Love it or hate it, everyone knows what sushi is, but sushi's cousin gimbap (or kimbap) remains largely unknown or ignored or both. It's extremely worth trying and I would even venture to say that I love gimbap as much as I love sushi, sometimes even more because I'm not always in the mood for raw fish.

In Tacoma, the best gimbap I've found is unassuming and often illusive. It's at Pal-Do World at 9601 South Tacoma Way. Get there in the late mornings or around lunch and a variety of types of gimbap will be on tables near the cash registers. Get there too late and it will all be gone.

Gimbap was born in Korea and looks much like sushi-familiar white rice within, familiar seaweed wrap, familiar center of tasty fillings. But gimbap does have a slightly different taste than sushi as it's most often seasoned with sesame oil, which produces a smoky savory flavor. Another major difference between these two types of rice rolls is that gimbap doesn't really use raw fish. Instead, you'll find more everyday fillings like tuna salad, hamburger, ham, or veggies.