Bear Korean, Cotati

8577 Gravenstein Hwy, Cotati CA 94931
(707) 794-9828
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Hours: Tues - Sun: 12pm to 9pm
http://www.koreandining.com

Last Visited: May 25, 2007

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$

I first went to Bear Korean when it opened around 2000. People talked about the small plates (panchan) offered, the Korean bul go gi, and how nice it was to have a new cuisine to try in Sonoma County. Since then, I haven’t seen any other Korean restaurants stick around nearly as long.

The walls recently got a new coat of paint. Now it’s a bright rusty orange color. The restroom has some fluorescent green paint on the cabinetry. I’m not sure what happened to their previously muted color scheme, but they have undergone some new decorating even though the ownership remains the same. The photography once on the walls is now replaced with more typical Asian paintings of mountains and hillsides. Yellow silk flowers hang from a basket that hangs on the wall.

The door to the kitchen in the rear is blocked off by curtains although you can still catch a glimpse of the cooking taking place. The tables are wood laminate and the chairs are covered by green cushions. Upon arrival, we were told to sit anywhere. Several of the tables had not been cleared, but most were available. We were asked if we wanted anything to drink, and then left to the menu.

Once you have ordered, the panchan comes out. Panchan varies depending on lunch or dinner. For my recent dinner visit, we received small plates of: marinated daikon (spicy), kim chee (marinated spicy cabbage), potato salad with apples, spicy marinated tofu, marinated cucumbers, mung bean sprouts with sesame oil, spicy shredded turnip, glass noodles (jap chae), and spinach. Depending on what’s in season, you may find some of these dishes a little different. During the spinach scare, the spinach plate no longer appeared. Kim chee is a staple, and the potato salad seems to be a regular also.

The bul go gi has always been the primary dish here, but I once saw hot steaming dumplings and had to try that out.

- Chin Man Du - Originally priced at $6.95 (at least on the most recent menu), the menu has now been marked up and shows a designation of small (4 dumplings) and large (8 dumplings). These little dumplings are filled with pork and vegetable, along with glass noodle, and steamed over a cabbage leaf. They are brought out in a bamboo steamer. The dumplings are tiny, but they taste good. They’re not like those you find in San Francisco, but okay flavor and okay for Cotati. $3.50 small, $5.95 large

- Bul Go Gi – Also known as Korean Style beef, beef is sliced thinly, marinated, and sautéed with onions and some mushrooms. The presence of the vegetables is hardly visible since you get a heaping mound of beef. It’s good stuff, though to an Asian palate that is not familiar with this style of beef, it may seem overcooked. The marinade used tends to be slightly sweet tasting. Good. $13.95

- Tofu Bi Bim Bap – The rice with assorted mixture section is separated into hot and cold. Primarily, the same ingredients are used in these, but there is a very slight variation in meat. The tofu bi bim bap came with a bottle of hot sauce for us to stir in, and the tofu, carrots, spinach, bean sprouts, zucchini, and other items topped rice and all was presented in a little stainless wok. A fried egg is placed on top of the dish contents. Since the vegetables and tofu were cold, the dish quickly became cold too. Very simple combination, but great. It’s a bit pricey for what you’re getting, so opt for a hot bi bim bap for more interesting presentation. $9.95

- Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap – The dol sot version is similar to that above, but it comes in a stone pot. The pot is extremely hot, and this one also had beef. The combination of flavors is accentuated by the heat, and the heat also causes the hot sauce to distribute its flavor more evenly. The fried egg is great too. I like to break up the egg and stir it into the rice and vegetables until everything is coated. Terrific. $10.95

- Jap Chae – Jap chae is glass noodles that have been pan fried with vegetables. The sauce is light in texture, but each noodle is coated with a soy sauce/sesame oil based sauce. The vegetables tend to be spinach, carrots, bean sprouts, and zucchini. Great. $10.95

- Rice – The rice comes in a small stainless steel bowl with a cover. It’s a cute container, but it’s a bit pricy for the amount of rice you are getting. $1.75

During a visit several years ago, there was one woman on staff who explained to us that she was helping out the family. Unfortunately, she ended up spending most of our meal standing over our table stirring the Bi Bim Bap as she talked to us, which left us with a sense of lack of privacy. However, my 2007 visits have been fairly quiet. I have heard that owner sometimes comes and introduces himself – but this hasn’t happened to us yet, although I did see him chatting with a table nearby.

For a recent lunch visit, I received a smaller amount of panchan – kim chee, mung bean sprouts, potato salad, japchae, and one other item.

- Korean Style Beef Lunch Special – See the description for bul go gi above. On a square white plate, one corner is covered with bul go gi. Adjacent to that is a corner containing a large scoop of rice. Two fried dumplings, goon man du, cover one of the remaining corners, and a salad comprised of lettuce and a slightly sour dressing fill the other corner. In the center of the plate is a small little plate for dipping sauce. The lunch special is a bargain, but the quality of the salad was fair. Some of the lettuce was fresh, some had been refrigerated to the point that the lettuce looked translucent, and some of it had rested. The dressing was a bit too sour for my tastes, considering it was a creamy dressing. The goon man du didn’t have as crispy an outer layer as I had hoped either because the dumpling had been fried much earlier or the oil wasn’t as fresh, but the meat was good. I still think it’s a good value and would be even better if everything was up to par. $6.95

It’s hard to find another Korean restaurant in Sonoma County, and I think Bear Korean is a good place to check out. Try the Bul Go Gi, Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap, and the Jap Chae to have a taste of authentic dishes.