The best place in Boston for solid Korean and Korean-Chinese food. Jjampong is a huuuuge portion for $16 and can be multiple meals; they give a lot of seafood and use thick yellow noodles which I love. Toppoki is a value meal as it is only $13 and can also be multiple meals. I love that they put wide glass noodles in and the rice cakes are very chewy. Naengmyeon (Korean cold noodles) also big portion tho they don't keep well, very flavorful and lots of topping. Not pictured but I also rotate through the beef bulgogi stew and jajangmyeon. You cant be disappointed by these dishes! Also their side dishes (banchan) are solid. read more

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I went there to have Gopchang Hot pot(Pork intestine soup) which was $ 39. But it was not Gopchang hot pot but Sundea hot pot( Pork sausage). Gopchang and Sundea are totally different menu for Korean. Moreover, I didn't feel it's tasty or anything. I also ordered fried rice which was not that delicious compared with other Korean restaurants in US. read more

BAB Korean Bistro - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

This might be my favorite place to go for Korean-Chinese dishes in the area! Out of all the dishes I tried out at this place, I recommend getting Tangsu Yuk(Pork) and Gan Jjajang. I believe they are better than the ones from bookyung in Allston/Union square. They also have a variety of Korean dishes in their menu and can't wait to try them. The service is also good and it is usually not crowded on weekends and there is no crazy waiting like the restaurants in Allston, but also it is because it is less accessible than Allston. read more

It's not exactly subtle food, but when your tongue wants to be pulverized with garlic and gochujang sauce, come here. Hearty portions, consistent quality. You won't even feel the bitter cold walking back out into the winter night, and you didn't break the bank for a warm belly either. read more

We randomly stopped in when it was fairly empty, and ordered the black bean noodles, spicy pork buns, fried chicken, and fried dumplings. The service was oddly slow given that we were one of 2 parties in the place the whole time we were there. The banchan was pretty lacking compared to what I'm used to in CA in quantity, variety, and quality, but maybe that's standard around here. The pork buns were fine, overpriced imo for two middling, forgettable buns. The yangnyeom chicken was all different sizes and temperatures...not sure how that happened. Not really the classic yangnyeom flavor, but not bad. Also, not spicy at all despite description. Generous portion size. The jjajangmyeon was pretty spot on classic. As someone who is always craving jjajangmyeon, I was pleased. I will note it was not served with the usual pickled radish or onions, though there was sliced cucumber. We were given complimentary donut hole-like dessert, which I found delightful but my dining partner found bland. Overall, meh. I would only come back for the jjajangmyeon. read more

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I had a terrific meal at BAB the other day! I am just beginning to learn about Korean cuisine, so without a lot of context, I dropped into BAB for lunch and was impressed by the variety of options on their menu. I love kimchi, so I was tempted by one of the kimchi soups, but I wanted to get a better sense of the many things on the menu that were completely unfamiliar to me, so I asked my waitress to tell me a bit about the different options. She was super friendly and patient, and she suggested several popular soup dishes after I emphasized that I wanted something to help warm me up. I ended up getting the Soondubu Jiggae with beef and vegetables at a medium spice level, and it was incredible!!! Granted I've never tried the dish at other restaurants for comparison, but I absolutely loved the flavors and everything was cooked to perfection. It was served with a perfectly sized portion of rice and the typical banchan (but I don't take this for granted since I've been to other Korean places that don't serve any babchan). And finally, when my kind waitress brought my my check, she also brought a small dessert. I have a huge sweet tooth, but I was so full that I didn't think I needed a dessert. Once I popped the little dessert ball in my mouth, I realized that it was exactly what I needed to finish a delicious meal :) read more

BAB Korean Bistro - Banchan! - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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The Insider name for this place is "No Rice." The food seems to be day-old. Otherwise, okay.

Had the worst experience with the food and service. I ordered the rose tteokbokki, which was $16, they served it with undercooked glass noodles (which I had to spit out because it was that hard and bad). The portion was terrible, there were like 10 pieces of rice cake and 1 piece of fish cake. I told the server about how the noodle was undercooked and instead of fixing the issue, the server avoided me and decided to leave me feeling terrible during my dining experience. My friend ordered the bibimbap and she said the rice was cold, the veggies were undercooked and tasted like it was left out a day. They also gave her a half a tablespoon of sauce which wasn't close to enough to cover the food. We had to ask the server for more sauce. My kimchi jjigae was supposed to have pork but all I had was kimchi, 2 pieces of tofu and scallions. I had to ask a different server about why they didn't help us about the undercooked noodle that I had told them about and she didn't help much and just said oh sorry I'll comp it. For what I paid, this experience and quality of food was not worth it. I couldn't even finish my food. Left feeling angry and frustrated. read more

Enjoyed a dinner at BAB. Great location next to the T and nice space inside. I haven't had much Korean food but went with some friends who knew what they were doing. We had beef bulgogi and veggie bibimbab. Both very tasty and paired well with the light Korean lager. Would try again! read more

Great food and friendly staff! BAB Korean Bistro is a hidden gem in Brookline. The menu is quite extensive so my friends and I had a tough time deciding on what to order. After debating for a bit, we decided on: steamed mandu, jokbal, cheese tteokbokki, jjajangmyeon, pork belly, and omurice. The steamed mandu and omurice was good but not too memorable and could be skipped. The most surprising dish was the cheese tteokbokki. I've been to a few Korean restaurants in Boston where their tteokbokki was either bland or too spicy. I can't handle anything too spicy but I kept wanting to take a bite from this dish. They did a great job balancing the flavors of the dish with a little bit of sugar and spice. The pork belly, jjajangmyeon, and jokbal were all delicious! At the end of the meal, they give a free dessert to the table. Overall, the food we ordered was great and would come back again to try their other dishes! read more

Came here on a Saturday night for dinner and it was getting busy. There was no wait time and we were seated right away. We ordered the yuk gae jang, kkanpung gi (chicken), galbi tang and jjamppong. The wait time for the food was pretty quick. Everything tasted really good. My favorite dish from here had to be the galbi tang and kkanpung gi. The beef short ribs in the galbi tang was very tender and fall off the bone. The broth had an outstanding flavor. I had to drink the whole broth towards the end, that's how good it was. It was seasoned very well. The chicken in the kkanpung gi was very crispy. It was deep fried very well. The sauce was sweet and spicy. Has a little spicy kick to it. Goes perfectly well with a bowl of rice. Overall experience, the serving portion are pretty large, great food, great customer service, fair price and there's plenty of parking space. read more

BAB Korean Bistro - Dinner for 2! - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I've tried lifechanging Tteok Mandu Guk (rice cake & dumpling soup) in Korea and this place hits the spot. Five stars for the home-made dumplings and the soup! On the other hand, the jjajang myeon did not hit the spot for me. The mul naeng myun was hit or miss. Although not all dishes met my personal tastes, this place still deserves a five for delivering high quality Korean dishes and the friendly staff. read more

BAB is one of my very favorite restaurants in Brookline and I consider it essential eating. The food is delicious, I totally recommend the dolsot bibimbap, it's my favorite. Also, the seafood scallion pancakes are delicious! But everything is awesome. The staff are very friendly and helpful if you have any questions or are unfamiliar with Korean food, and the restaurant itself is very clean, comfortable, and pretty. Totally check it out!! read more

BAB Korean Bistro - D4. Beef Dolsot Bibim Bab - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

This is my 3rd time visiting this location and every time, the food was very tasty! I ordered the Cheese Tteokbokki, Jjamppong Korean Seafood Noodle Soup with fried chicken on the side and San Pellegrino - Blood Orange to drink. The side dishes came out right away, followed by the Jjamppong Korean Seafood Noodle Soup, Cheese Tteokbokki, and then fried chicken on the side. The Jjamppong Korean Seafood Noodle Soup had the prefect amount of noodles and seafood, which included clams and squids. The Cheese Tteokbokki was spicy as expected, with a good amount of cheese and rice cakes. The fried chicken tasted like orange chicken, which I enjoyed! The San Pellegrino - Blood Orange wasn't too shabby as well. I would advise you to try it out :) ! read more

My sister went here with a friend back in September, and according to her she ordered bulgogi and her friend ordered a vegan dish. There was only one waiter, but the service was still fast. Also, the owner was super nice and made sure they always had water and utensils, which sounds awesome. In addition, they were given very sweet-tasting desserts. read more

I've eaten here once last year and I also recently ordered the tteokbokki and the deep fried mandu. The deep fried mandu obviously taste better fresh but they were still so good. I really liked the thick glass noodles in the tteokbokki. I highly recommend the kimchi jeon and the jokbal. The gopchang jeongol was really good as well but I'd only get it if you already know you like intestines. read more

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Food was great, dining in or taking out. Reliable spot with good variety. Service was friendly!

The service was friendly, though a little slow when the busy period picked up. The beef bibimbap was made with fresh ingredients and veggies, and came with a large portion. Overall solid Korean fare, though it could have been more flavorful, but I am picky having lived in Los Angeles a long time read more

BAB Korean Bistro - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I ordered take out from here and the food was decent. They package small sides for take out which I thought was kind of them. The spicy rice cakes weren't as soft as I preferred and it also lacked the spicy flavor that I really looked forward to. I also tried their jokbal (pig feet) which were pretty good. There was a good portion and it had a good amount of meat but the pieces stuck to each other way too much. Overall, it was pretty decent. I would try dining in next time and also check out other items on their menu. read more

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We ordered from Uber eats. Delivery came well packed and still warm. We had chicken wings, beef japchae, galbi tang and the pork hocks. They were all delicious. Chicken wings were slightly soggy but hey that's delivery. Can't really complain. read more

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BAB was an unexpected, delightful accident of deliciousness. I wandered in prior to checking its Yelp reviews and walked away agreeing with most. A Goldilocks restaurant. Cute, minimalist, very cozy. Not fancy nor run-down... just right. Not super cheap, but not breaking the bank... just right. Not an overloaded menu, nor is it hyper-specialized... just right. Waitstaff was super friendly. Almost felt family-run with a family not only welcoming you into their home but wanting you to return. The foods ordered were both delicious and well-presented. I can fairly say, however, the flavors weren't bland, but rather soft. We wanted spicy, but it didn't come spicy. We wanted bold, it didn't come bold. Of course, you can spice up your dishes afterward, yourself. But when it comes to bold or heavy-handed flavors, that's hard to adjust after-the-fact. To their defense, we didn't ask for anything special, either... just ordered as-is. Super convenient with its Coolidge Corner location and steps form a T-stop. Will return! read more

BAB Korean Bistro - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

It seems like I've been going to Coolidge Corner a lot recently. I guess I'm getting Allston fatigued. After awhile Allston can be limited especially if you live there so nearby is Coolidge Corner, not as hip but a more grown version. I was craving for Korean and honestly, just looking for my next new restaurant to victimize, I mean, review :) Food: See pic (65%) Taste to price 4/5 Quality to price 3.5/5 Portion to price 5/5 Average = 4.17 Service (20%) Friendliness 3.5/5 Promptness 3/5 Average = 3.25 Cleanliness (15%) Bathroom 4/5 Dining area 5/5 Kitchen area 5/5 Average = 4.67 Overall Score = [F(.65)]+[S(.20)]+C(.15)] = [2.71]+[0.65]+[0.7] = 4.06 What else to know: So what can one expect going to a 2 month young restaurant on a Friday night? Hmmmm... chaos and slow service? But on the positives, nice waiters and delicious food? Yep! All the above applies for this restaurant. I ordered the Sundae Gopchang Jeongol (serves two). My, oh my it was quite delicious and filling. That's all I needed. No apps and dessert. I was with my GF and we couldn't finish the whole thing. We had to take the rest home which made another great meal at home. My one gripe is the speediness. It was rather slow and you know with Korean food, I drink lots of water so having it constantly refilled is a must. Not to worry as I expect them to improve over time especially since they are new. I will update my review accordingly. Overall, very promising and I'll be back. **If you enjoyed my review, follow or add me as a friend. I have tons of reviews like this. read more

BAB Korean Bistro - Banchan - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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I ordered takeout and here are the highlights of my order: - jjajang myeon (they were very generous with the sauce and the flavor was on point) - kimchi pajeon (would have been more crisp if I ate it sooner but nevertheless fantastic) - maeun jjajang myeon (definitely recommend if you're craving something spicy) We also got both varieties of the fried chicken wings. I definitely think Bonchon is better but BAB's version will satisfy if you're craving it. Note: The spicy one wasn't really that spicy so up the heat level when you order if that's what you're looking for. read more

TL;DR: Great food! You're a picky eater I would recommend going with someone familiar with korean, but can't go wrong with fried chicken and black bean noodles! Randomly walked in this place walking around the area and was not disappointed! The food was delicious and the complementary snacks were a great touch. It can be difficult to pick something on the menu so I would recommend going with someone that knows their Korean food. You can't go wrong with Kbbq chicken and black bean noodles (see picks)! Pork buns weren't that Spicy, fried dumplings where low on flavor but very crispy! Note: This was my first time having Korean- not a fan of kimchi but great otherwise it was great! read more

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Great contactless service. Unfortunately it was the worst beef bulgogi I've ever had. The seaweed salad was great. read more

I came here during the summer and was seated outside. The restaurant is very cute, with nice decoration and ambience especially during the warmer months because of street seating. We ordered the seafood pancake: a little too thick which caused it to be soggy and dense, wasn't a big fan. Pork dumplings were solid, but those are always something that can't be messed up. Spicy pork bulgogi was not spicy at all to my taste and a little too sweet for me but still yummy. The jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) was what I was looking forward to the most, but was a bit disappointed because it wasn't as flavorful as I expected, but the noodles and sauced were cooked well. My favorite dish we got was the japchae, the noodles were chewy and seasoned well. The menu is a tad bit pricier than I expected, but portions are a good size. BAB Korean Bistro is a decent spot to a get a fix of Korean food if you are in the area. read more

BAB Korean Bistro - seafood pancake, pork and veggie dumplings, jjangmyeon, spicy pork bulgogi, japchae - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Bab is great! It actually looks like it is closed all the time from the outside, but don't be fooled. The place is open (during open hours) and it's a fairly big space. The menu is HUGE so it can be a little overwhelming, but the english description was pretty good. Good enough that my non-Korean friend could figure out what he wanted without too much help. I got the Jjampong and it was SO large, but very good. The staff was friendly and prompt. The three of us were seated right away at noon on a Saturday. If you're in the area and are looking for some good Korean food, I would definitely recommend this place. read more

BAB Korean Bistro - Spicy Jjampong - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I have to update this review after coming here two more times. It's a hit and miss on the service and food. On the second time, the tangsuyeok was not at all what I expected. Strangely yellow and serving size was not the norm and not worth the price. On the third time, both my friend and I found the naengmyun to be undercooked, or maybe chilled for too long. The server made us feel rushed again, taking away the banchan before my friend was done eating. I have a feeling it's just this one server. They have also removed a page of their menu so their offerings are no longer as expansive. If I come again I would stick to the one or two things I know are good: jjajangmyun and bibimbap. read more

Horrible. The omelette rice smelled really bad maybe it is had gone bad. Didnt even want to eat it at all. It was awful. Doesnt even deserve the one star. I'm the least pickiest eater but I couldn't even eat it. Felt like throwing up. Also ordered the bibim naegmyun but it came with too much broth that it was like regular mull naeymyun. read more

BAB Korean Bistro - Smelled so bad dont get - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

A very good Korean experience, if not just a bit Americanized on the spiciness. I wanted a variety so I started with Manu soup. Steamed beef and pork dumplings in a chicken broth w/ scrambled eggs, scallions and beef strips. Kind of a cross between egg drop and wonton soup. The mandu were a nice mildly spiced meat dumpling. I recommend it as a way to have some mandu without having a whole order. I'd get this on a cold day. I ordered the kimchi pancake. I always forget how much oil they are fried in. This was about 50/50 kimchi and scallion. It comes with a ginger/soy/garlic dipping sauce. I probably would not order it again, as too much oil soaks into it. I ordered the spicy pork Bulgogi. I'm a big fan of both Korean food and spicy food. This is where the Americanization of my Korean food came in. Instead of spicy, it was a bit sweet with a mild spice. It was served on sautéed sliced onions, peppers, zucchini and scallions. I liked the sweet flavor, but don't call it spicy. It is served with sticky rice and banchan(spicy daikon radish, kimchi, bean sprouts and some cold steamed broccoli). They are cold side veggies to be eaten with the meat of Bulgogi. I would order it again. I asked for gochujang. It is a spicy soybean sauce often referred to as Korean Catsup. read more

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Took my parents here and we had such a pleasant time. Food came quick and the staff/our server was so friendly. Really loved the japchae and the bulgogi dishes. read more

I came once before and it was a solid 5 star. This visit felt like such a nickel and dimed experience. They charged $2 for white rice with an order of kalbi. We ordered mul neangmyun and they didn't bring mustard or vinegar initially and when they did, it came in the tiniest of dishes. Bring me the bottle, I like it sour, don't judge me. The food itself still deserves a 5 and I'll keep that rating, but really disappointed in the service portion. read more

*Disclaimer rating is for the food only.*the worse food I've had but definitely nothing special. The rice inside the chicken of the chicken ginseng soup was congealed and cold. It took three of the staff members to finally decide to take the soup back and reheat it. The only redeeming thing was the last staff member did offer to re do the dish completely. The food seems pre made and reheated. read more

BAB Korean Bistro - Jokbal, jajang myen, ginseng chicken soup - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Let's start with the food, we started with the yangnyum chicken which honestly is overpriced but it tastes good. I would've preferred for it to be crispy but it was kind of soggy. The side dishes that come out are okay but not the best tasting I had the noodles with black bean sauce and that was really good. Definitely worth coming here for that. However, my husband had the pork bulgogi and that is NOT worth getting. Does not taste authentic at all, actually tastes kind of weird it didn't taste like bulgogi to me. You end with a caramelized dough ball for dessert which is good! The service was a little slow and the restaurant was not full. I'm hesitant to come here again and venture into other dishes because it seems like it'll either be a big hit or miss. Definitely come here for the jjajangmyun! read more

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This place is wonderful with a HUGE menu. They were super nice with our huge group, and all of our food came out hot and fresh despite the amount of dishes we ordered. The food was also DELICIOUS, I loved the Tteok-bokki with cheese! My husband got one of the bimbimbap and couldn't stop raving about it the entire time. Overall, really nice experience. read more

I should of read the reviews before we step in. Definitely first and last visit here. I can find better Korean food else where. read more

I was in Boston for just two nights and needed something quick to eat. I searched places around my hotel and BAB Korean Bistro came up! I ordered the Spicy Pork Bulgolgi and Scallion Pancakes with a side of rice (the bulgolgi didn't come with rice, which was sliiiightly annoying, heh). I was surprised at the cost of the scallion pancakes (~13 bucks) but I really wanted them so ordered it. I didn't want to eat indoors so ordered takeout and walked across the street to pick up my meal. Picking it up was easy and the cashier was very friendly. I was surprised at the weight of the bag, as I didn't think I ordered a ton of food. Once I opened up everything I realized why the bag was so heavy: The scallion pancakes were huge and heavy. These aren't crisp thin panckakes that are more like crepes. These look and feel like legit breakfast pancakes and were soft like them too. I personally didnt care for them and didn't eat it, which was a disappointment because it was definitely worth 13 bucks. The pork was excellent and there was enough there to share with two people. The pork rested on a bed of uncooked onions, cucumbers, and lettuce, and it all paired very well with the rice. I would definitely go back and eat the bulgolgi again! read more

In all this COVID-19 craziness, I was craving some Korean food that would remind me of my grandmother and mom's cooking. Came across BAB through Yelp!, and I was pleasantly surprised at how authentic and tasty the Tteok Bokki and Galbi was - enough that I'll be ordering from them again this weekend to try some other dishes (and some of my neighbors were interested in trying the food). I guess the "Bistro" part of the restaurant name made me skeptical that it wouldn't be what I was looking for, but came to find out that their menu is very comprehensive and full of authentic Korean food. The people there were also very nice and my food was ready on time. I'm looking forward to trying them in a dine-in setting when things start to open up again! read more

The flavor of the food we ordered was a bit on the light side and the portion is small compare to their price (ex. The $14 dumpling & rice cake soup bowl has only 3 dumplings, and the $35 pork back bone hot pot could definitely use more veggie). Good service though, will return to try other dishes. I did return to try their galbi tang and it was good! It came in a good portion and both soup and the beef were flavorful. read more

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I got takeout from here via Uber eats and I really enjoyed it. I ordered the Kimchi Jeon ($14) and the Japchae with spicy pork bulgolgi combo ($27). It felt a little bit pricy. But there was a lot of food, enough for at least a few meals of leftovers, so I'm not too upset. Good for a special treat. The Kimchi Jeon was not my favorite, but I have never had it before so I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming it's just not something I enjoy overall. I liked the flavor, but not a huge fan of the texture (which may also be due to the fact I ordered takeout and it had been sitting around for a while). (Update- I ate the kimchi jeon a few days later as leftovers. I fried it up in a pan, and I really enjoyed it once it was more crispy!) I enjoyed the japchae and the spicy pork bulgolgi. The pork had a very nice spice level (spicy but not overwhelming). I enjoyed the flavor of the japchae- subtle but still delicious. read more