We found this newly opened Korean eatery in Fort Lee. It seemed like they are fast-served, affordable, simple menu spot. It was clean and spacious, and when we walked in, a staff welcomed us from behind the counter and helped us order. They had drinks in an ice container right in front the ordering counter.

The inside was quite large, open and very bright with large windows on the wall facing the street. The decor was rather simple, nothing fancy expect one corner. It had very nice, modern and industrial look to it with wood panel wall, chandelier and metal chairs. Interesting…

What surprised me more about the space is that they had a second floor! It was also large space, possibly bigger than the first floor space. We went there in the morning time, so it was almost empty.

Up here, they had the similar, modern and industrial look, much more than the first floor. They had loads of sitting space, but not crammed into this space, so it was very spacious. New York City would flip out for this much space! They had few counter seats, overlooking the first floor and the street view from the windows. Pretty cool, relaxing space.

This is not a restaurant with a waiter service. You order your food at the counter, and pick it up when your order is ready from the counter. They have water, cups, silverware and everything you might need, placed neatly in the dining area.

They also have Koran condiments, some of them looking really hot and spicy… Since they were not labeled, I can’t tell you exactly what they are, but Korean people loves their spice! I really enjoy spicy food too, but not at their level…

As I mentioned, they have simple menu. Mostly consisting of cups, bibimbap, Noodle, Rice, Soup and some side dishes. We wanted to order Stone Pot Bibimbap, but we were told that they only serves breakfast items until 11am. And, yes, it was before 11am… The staff suggested that we get a Cup Bap which is very similar to what we want, just not in a stone pot, and smaller in size. So, we went with her suggestion and we got Cup Bap ($6.95).

The first Cup Bap of choice was with Beef, kind of like beef bibimbap in a paper cup. It had rice on the bottom, and had marinated beef, veggies and kimchi on top. It was not filled to the top, but it had a good amount.

Since the beef was marinated and all the veggies cooked with seasoning, it had very nice flavor. Of course, the kimchi really set the spicy taste that brought everything together. Even though the cup was not full to the rim, since the cup itself was a good size, it was still satisfying. It was actually a pretty darn tasty cup.

The second Cup Bap of choice was pork. And not just any pork, they do spicy pork, of course! It was marinated and had same topping as the beef cup bap; veggies and kimchi.

Again, the cup was not filled to the top, but it was a good size cup and had some weight to it. It was nice and spicy, we didn’t need to add any more spicy sauce that they had, since we liked the spicy-ness just the way it was.

Their bathroom is on the second floor, at the back corner. They only have one bathroom for men and women, very spacious. They could have made at least two stalls in here… It was so spacious with nothing in it (like a little corner cabinet), that it looked unfinished. It also was problematic for ladies who carries purse or jacket, there was not way to put anything anywhere… Hopefully they will add something (at least a hook?) in there…

It was a quick and easy brunch, and very affordable one too. The place was super clean, we saw staffs coming to clean up right after customers leave. I didn’t see a single trash or mess anywhere. The female staff at the counter was friendly and efficient, and food was pretty tasty. I would like to go back after 11am to try their stone pot bibimbap when I just want a quick, affordable lunch.

 

Shinpo Korean Eatery – 214 Main St., Fort Lee, NJ 07024