatics. Theirs was just as tasty if not almost the same as JP Seoul's fish cakes. We had them refill it 2 more times. - Their broccoli is served mixed with tofu. I actually never had it this way, but it was good. - Cucumbers, potato salad, kimchi, and bean sprouts were all really good as well. Out of the things we ordered, these were notable: - Beef Bulgogi (lunch special for 18.82). The price was decent and the portion size was huge. I got a heaping amount of flavorful beef bulgogi. The meat was still sizzling and steaming on the hot stone plate. We all loved it. - Kimchi Stew (lunch special for 15.60). It was a smaller size, I'm assuming bc it was the lunch special. It had great flavor and packed with kimchi/pork belly. Overall, I am happy that this restaurant has the same great taste and service. While I miss the old restaurant, Vivid Bibim seems promising. I will be back to try the dolsat bibimbap and other things on the menu. read more

This is the 2nd time I've eaten here and have had a great experience each time. I've had the Beef Tofu soup, Beef Bibimbap, and Galbi. All delicious and served piping hot plus the complimentary bonchon are fantastic. Their service and hospitality is spot on. Our friends took us their initially and we loved it so much that we came back with my daughter and her family. The atmosphere is casual but very clean. The staff makes it a point to make sure everything is great. You won't be disappointed. read more

Just tried for first time. Was pleasantly surprised. The beef dolsot bibimbap was delicious. The rice was perfect and high quality. Also ordered the japchae which most places do a so-so job but these guys used a lot of fresh veggies and was not too oily. Service was great. Will definitely go back. Nice to have a good Korean food choice nearby. read more

The food is delicious and the service is excellent! I love to eat at this restaurant! I'm very satisfied for what I ordered. read more

Today was my second visit. Sadly it will be my last too. I don't know about you but I find Korean food getting ridiculously expensive nowadays especially this restaurant. Bbq beef short ribs for $43!! Small corn cheese appetizer $11!! (I might as well go to AYCE Korean restaurant that worth more money). Beef bibmbap-- the whole rice bowl is tasteless other than the very few pieces (3pieces) of beef. The veggies is bland not even pickled or so for flavoring. Doesn't worth the money. Seafood pancake-- decent Corn cheese appetizer-- corn from can. Small portion and cost $11. Doesn't worth the money. Beef ramen-- doesn't worth the money considering the ingredients they put in it. Oh and be prepared to pay additional 3% if you opt to pay with credit card (I found out on the bill). I find it restaurant with this scale and with this type of $$ pricing on their menu the owner should absorb the credit fee like many other restaurants. No one (at least not me) carries tons of cash and goes to a $$ restaurant to pay with cash anyway. So I felt like I didn't have choice but to eat up the 3% fee. read more

This was my first time at this restaurant and was pleasantly surprised. The service was excellent and the two ladies working there were so nice. The place is a good size and located close to the 24 hour fitness. It's a cozy spot and appears that there were a lot of regulars on this Friday night. We got a variety of dishes and the bonchon items were all good. Some of the stand out dishes were the seafood tofu soup, seafood pancake, kimchi fried rice, short ribs, and japchae. The spicy chicken wings were ok, but unfortunately the corn cheese was a miss for me. I thought prices were reasonable, quality of food was good, and service was above and beyond. If I was ever in the area and wanted Korean food, I won't hesitate to come back. read more

I had the beef bibinbob, and it lack salt and flavor. There was a few pieces of beef and a lot of veggies. The rice was tasty but a sauce was needed. My friend had the beef stew, like a soup. Overall the food was okay, but we had water and it had an awful aftertaste. Even plain tap water is good but don't know why is was bad. We had to order hot tea for drinks. read more

Vivid Bibim is a treasure in a San Leandro strip mall. The hungry enthusiast customers made up for the atmosphere. The restaurant was buzzing with serious people who knew what they were ordering. The service was quick and efficient. I ordered the seafood pancake that was chock full of shrimp and calamari. The pancake was moist and crunchy at the same time. The beef bibimbop was full of vegetables nestled on top of mixed rice. What a pleasure to find an authentic Korean family run restaurant. I've told family and friends about my wonderful experience here. I look forward to dining at Vivid Bibim in the future. read more

Vivid Bibim - Seafood pancake full of shrimp and calamari. Crunchy on the outside and moist inside - Korean Near Me - San Leandro, California

Good food, generous portions, quiet location, adequate parking and visibility, very friendly service

The bibim here is okay. However, I would come back for the galbi tang as it had really great flavor!

We visited a couple times since their grand opening and the service and food have been great. They're very consistent. They're family friendly. read more

Vivid Bibim - Corn cheese, la galibi, kimchi fried rice, ramen and rice cakes - Korean Near Me - San Leandro, California

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My first time there. Place was nice and clean inside. This place needs more attention and support from the locals. Staffs were nice and friendly. read more

Best Korean restaurant in the Bay! (Even better than most places I used to regularly go to in K-town in LA.) Seconding everything the first reviewer has to say. The dolsot bibimbap is the best I've ever had. I also appreciate how much variety and quality of veggies and other ingredients they include. Galbi (short ribs), tofu soup, japchae, and pancakes are all also amazing. To top it off, the owners and folks who work here are all very sweet and they deliver amazing service in addition to their food. This used to be a different Korean restaurant with different owners, so it's possible the sign says something else outside. Don't be confused it's in the same spot! I hope more folks come and leave reviews for this restaurant. They deserve the love for how much care and detail they put into their food and service! read more

I had visited a couple times in the past and enjoyed the food. However; we had the seafood bibimbap today and it was not worth the higher price compared to the other bibimbaps. The seafood part was very little; included about three pieces of shrimps, a couple pieces of squids and frozen clams. The soup with ribs was very oily. I will come back for other dishes. read more

Been here twice now. Food is piping hot and delicious, portions are large, and service is friendly. The jap chae is our favorite dish so far since it's loaded with tender meat and veggies, and the seasoning is well-balanced. read more

Had tofu bimibab and friend had the beef. Both were delicious. Like other reviews have said, there's a lot more veggies and toppings than most other bimibab I've tried. And you must order the one in stoneware to get the crunchy rice. Delicious! read more

Took my mother here for lunch on Mother's Day, and everything was great... the staff, service, and food. Highly recommended!

This place took over JP Seoul but the interior remains the same. Portion sizes did get a lot smaller for the price. We ordered the galbi jjim and it only came with 4 pieces of meat. For a small shop like this, they are really trying to increase their profit margins after taking over. Would not recommend for the value, lots of other better Korean restaurants. Staff were friendly and attentive but we had to keep asking for sides instead of them offering refills for us. Overall, would not come back. read more