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    BAB Korean Bistro

    3.9 (269 reviews)
    ModerateKorean
    Open 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

    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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    Chris T.

    Had a nice little dinner out in town with the lady. Space wasn't busy the night we went which was nice, we were promptly seated and our server was super nice and answered all our menu questions + gave suggestions! We ordered the following: + JJamppong seafood soup basic - had a nice bold broth, hint of heat, packed with flavor. The lady enjoyed it, especially with a rainy cold-ish day. Seafood cooked well not overdone. + spicy pork bulgogi (half size) different spicy pork then I'm used to, less salty / spicy oil based, more... marinated. Not sure how to describe it but it was plenty of protein and tender! I usually like it more spicy though. + Tangsu Yuk sweet and sour pork half size This was a hit for me, perfectly fried, juicy and had nice crunch and chew. The sweet and sour style is often ordered more then sweet and spicy the serve told us, so we went with that and I, for one, was a happy camper!

    Julie F.

    Omg. My new favorite place! They have mocktails! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Came on a Friday evening. Place was full by 6:30.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service was excellent. My friend and I each got a bibimbap and we split a kimchi pajeon. Food was amazing! Get the dolsot bibimbap so you can get crispy rice. We each had a mocktail too. So so so good!

    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. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There were not very many other customers and the staff were very attentive.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    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.

    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!

    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. [[HIGHLIGHT]]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.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    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. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It isnt too crowded and the food is pretty good![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] 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. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The service was prompt and the interior decor was pretty good.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Parking was easy to find in the area

    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

    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.

    Spicy pork fried Rice

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    Tofu Story

    Tofu Story

    3.8
    (62 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    Exceptional Food and Modern Ambiance - Definitely Try the Tofu!…read more From the moment I arrived, I was impressed by the restaurant's modern, clean, and neat setting. The food was exceptional across the board. If you're visiting, absolutely try the tofu--it's what they specialize in and it's outstanding. I ordered the Spicy BBQ chicken with scallion pancakes. The chicken had a perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors, which I really appreciated. The scallion pancakes were definitely authentic--far superior to most restaurants I've tried. The service was quick and efficient, making the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. Highly recommend this spot for anyone looking for great food in a welcoming atmosphere!

    On a Friday evening I decided to try Tofu Story. At 6:45pm. the establishment seemed half full, so…read moreI received a seat immediately. I ended up ordering the seafood soondubu ($18.99). I first received some banchan - cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi, fried fish cake, and stewed radish strips. They were all excellent. The cabbage kimchi had a rich seafood stock flavor with some smokiness to it. The radish kimchi had actually absorbed flavor rather than just sitting in brine. The fish cake had a hondashi-like umami, and the sliced onions tasted like they came out of a gyudon - soaked through with soy sauce. They also brought out a small sample of their housemade tofu before the main dish. It was soft and silky. The seafood soondubu ($18.99) was equally excellent. The tofu had enough flavor to stand on its own; it wasn't just a protein filler. The seafood had some smokiness/ wok hei to it, which wouldn't be out of place in a bowl of jjampong. The soondubu here might be a couple of dollars more than other nearby establishments, but it's well worth it.

    Photos
    Restaurant ambiance
    Restaurant ambiance
    Beef ribs for 2
    Beef ribs for 2
    Spicy short rib w/ torched cheese for 2

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    Spicy short rib w/ torched cheese for 2
    Seoul Topokki

    Seoul Topokki

    4.0
    (180 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    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.

    We came here on a Saturday evening without a reservation and were seated with no wait. The service…read morewas great and our orders both were taken and came out pretty quickly. For the food, we got the tuna kimbap, Seoul toppoki, and bulgogi hot pot for two. Everything was SO good. The ingredients were fresh and the food was flavorful (sweet from the bulgogi, savory from the mushrooms, spicy from the toppoki sauce, salty from the tuna, and sour from the pickled vegetables). The price for the portion size was a great value and we ended the night feeling very full and even had to pack up an entire container of the hotpot for two that we didn't finish. Overall, we had a great time and I can't wait to come back again. This might be my new favorite Korean food spot in the Boston area.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Seoul Topokki
    Seoul Topokki

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    BAB Korean Bistro - korean - Updated August 2026

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