On the Bab is a popular Korean casual dining restaurant serving Korean street and home-styled food. It is opened by restaurateur Linda Lee who has over 12 years of experience in London running restaurants. On the Bab itself has 4 outlets. Vain Pot recommended the place to me because I told her I wish to try somewhere the locals frequent. There was already a queue when we got there attesting to its popularity. (you got to forgive the shaky images because it's the first time I'm using my new Olympus PEN E PL 8 to take food at night)
We started our meal with the Yangyum Chicken which apparently is the highlight of the restaurant. Fried chicken is a classic Korean dish. I picked the Garlic Mayo which Vain Pot tried before, she said it is the best among the choices. I felt that the chicken was well fried and the sauce was really well concocted. It definitely gave an addictive kicker to the dish. As much as I enjoyed the dish, Korean Chicken in general rarely appeals to me, just feels like junk food. Having said that, I'm pretty certain Korean Chicken fans will be lapping this up just like Vain Pot did!
The On the Roll (Spicy Pork) appealed a lot better to me. I liked how the rolls were sliced thinly making each mini roll bite size. There's a good mix of vegetables typical in all Korean dishes with the spicy pork giving very good balance to the dish. I like how the crunchy rice rolls felt really light when I ate them and this meant I can consume more without feeling excessively full. I felt a little bit more Korean with every bite.
The Soondubu Jjigae is another very traditional Korean dish. It's a stew made up of tofu, seafood and egg. The weather was around 8 degrees while I was enjoying this meal so you can imagine how comforting a bowl of hot stew feels. Again, I'm typically not a fan of tofu stews in Singapore but this particular one saw me cleaning the bowl. The soup had mild spiciness and it's power packed with flavour. I love how the tofu and egg is cooked till creamy you can just slurp it up. In chilly London, having this stew simply added warm and fuzziness to our dining experience.
Covent Garden's On the Bab is not only known for food but also for its drinks. Vain Pot and I both had Soju Cocktails and it made the meal more satisfying. I'll certainly recommend this place for a good catch up with friends as this place offers not only comfort food but also a decent selection of drinks to chill out.
On the Bab (Covent Garden)
36 Wellington Street London, WC2E7BD