STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.—Longtime restaurateur Emma Jiang quietly reinvented her Forest Avenue storefront, transforming her bubble tea shop at 532B Forest Ave. into Bibimbap House, a Korean rice bowl spot built on healthier eating, customization and pure comfort.
Bibimbap, which translates to “mixed rice,” is a traditional Korean dish built on warm rice layered with vegetables, protein, a sweet‑and‑spicy sauce and an egg, all meant to be stirred together before eating.
Jiang says the bowls also appeal to customers looking for something simple and nourishing. “I have people who come from the gyms and ask for just chicken and rice,” she said. Because the ingredients are plain and consistent, it’s easy for diners to control portions and know exactly what they’re eating.
Entrepreneurial life and food future
Jiang was 23 years old when she opened Three Guys Sushi in 2015 and launched ViVi Bubble Tea in 2018. A College of Staten Island graduate, she has become one of Forest Avenue’s most recognizable small-business owners. No longer the new kid on the block, she’s adapted through COVID and shifting trends in the West Brighton area. Her deepening entrepreneurial roots in the neighborhood are also why she decided to make the North Shore her home.
Jiang closed ViVi Bubble Tea for renovations around the New Year and reopened the space with a new concept—but kept the bubble tea for the diehards who’ve been with her since 2018.
She hopes to franchise Bibimbap House locations across Staten Island and beyond. Trendsetting isn’t new for her—she was among the first to bring bubble tea to the borough as the drink was beginning its rise through Manhattan’s Chinatown.
“We want to bring some healthy food to the neighborhood,” Jiang said. “Rice is our main dish.”…