On The Bab

I really liked the buzzy, casual vibe of this place! We were lucky to wander in without a queue and waited only 5mins for a table, though the line built up quite quickly behind us.
My mouth was watering when I saw the menu so we ordered a feast from just about every section. The spicy pork on the buns were nicely fat and well stuffed, and bulgogi beef on the bibimbab fresh and tasty. My highlight was the seasoned spring onion sauce on the yangyum chicken which had my tastebuds a-​tingling like crazy! Lucky we’d ordered draught kirin to wash it all down — which if you order in sharing size actually arrives in a tower with a tap (cue everyone in the restaurant looking round to see who the beer guzzlers are) ;)
I thought the staff were a bit abrupt at first but they turned out to be quite lovely — I think the first woman was just rushed off her feet but she later came to say a very genuine sorry at how long our beer was taking to arrive — the kind of thing you really don’t mind if the service still makes you feel special so well played.
A very reasonably priced and filling feed (though not ideal as we had to run to make our cinema showtime afterwards!). I’m sure I’ll be back to try more of those addictive sauces on the KFC…

We came across this place on the hunt for a carb + protein meal! Not having read previous reviews I was surprised to see it was rated lower than I’d expected. We were really pleasantly surprised by this new discovery. Fortunately we got here before any queues had begun forming so we’re seated pretty much straight away (there was a queue of at least 10ppl by the time we left). Our order was taken really quickly — great coz we were in a rush — and food came promptly after. I went for the bibimbap which was different to others I’d tried as the pot didn’t come scorching hot like in other places. The vegetable was chucked in cold too — but I didn’t mind this as the portions we huge and flavours great. In fact looking around the whole restaurant I noticed all the portions were quite big so thumbs up there! The bill came to an incredible £24 — that’s 2 mains and 2 soft drinks — cheap considering we’re in Covent Garden here!
Definitely will come here again!

Went here for a late late lunch/​early dinner and must say the food is good! The food came very fast — as I ordered bibimbap. Potentially one of the best I’ve had around town, although I tend not to order bibimbap often when eating Korean. The atmosphere was nice and the staff were friendly. I will say, I ordered a sorjurita, their version of a frozen margarita, and I wasn’t much impressed. It tastes great but cost £6 for one cup that had three large ice cubes in it. I enjoyed the sour taste along side my Korean food though! Overall the experience was nice, but I would consider this an expensive meal.

I really wanted to like this place as I had been to the one in Old Street and loved the food.
In this Covent Garden branch, the food was ok but the service! OMG!
I mean you can just take three random people from the street and they will do a better job than these waiters/​waitresses who served us.
No intuition whatsoever, it was like we had to explain we need spoons to drink a soup…
They had a very low food hygiene rating from the FSA as well at the time but I see that they have now improved to 5 stars. It’s good but I had it when it was less stars.
I might go again as I love their kimchee soup but wouldn’t be rushing.

I do like it. I really do. But I can’t help but think this is a Korean place made for westerners. Almost manufactured to tastes. You know the kind, where the customers are all your white middle class people and the dishes are not spicy. I’ve been to both branches and enjoyed both a lot though.
I tried the chicken wings, kimchi and pork buns as my staple dishes. All have been very good. I’m a stickler for supporting local and authentic national restaurants though. I suppose this particular one is in the centre of town for a reason so they have delivered on all fronts, especially since some Korean places in the small K-​Town area was displaced due to cross rail.

My 1^st experience of Korean food was last week. I went for On the bap because the menu was concise but interesting and honestly? Because I love fried chicken.
I found the restaurant quiet for a lunchtime with a great industrial vibe and poppy Asian soundtrack.
I started off with an aloe punch-​nothing exciting there. Then I tried the fried chicken, I went for the soy ginger which turned out to be a glaze rather than dipping sauce. Very nice it was too. The chicken was super moist inside and tasty!
Then came my Korean bulgogi beef burrito. A few things disappointed me about this dish. The roll was wrapped in seaweed and much drier than I thought. The beef didn’t have much flavour and the veggies were too plain. However, I think I was won over once I ignored the fact it wasn’t a burrito was I knew them. The roll was sliced into very slim slices, there were actually a lot of ingredients in the roll and with the side sauce, it was a very nice, crunchy and interesting dish.
Service was on and off but actually, I would like to go back and try more dishes and definitely more fried chicken!!!

Really great food at a reasonable price and we were able to walk in without a reservation (only 2 of us). This was a happy mistake as the few places we were interested in trying were booked up. We stopped in here, shared a few plates and left happy and full.
I loved the décor, industrial and clean. The place was busy but not too loud or overwhelming and the service was great. We had to wait a bit for our drinks but the food was prompt.
Favorites: Broccoli Salad and Kimchi Bokeum Bab.

Busy place here in Covent Garden but very worth the wait. There are no bookings and staff will not seat you until the entire party has arrived so keep that in mind!
The food here is tasty and filling at a fair price. Portions are generous but I do not recommend the bibibab which comes in a metal bowl rather than a hot stone one.
Chicken wings are insane and a great side to order to share amongst the table.
I like the serving plates and cups, very reminiscent of my childhood which was a funny conversation point during the meal.
Seating is a little cramped and service can be slow when it’s busy.

We all know street-​food is awesome, and Korean street-​food is pretty awesome.
Co-​Yelper brought me to On the Bab in Covent Garden to warm up and enjoy some grub. It was fun, food was okay, but service was a bit meh.
I went for the chicken noodles, and found that the broth was pretty average. However I am told that the Bibimbap is really good — maybe I should give it another go?

Came on an empty stomach, left almost clutching my chest from the overload of the Korean Fried Chicken! We ordered a large serving (21 pieces of chicken) with the garlic-​mayo sauce and the sweet-​spicy sauce. As a main, I had the bibimbap (which I’m glad fellow Unilocalers warned that it was lukewarm at best). I only wish that the dishes were served on a hot stone, like what you would get in South Korea. Service is slow yet professional.

It’s ok. Depends what you’re after.
The flavours are definitely there but it is a pretty full on, mayonnaise-​y meal. It’s hands down some of the best kimchi I have had in a very long time but that’s probably the ‘freshest’ thing on the menu. They have a small broccoli salad which comes out in a small hipster jar and is pretty watery with a generous squirt of orange looking mayonnaise and some fried shallots on top. This particular mayonnaise features in a number of dishes so if mayo is not your thing then maybe this restaurant is not for you.
The small bites to share are all ok. There is a fair bit of deep-​fried throughout the menu options including all sorts of fried chicken. Dip it in orange mayonnaise. And actually the dip with the beer snacks is orange mayonnaise. You can also find it on the Pork buns which is probably the best orange mayonnaise matched dish. The burrito also has this sauce as your dipping option and is actually not a burrito, rather it is a sushi roll with cabbage and the meat of your choice.
There are dumplings; shrimp or chicken, and blow me down and call me nancy, they come out with orange mayonnaise.
I haven’t had the traditional dishes but I think, don’t quote me, they come out orange mayonnaise free so maybe if I go back I will try one of these. They look super filling so if you get one maybe don’t order too much more!
So lots of flavour but lots of the same flavour throughout all of the dishes. Orange mayonnaise flavour.
The service is verrrrrrryyyyyyyy slllloowwwwww. A lot of waiting staff standing around motionless whilst people at tables try to get their attention without any luck as they stare off into the distance or talk about weekend plans to other waiting staff. My first drink took 45mins and the beer snacks took 55.
So, in summary, if you have a particular soft spot for orange mayonnaise JACKPOT you have found your ultimate restaurant.

Recommended by a few friends, yea the fried chicken was nice. Also ordered the bibimbap, mixed feelings about it, like the flavor wasn’t bad but it was different from the standard bibimbap I’ve had, it was a little cold, not warm enough for me.

Busy little place with a lot of local guests — very understandable. This street food spot has everything a Korean kitchen should have. Pork, kimchi, spicy mayo, bibimbap — so much more. We were lucky to get a table right away, so expect some waiting if you’re here around lunch time.
I had the baek ban with spicy pork. It comes with kimchi, coleslaw, bean sprouts and rice. Kimchi was perfect. The pork marinade was very sweet, of course they use alot of sugar, but it’s absolutely a winner. You don’t go for Korean if you’re on a diet…
Try the On the rice as well; meat in sushi rolls (no sushi, though). It’s awesome.
Their citrus sparkle drink is very good, too.
Don’t expect great service here, but the food makes up for it. Great place for lunch.

OTB — where were you 8 years ago when I first moved to London? When I first moved to London, I was on a mission to find a Korean pohjang macha (Korean bar) and there were a few places here and there but this really reminds me of my old haunts in Flushing, NY.
It’s a small place so they operate on a — we only seat you if you’re all here policy. We didn’t have to wait too long for an early saturday evening. We had a scan of the menu and I really appreciate that everything is in English and Korean. For 3 of us, we ordered a large fried chicken (mix of sweet spicy and soy), spicy pork buns, and bulgogi on the roll… with a bottle of soju and large beer!
The buns are the first to arrive. Steamed buns are all the craze here in London and I have to say this was really good and HUGE. Properly stuffed with loads of salad, pork and a delicious spicy sauce.
Then the alcohol arrives — first time I get a bottle of soju in a small bowl of ice to keep it cool! Thats the thing with drinking soju. It’s always nicer when it’s ice cold — then it starts to get vile when it cools off. The Kirin (not Korean but hey close enough) came in a long tube that also had a thin tube of ice in the middle to keep it cold — so Korean! Love it!
When we ordered on the roll, we were really picturing a burrito… It was just a really fat kim bap! Still really enjoyed it because I LOVE bim bap so def recommend. Now the fried chicken — came in a huge pan with a salad in the middle. It was good — so many different variations of KFC out there and I’m quite happy with this one.
After all that, we felt like having cocktails after so we ordered a large soju breeze cocktail. It reminds me of those cocktail soju drinks back in my early 20s… but this was way better! And in typical Korean drinking fashion, we also ordered marun anju — which had most of the things you usually get at a Korean bar — just missing the peanuts you eat with the dried squid.
Overall, really great place. OTB, you’d made this Queens girl very happy.

When I met Lauren from Lifestyle Diaries. It felt like that scene out of Step-​brothers
OMG DID WE JUST BECOME BEST FRIENDS —

We’d been talking via Twitter for ages so it felt only right that we meet in ‘real life’ for some food — and I quickly discovered we are basically like the same person.
Our original dining spot backfired on us, so chose to head to On the Bab as Lauren had heard some promising reviews. It’s a laid-​back Korean street food restaurant just off the main square in Covent Garden.
The menu is made up of lots of different dishes, from steamed buns and fried chicken to larger dishes with rice and kimchi.
We did what food bloggers do best and ordered a number of dishes for the table to share between us starting with pan fried shrimp dumplings (£3.90).
We also ordered the spicy pork steamed buns (£7). These were gorgeous! Little pillowy clouds of deliciousness and really generous portion sizes too.
And finally Korean style kimchi bacon pae lla with a perfectly cooked fried e gg on top (£8.50). This was my absolute favourite dish — so much flavour and with the right kick of spice.
Overall we were really impressed with On the Bab. The food was delicious, the service was speedy and it was very wallet-​friendly.
All our food plus drinks came to just under £15 each –which for Covent Garden was brilliant. I’d definitely recommend trying it out next time you’re in the area.

Both locations, OtB is great. I contemplated a 4-​star review for this location after my first visit, as I did feel the KFC at this branch was a little gooey on the outside and a bit less crisp than the multiple times I’ve had it at the Old Street branch, but they got MAJOR plus marks for having zero wait, in Covent Garden, on a warm summer Thursday night. I had tried to take my friends to Homeslice, and after being quoted a 2 hour wait, opted to walk straight in here.
Definitely get the Spicy Pork Buns; major hit with everybody even those who’d never had Korean food.

This was really a visit of two stories…
As a person who loves KFC (both The colonel’s and the Korean version) I was quite excited to try OTB. especially after watching the Ksoap that made KFC & beer so famous. The fried chicken was good. Really well fried, though I thought the sauce was a bit one dimensional. As in it was hot. Full stop. Nothing else. The crunchy peanut was a great topping though. I would love to see some veg garnish with it, a la buffalo wings.
However, please dear GOD, DON’T order the beef salad. It was the single most disgusting Asian thing I’ve tasted in my life. Seriously. I would rather eat a whole bowl of natto rather than this again. It was this hot mess of of soggy vermicelli in a sour soup? Dressing? Let’s call it hot dressing… with some really sad over cooked bugogi on it and a few wilted sprigs of spring onions. Just, don’t. You imagine a hot and sour soup heated up? No, it’s more Asian style salad dressing heated up. Just no, no, no, no, no.
The staff were nice and the manager did say she’s going to rephrase the menu to make it clearer. I’d definitely come back again for KFC and beer, but I’d avoid all the salad dishes with a vengeance, in case there are any more lost translations.

So, does the rapid spread of OnTheBab herald a rise in Korean street food? They’re following in the trail blazed by Korean fast food chain Kimchee, which has brought affordable yummy Korean food to the high street
I stumbled upon this branch in Covent Garden and despite having eaten lunch, I felt it was my Unilocal duty to try out the Korean fried chicken to further expand my ‘Chicken Lickin’ Unilocal list
They were in a quiet spot between lunch and dinner services but I was served quickly and efficiently
As mentioned, I went for yangyum chicken, the Korean version of fried chicken. They offer a choice of 4 sauces — sweet soy, sweet spicy, garlic mayo and seasoned onion. I went for the garlic mayo
As expected for a restaurant specialising in street food, they packaged my takeaway chicken well. When I opened up the box, I was surprised to find that the chicken was completely smothered in the sauce. The chicken was crispy but I couldn’t taste the flavour because the garlic mayo was overwhelmingly garlicky. Now, I love garlic but this sauce is something else, so be warned. Perhaps they should serve it on the side
I have however seen enough encouraging signs to make a return to try more dishes

What a friendly staff! The honored my coupon as the opening happened later, always a plus! Great food always get the friend chicken and have tons of veggie options. Love this one like the one in Shoreditch and a fun atmosphere to boot!
I have been here so many times now and just felt I should remove a star for the service. I love the food but the staff is not on it, even the basics of tap water. Especially agonising when I go so often!

New OtB! Well that was quick… I’m glad they’ve been doing well enough to expand (into Covent Garden, no less), all my meals here have been excellent to this point, and this branch carries on the good work from Old Street. The setup is pretty similar — the CG one is a bit bigger, the tables a little less cramped, and there’s more bar seating.
The menus are different between the two branches. The main staples are here: fried chicken, buns, bibimbap, but a lot of the small dishes are different — there are more salads here.
We had pork buns, bibimbap, Korean burrito with fried chicken, shrimp dumplings, and kimchi noodle salad, and I had an aloe punch to drink. The pork buns were excellent as I’ve come to expect from OtB, and I like the bibimbap, especially with the orange miso-​y sauce on the table — shame it’s not in a hotter-​than-​the-​sun stone bowl (Health & Safety, amirite?), but it’s a tasty dish. The Korean burrito — a CG-​only dish — was pretty good: it’s a bit like a large bastardised sushi role topped with crispy shallots. I really liked it (even if it is a bit unwieldy). A little problem here: the sauce pots are a bit too small, so it makes it really difficult to dip. There’s probably an innuendo in there but I’ll leave that up to your wild and filthy imaginations. Next time I come I’d like to try some of the other salads (they have seaweed, pumpkin, broccoli salads…) and the egg muffin.
I’ve always left OtB feeling pleasantly full — a shade over £20 a head, but it’s an immensely satisfying meal. The staff were really nice to boot. The place started filling up quite quickly at around 6pm on a Saturday, so I expect the word’s spread pretty quickly. Definitely dragging my parents here post-​opera at some point!