Bowl'd in Albany: Comfort in a Korean rice bowl

The waiter assured me that tossing my bibimbop, a traditional rice bowl with a colorful wreath of crunchy vegetables and a shimmering sunny-side-up egg, was best accomplished with a spoon.

No point, he seemed to be saying in the most gracious way possible, to klutz around with the chopsticks I had in hand. The chopsticks are for the banchan, assorted containers of pickled and spicy condiments that accompany the main courses.

Demystifying Korean food is the mission of owners Chi Moon and Jessica Oh, friends so close for so long they call one another "sister." Oh's parents are veteran restaurateurs who relied on Jessica from a young age to communicate with their English-speaking customers, seeding the dream for Jessica to one day open her own place.

The menu at Bowl'd is in English and features snapshots of many dishes. The waiters are articulate and unswervingly patient, and the dining room's jade decor, with its long banquettes and glossy wood tables, is inviting. Kids' rice bowls ($6), gentle Brazilian music and a range of Korean beverages, including a sparkling yet creamy rice wine ($12 per bottle), create a homey spirit.

I can't imagine a culture that wouldn't be seduced by the build-your-own rice bowls ($12), a captivating mix of textures and tastes: cool vegetables and grains, creamy egg and warm rice. Flavors start mild, but sides of homemade chile paste and citrusy soy lend unlimited punch.

These bibimbop are also offered hot (add $2), served in sizzling stone crocks that wilt the vegetables and crust the rice (your choice of white or mixed grain).

If you go the barbecue route ($14), skip the classic short ribs (kalbi, add $1) or the flat fish (both dry on my visit) and order the tender, marinated spicy pork.

Small plates, modeled after modern Korean street food, may be the best value at Bowl'd. A pile of plump chicken wings ($8) come soaked in an irresistible spicy sweet sauce. Potato croquettes ($6) are pure comfort food.

Seafood pancakes ($8) come alive with homemade citrus soy, as does a trio of crispy fried mung bean pancakes ($6). Kimbop, sushi-like rice rolls, are just plain fun, a colorful cornucopia of fresh and pickled vegetables matched to your choice of cooked protein. Sprout-heavy tofu pockets ($4), served like pita sandwiches, are also fun to eat, and include a few tantalizing bacon bits.

For an extra $2, small plates come with rice and unlimited refills of banchan, which includes sweetly pickled seaweed, spicy radish and the freshest, tastiest kimchi I've tried (available for sale at Berkeley Bowl market).

More challenging fare includes the fish roe rice bowl ($16), crunchy with a rainbow of tobiko; and the stuffed ginseng chicken stew ($17) - fortifying, but cumbersome. Or consider one of the soft tofu stews ($12), lightly spicy, slightly sour and enriched with egg whisked in at the table. We opted for oysters in our tofu stew, a nutty and bracing addition.

No matter what I ordered, it struck me time and again how good the food made me feel. The freshness of the ingredients, the barley tea and radish soup (both freebies), and the spicy chile paste all had an invigorating effect. Korean cuisine calls for little fat, and Bowl'd does without traditional seasonings of anchovy and salty shrimp, reducing the sodium levels and keeping the menu vegan-friendly.

On a recent afternoon, the dining room was literally reflected in a ginormous spoon decorating the restaurant's wall. But the spoon is also a symbol of Korean comfort. The concept's working. A second restaurant is slated to open in Berkeley by year's end. It will be called Spoons.

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This article appeared on page E - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle