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    BAB Korean Bistro

    3.9 (263 reviews)
    ModerateKorean
    Open 11:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order BAB Korean Bistro Takeout or Delivery

    BAB Korean Bistro Photos

    BAB KOREAN BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Lizzie Y.

    We found ourselves in Brookline looking for a new place to try & ended up at BAB Korean Bistro. They have one other location in Malden that I believe is newer? They seem to have inconsistent reviews, some good and some not so great. After visiting, they honestly exceeded our expectations! I would say, don't come here expecting their food to be the best you can find, in terms of Korean food, but decent for a late night bite. What we ordered: - spicy pork bulgogi (1/2 portion size) -classic jjamppong -pork tangsu/ tangsuyuk (1/2 portion size) So, jjamppong and tangsu are both Chinese-Korean dishes, both our favorites from our meal here! We typically enjoy ordering spicy pork bulgogi but their version did not hit the spot. If you decide to give BAB a try, I highly recommend getting the Jjamppong! They have four different bases you can get: basic (what I ordered), white (non-spicy), mala, and creamy. The flavor was very good, wasn't too spicy, and the noodles had a nice chew to them! Came with zucchini, onions, squid, shrimp, & mussels. I love tangsuyuk! If you've never had it before, I would say it reminds me of chicken nuggets w/ sweet + sour sauce, BUT in the best way possible lol. We ordered the classic sweet + sour version, though they also have a spicy version. The spicy pork bulgogi was interesting. The cuts were very big and dry, so it was difficult to eat it overall... would not recommend ordering this dish. Something I noticed was that the portion sizes were pretty generous! We ordered half sizes for the tangsuyuk and pork but I feel like they were similar to a full size order at other Korean establishments nearby haha. I can see us coming back for the jjamppong and the tangsuyuk! ALSO, love that they are open pretty late on Fri/Sat-12AM (Mon-Thurs 10pm & Sunday until 9pm). Server was nice, gave good recs, & checked in on us frequently throughout our meal + refilled our waters. Parking: street meter parking

    Tofu Dolsot Bibim Bab
    Kami L.

    Was here for a late lunch and got the scallion pancake and Tofu Dolsot Bibim Bab. Both came out quickly and were accompanied by a few sides of kimchi, broccoli, and some sprouts. There were not very many other customers and the staff were very attentive.

    Magda C.

    Great meal and good service, fresh ingredients, no wait time. It comes very hot so I needed to wait 15 minutes to be able to eat it.

    Budae Jjigae
    Alejandra H.

    BAB Korean Bistro is perfect for a late night meal (open until midnight Thurs-Sat). We were quickly seated and we started our night with cheese Tteok Bokki and different banchan dishes. It was hot, cheesy, and there were some glass noodles in the sauce that add a nice chewy texture to the dish. It was surprising that the first thing that came out was my Budae Jjigae. It was so filling and was able to even have an extra meal back home since the serving size was so generous! My fiancé got the Beef Bibim Bab. It came out last, quite a bit after my dish, but still hot and flavorful. I think it will be a delicious, casual spot to go with friends and have a drink especially with their later hours on the weekend.

    Trad sides
    Joshua C.

    We were in town for the night looking for something delicious and this was a home run! Service was fast and friendly! Absolutely delicious and authentic! Hot, fresh, and just the right amount of heat! Completely recommend!

    Sides
    Rav H.

    BAB Korean Bistro is perfectly located in Brookline. Very close to many activitied like Knight Moves Cafe and the Clayroom. Its open pretty late which is convenient for a night out in Brookline. It isnt too crowded and the food is pretty good! I wouldnt say its the best of Korean cuisine, but pretty good for the area, which is why I am giving it a 4. As always the short rib was my favorite. They also recommended a really great mango soju. The service was prompt and the interior decor was pretty good. Parking was easy to find in the area

    A19. Soy Sauce Tteok Bokki
    Chrissy L.

    The banchan were great, kimchi tasty. I think we didn't order the restaurant's strongest dishes, but that's on us, not them. Being named BAB, I think one should order something with rice, like bibimbap. But alas, we ordered a soy (non spicy) tteokbokki since someone couldn't take spice, and we ordered a tteok mandu guk, since I wasn't too hungry and not in the mood for heavier but likely tastier dishes. The service was good, but let's just say, don't get the non spicy tteokbokki.

    A22. Haemul Pa Jeon
    Hursuong V.

    Good portions and friendly, homey environment. I enjoyed the food but it was not mind blowing. We got the tang soo pork, japchae, and seafood pancake. The menu has some Chinese-Korean items that others might not carry if you're looking for that, but missing some of the other items I usually look for like kimbap. They only have 4 different things for the banchan - it would be nice to have more. Otherwise, can be tricky at times to find parking around there if all the meters are full. We came on a Saturday night and our party of 4 was seated immediately. Other random note: the floor was oddly sticky and there were lots of mosquitos or fruit flies flying around.

    Cold noodle
    Annie C.

    Everything we ordered was good, exactly as I expected. Prices are very reasonable, we will be back for sure

    Spicy pork fried Rice
    Harley G.

    Was in the area for work, saw this place across the street, so my coworker and I decided to walk over and check it out. Nice restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Parking looks to be street parking only. The staff greeted us upon first walking in and were very friendly overall. The menu has a good variety of options that all sounded amazing. I went with the spicy pork fried rice, while my coworker got the short rib dolsot bibim bab. They bring you appetizers, like broccoli and kimchi, bean spouts and one other I couldn't quite place what it was... but all were delicious. Especially the kimchi. Food came at good speed and was fresh! The cooked on top was cooked perfectly and yolk ran into the rice, which took it to the next level! Spicy pork wasn't super spicy, but had decent spice level. Really great flavor! Could have gone for spicier, but I do tend to lean pretty spicy. This was honestly just delicious! My coworker gave it amazing reviews too! Very happy we happened to stumble upon this place and would highly recommend.

    KS16. Beef Soondubu
    Yutin Z.

    Ordered Beef Soondubu for pick up! Food was ready in about 12 minutes after my order was placed, service was good, and restaurant smelled like good food as well! I typically order jjambong when ordering Korean food, but was craving tofu soup today. The portion size (a quart) was decent for the price. The flavor itself was decent. There was a decent amount of beef and it was tender. I believe there were some cucumber or maybe crunchy zucchini that was in the soup which was a bit different than what I'm used to, but everything worked together nicely. It also came with three side dishes (kimchi, radish, and bean sprouts) which were appreciated. The serving size was enough for two meals for me. I would definitely be interested in trying other dishes from this place!

    KS11. Al Tang Soup, KS2. Haemul Dwenjang Jjigae Soup, korean scallion pancake
    Alanis S.

    Service was amazing, atmosphere was great (the music isn't too loud, perfectly dimmed lighting), food is very good. Accessible bathroom. Not too pricey. Not too crowded. Love this place. The scallion pancakes really satisfied my craving.

    M4. Pork Bulgogi
    Robo T.

    Absolutely solid korean. The banchan was on point - very very good kimchi, namul and radish. The steamed mandus are delicious. The ganjang KFC was too sweet for my liking but cooked perfectly. The spicy pork bulgogi was amazing and the portion was huge. My dining companion had stone pot bibim bap. It was served nice and hot so it crisped up the rice as he stirred it which is his ideal. He said a lot of places dont heat the stone pot hot enough. Theres a good amount of seating... its not the most comfortable but its still fine. The service was friendly and attentive. Highly recommended.

    KS16. Beef Soondubu

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    Seoul Topokki

    Seoul Topokki

    4.0(179 reviews)
    0.8 miAllston/Brighton
    $$

    I don't typically write reviews but the food was amazing + nice ambiance+ service was so good. I…read morewas surprised to find affordable food with good portion sizes that tastes delicious... I'm already craving the spicy tofu soup again . (Goodbye savings) joking aside, im so happy I've found this gem. Im definitely coming back Also you can get a discount if you pay in cash so keep that in mind before you come!!

    This was our second time ordering delivery from Seoul Topokki. We remembered it being really good…read morethe first time, so we went for round two. We ordered the cheese topokki (soft rice cake, fish cake, vegetable, & mozzarella in Korean spicy sauce) & the beef bulgogi bowl (fried marinated beef, vegetables, steamed rice & side of soup). The cheese topokki was just as good as we remembered - chewy, flavorful, comforting, & a little bit weird. The cheese was poorly distributed, but it was still very tasty. The beef bulgogi bowl was really underwhelming. Firstly, it was very little food. We were promised vegetables, but there were only a few scarce onions & zucchini pieces mixed in. It was also dry. It was devoid of moisture & sauce, so we added some from the fridge at home. The side of soup was a joke. It filled only about 2/3 of the container & looked so sad, we wondered if it was the sauce that we we so desperately needed. Nope, just a meager amount of watered down miso soup. So the conclusion - great topokki, sub-par bulgogi, non-existent soup.

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    Naksan BBQ - Spicy cold noodles

    Naksan BBQ

    3.9(245 reviews)
    0.9 miAllston/Brighton
    $$$$

    Great ambiance, nice dimly lit atmosphere and each grill is nicely spread out. The service was…read morequick and wonderful. The servers grill the meat for you here. The food was all divine. Meats were delicious and cooked great! Definitely on the pricier side but worth the splurge for a nice date or meal with friends. Parking can be a doozy but if you circle the block there is street parking on the opposite street. Would definitely go back, this is Boston's best upscale-esque kbbq that I have had. Overall an 8 or 9/10, only deducting points because I do feel the price is a bit much in comparison to other restaurants that offer the same (but I also understand this is the only place bringing this kind of service in Boston atm) signed, a KBBQ fanatic

    This was my first time trying KBBQ in Boston in probably 10 years or so. Based off of the photos,…read morebranding and ambience, I was expecting a somewhat upscale experience. While I appreciated small touches with being able to put your jackets in a plastic bag under your seat, everything else fell a bit short. The quality of the meats and produce was a bit disappointing. The onion our server used to flavor and start our grill with looked dry, the pumpkin seemed to have a bit of frost as though it were frozen, and the overall quality of the meat was a bit lackluster. Even towards the end of our meal, even when our server told us the meat was ready, a couple of pieces were still raw. The banchan was not bad and the bibim naengmyeon we had was probably the best part of our meal. Sadly I don't think we'll be back based on our experience.

    Photos
    Naksan BBQ - Banchan (side dishes)

    Banchan (side dishes)

    Naksan BBQ - Steamed egg (comes with the combo)

    Steamed egg (comes with the combo)

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    Kimchipapi Kitchen - KIMCHIPAPI FRITAS

    Kimchipapi Kitchen

    4.3(308 reviews)
    0.9 miAllston/Brighton
    $$

    Kimchipapi, consider me your kimchison(too much?) I must be a part of this family and all they…read morehave going on here. I mean, I've heard of rhdjdjd before, but my dislike for American corndog from a young age has kept me completely oblivious to an other version. Just a very select few times in my life, I have eaten something so good, it's made me question everything around me. Korean corndog?!? How could I have lived this long and overlook something so good? It is nothing like the corndogs we are used to in America. The panko is everything. The crunchy texture paired with the oooooeeeyyy gooooeyy cheese makes this what I can only describe as a eutrophic experience. Yes the corndog is phenomenal, but the crispy chicken sliders alone would have been worth the trip. The crunchy, light and airy breading is perfection. Paired with house made pickles, spicy mayo and a pillowy soft bun, and a honey teriyaki pineapple glaze crispy chicken. I did not come here for any sort of chicken item, but unexpectedly, this is easily a top 3 chicken sandwich/slider I've ever had. This little restaurant is dangerous. The menu is simply irresistible. Kimchi papi may be small in footprint, but it packs a huge punch to the tastebuds.

    Delicious, fun spot to go to with friends or family. The customizable Korean corn dogs are simply…read moresuperb, and they have same really fun combinations like Hot Cheetos. We also tried the Kimchipapi Fries, which had a great blend of toppings. There's some searing inside, though not a lot, but it wasn't crowded when we came. Would definitely recommend going if you get the chance.

    Photos
    Kimchipapi Kitchen - Nice art work of owner and logo name!

    Nice art work of owner and logo name!

    Kimchipapi Kitchen - SRIRACHA BBQ SLIDERS

    SRIRACHA BBQ SLIDERS

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    Korean Garden Restaurant - Steamed Egg

    Korean Garden Restaurant

    3.1(336 reviews)
    0.8 miAllston/Brighton
    $$

    Back in Boston for round two, and honestly, Korean Garden was at the top of my "must-visit" list…read more This place consistently delivers that authentic, comforting vibe that's getting harder to find. The Highlight: The Kalbi If you come here and don't order the Kalbi, you're doing it wrong. We got it prepared from the kitchen, and it was hands-down the best we've had in the city. * The Texture: Incredibly tender. * The Cook: Perfectly charred with that signature smoky sweetness. * The Verdict: We literally had to order a second round because one plate wasn't enough. It's that good. The Supporting Cast * Seafood Pancake: Light, airy, and actually crispy (no soggy centers here!). * Spicy Cold Noodle: The texture was spot on. Often these get overcooked and turn into a sticky mess, but these were perfectly chewy and separated easily. * Seafood Soondobu: Hot, comforting, and packed with flavor. A solid 10/10 for a chilly Boston day. The Banchan & Service The banchan (side dishes) were fresh and flavorful. The bean sprouts and kimchi were the standouts for me, though I was a little bummed they didn't have the spicy cucumbers . Service was fantastic--super friendly and very attentive without being overbearing. They kept the water filled and the vibes high. If you're looking for that perfect char without the DIY smoke on your clothes, let the kitchen grill the Galbi for you. They have it down to a science.

    Have no clue why this place has such a low average. Food is fantastic and you're always served with…read morea smile. Kbbq is good, but also a great option for soups. Their galbi tang is fantastic and banchan is delicious. Bossam is also awesome with nice, thick slices of pork belly, though I wish they came with more cabbage leaves or lettuce for wrapping. Fun and lively with large TVs with kpop for viewing while eating. No complaints!

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    Interior

    Korean Garden Restaurant
    Korean Garden Restaurant - Kimchi Jae Yook Tofu - kimchi and marinated pork, spicy sauce and tofu

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    BAB Korean Bistro - korean - Updated May 2026

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