The Mee decade

Bistro Mee (1st arr)

RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table

The Backstory: The Korean canteen you wish you had on your corner, Bistro Mee just celebrated 10 years, and it hasn’t aged a bit. It's unpretentious, but razor-sharp where it matters — flavor, detail, consistency. The menu’s tight, thoughtful, with a few small plates to share and traditional steaming hot mains, in a space befitting both a quick lunch break and a long catch-up dinner.

The Experience: An industrial edge softened by traditional engravings. Metal chopsticks, tin cups, and clean-lined tables give the place a loft-in-Seoul look, but there’s nothing cold about it. The space hums with quiet energy — not too loud, not too formal. Service is impeccable, attentive; words and smiles are perfectly timed.

Starters are all pleasing to look at and easily shared. Start with the kimchi mandu, always a safe bet and anything but boring here — softly spiced, warming, and playfully accompanied by the Alessi sauce bird jug pourer. The bulot, watercress, and cucumber salad offers contrast: briny, chewy, and just spicy enough. Seaweed salad is bright and clean, perfect as a palate-setter.

Then come the hot bowls — bibimbap in a piping hot stone bowl, either veggie-forward or with thinly sliced raw beef that slowly cooks as it mingles with the rice and other elements. Every bite builds on the last, adding layers of texture and warmth. Joumoulok is a pork shoulder massaged into its flavorful marinade — it’s saucy, slow-cooked, and soulful. End on a sweet note with madeleine infused with ssuk, the herbal, earthy Korean mugwort.

To drink: Korean beers, spirits and teas. No fuss, no performance — just what you want with this kind of food. They do have a few well-selected wine references, in case you’d want to pair the simple flamed mackerel with a savory Chablis.

Why it’s FOUND: At €19 for a starter and main at lunch, Mee is a hard deal to beat. But beyond value, it’s the consistency, care, and quiet confidence that bring people back. It’s food that respects the eater — comforting, balanced, and full of intention. –Candice Chemel

→ Bistro Mee (1st arr) • 5 Rue d’Argenteuil • Daily 12h-14h30 & 19h-22h • Book.