What a yummy, quick, lovely, Korean street food spot! Unlike most US Korean food places, this place in London is nice cuz it's casual, modern, and great Korean food but it's not mom and pop and it's not fancy. It has vast choices of vegetarian options and feels like a place that would exist in Korea. The service was nice, attentive, and friendly too. read more

See all

Great customer service. The food was full of flavour and moderately spicy. Which was great full us. Food was slightly on the sweet side but on a whole the flavours were balanced. A unique selection of non alcoholic cocktails. Good stuff! read more

Whilst not my favourite bibimbap place given they don't have hot stone bowls, On the Bab is really good and among my favourites. We generally start with some korean fried chicken. Weirdly, on our most recent visit, it was the last thing to come out even though it's generally first. But it's good and there's plenty of sauce which is delicious as always. The bibimbap is also good, it's plenty of veggies and a good amount of protein. The proteins are cooked well and have plenty of flavour on their own. I do often find myself having to ask for more gochujang, but that's probably because i love it spicy and so I use a lot of gochujang. Honestly, the only issue with the bibimbap is that there's no hot stone bowl option to create the crispy rice! Service is fairly quick but there's often a line. read more

I think the food served here is more a modern take on Korean cuisine but it's pretty delicious! The restaurant is casual and feels very homey. The prices are pretty reasonable and the service was quick too. The only negative is that there's always a wait whether for lunch or dinner. My friend and I came here because we wanted Korean fried chicken. This location only serves the soy ginger and sweet spicy flavors (you can do half-half) but the other locations seem to do more flavors. I prefer the sweet spicy more (although it wasn't spicy at all) and I also really liked their spicy mayo which they drizzle generously on the side cabbage. We also got the Beef Bibimbab which was a delicious classic but I'd like it more if it was served in a stone pot. The Soondubu Jigae was also nice but we only got very few pieces of seafood in our serving. Overall, the food here is pretty solid and decently priced. Other than the long wait, I can't think of another reason why I won't come back! read more

On The Bab - Left to right: Soondubu Jjigae, Yangyum Chicken, Beef Bibimbab - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

See all

I very much enjoyed the mushroom fritters on the bun! I also had a side of tofu. If you're not a fan of the typical tofu texture & taste without spicing etc then maybe it's not for u. But for a supertofu fan like myself it was delish! read more

On The Bab - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Pretty good bi bim bap! There is usually a wait, so be prepared. But the service is quick and friendly, and the cute decor and low lighting soften the high level of activity. It's a cute place, with a tiny bar and staircase leading down to the facilities. The pricing is very reasonable, our bill came to just under £30 for two veggie bowls, two teas and a seaweed salad. The salad was tasty, but not fresh. What really made it for me was the plum tea, it was so satisfying for my sweet tooth! I can't give full marks because the star dish was missing a bit of flavour, and we were really crammed in together, causing some discomfort to us and neighbours. But I'd definitely come back on a quieter day, for a quick fix of one of my favourite cuisines ... and looking forward to trying their kimchi, pancakes and the 'new' octopus salad! read more

On The Bab - Bi bim bap - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Best bibimbap I had in London. Good portion and so yummy. I had the KimchiJeon too and it was good, though a bit pricey for the quantity. Good service. It is a tiny place though and quite cramped. I was alone and seated at the counter, which is fine but between the coats hanging next to me and the people who ordered take-out literally surrounding me and often pushing me to let the waiters go through, it was uncomfortable... better to be seated at a table (so come with someone) or to take the food to go I would say. read more

On The Bab - Bibimbap with bulgogi - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Went to the cute and cosy On The Bab and ordered the following: - Vegetables Bibimbap - Breaded Prawn Special Bun - Single Soy Ginger Yangyum Chicken The breaded prawns worked really well in a bun, with a tasty sauce and satisfying crispiness. Even better both for flavour and crisp value was the chicken, having a satisfying layer of cheese and cooked perfectly for tender juiciness to boot. The bibimbap was passable, can find better elsewhere. read more

I wasn't deeply seduced by my first visit here. I love the idea of bringing korean food to the masses through this fast/urban type of venues, but my experience yesterday was "in a hurry". It starts with the queue (kind of getting used to that by now) but we were asked to wait outside in the rain..a joke. Our bibimbap was tasty but wasn't very hot so got cold very fast. Buns were good, korean fried chicken was definitely the best...waiter advised to take the big portion but this was just too much for the 2 of us. Horrible teenager music playlist, noisy and in a hurry...will have to come back as this went just too fast to enjoy. read more

On The Bab - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

See all

On the bab is probably famous for the bibimbab and this is what you should get. The ladies at the table next to us had botch huge bowls which made my small kimchi stew looked pathetic (it wasn't but the beauty pressure from the other table was real). The food was over all nice, the staff friendly and the music korean. I would come back to this spot for some quick lunch but probably not for dining and chit chatting since this venue is rather small and not the coziest place on earth. read more

On The Bab - Seafood pancakes and tteokbokki:) - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

OnTheBab is a small place, great for a sharing meal with 2 or 3 of your friends, since they doesn't take reservations. They're on a walk-in policy. Heck, they don't even take names when you get there, so be ready to be very English and do what they do best, and queue. When japchae is on the menu, I always get it. OTB has it as a starter portion and it's great size to share. Other great starters? Saeng Dubu: Fresh tofu - it was so fresh it almost melted in my mouth. For my main dish, I ordered the bulgogi beef on the noodle, it wasn't bad, just wish there was a bit more meat in it though. Service was great despite how busy it was, they were very friendly and courteous, even if they have missed putting in an item we ordered. We weren't charged so weren't all that fussed. They might try to serve a table that seats four to those in parties of three or four first even if you're in the front of the queue with just you and a mate, so if you don't mind sitting with some randoms, do speak up and tell them seat you with another party of two. Overall, I like this place, it's relatively in my area, not too pricy, good food & good service. Will visit again in the future. read more

See all

I've only been here when most other people aren't here, ie not at lunch time or dinner time but in between. If you go at those times, prepare to stand outside in a queue. The place is pretty small inside with limited seating and has clearly been formulated from the book on how to do hipster restaurants: 'street' food, beat up white enamel dishes and metal dishes, almost illegible menu written in tiny brown letters on brown paper, brick / tile walls, whatever. Fortunately overall the food wins out. My favourite is the spicy noodle soup with beef. It's got those curly noodles like the kind you get in packs of instant noodles but works perfectly with the spicy broth and other ingredients. Warming and satisfying comfort food. The korean fried chicken with sweet, spicy sauce is amazing. It comes in different sizes ranging from very small to quite large so take your pick. The noodles with seafood was less successful having scant seafood and gritty mussels, just not as good as it could be. Service was pretty good and food comes quite quickly. Prices are reasonable. read more

Food was really good and service was good too! Very chill vibe. Highly recommended. Their jjigae and other foods that I ordered was all Yum. read more

This place was recommended by a friend and I wasn't disappointed. Wow never eaten Korean food before but this place was amazing. As there were a few of us got to share some dishes. The Korean fried chicken was divine - half of them were ginger the other half sweet spicy. I also had the spicy pork on the noodles soup - was just oh my gosh. The egg in there was lovely and spices just right for me. We also tried the bulgogi beef on rice. Can't wait to go back. On the down side because it's small we had to queue - best to go when less busy so not rushing. The amazing food made up for the queue. read more

See all

New Korean place on Old Street I was fortunate enough to go to for it's soft opening. Decorated in the current trend for exposed brickwork, but it's not distressed...note to self, if I shout at exposed brickwork will it become distressed and look more authentic. Sorry! enough of my nonsnse - kinda. All the waiters were dressed like models in a Jean Paul Gautier ad just without the bulging muscles and stature. It was crazy chaotic but the waiting staff still managed to be friendly, attentive and good natured - that impressed me. We had some delicous fresh, creamy tofu, seaweed and glass noodles to share for starters. I had the fish casserole, which was huge and delicious, but it came with lots and lots of broth. If anyone were to have I would recommend getting an additional serving of rice or noodles. All washed down with a glass ... or 2 of soju. All in all a very tasty, satisfying meal without being the least bit heavy. read more

On The Bab - Wow! - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

My husband and I are vacationing from Boston MA and went to dinner here based on yelp reviews which I'm so happy we did! We loved it so much we came back a second time! The first time we got the kimchi pancake which are to die for, a perfect combo of spicy and sweet! Got our separate orders the second time, my husband ordered the fried chicken which he loved! Both flavors sweet and spicy and soy ginger! And I got the on the buns order with prawns patty, I added chili sauce for an extra kick. Small space though but the waitress seemed friendly. Overall the food was 5 ! read more

On The Bab - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Although I've only had the chance to try the takeaway here - I'm going to go ahead and say that yup, I'm a fan! If you do choose to do takeaway - note that the menu is scaled down from the normal men. I happened upon On The Bap walking home from a workout just the other day - I had noticed there was a new business moving in and was pleased to see quite an interesting menu. I tried the Kun Mandu (chicken dumplings) - though on the smaller side they were absolutely delicious. For a main I tried the On the Noodle Spicy Chicken - a noodleised verision of a bap that had just the right about of spice, meat and veg (I often find myself over noodled!). Though the prices may seem a bit steep, compared to other noodles in the area (and there are a lot!) you get quite a lot in a serving - I had more than enough for both lunch and dinner. I'm excited to get back and order off the larger menu during a sit down meal - it appears from 6:00PM they also have a cocktail offering. Don't forget to ask for a loyalty card! read more

On The Bab - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

I thought I already wrote a review for On The Bab. But I realized just now that I had only shared pictures previously. I was surprised to discover this place. My friend took me here saying he loves Korean food. I had no idea what to expect. I thought Koreans ate live squids! I was nervous. But the menu actually changed my impression. There were so many items to choose from. I chose something light. I don't remember the name, but after checking my photos that I posted on the day, I recollected it. I had OnTheBun with spicy chicken filling. It was amazing. But it was too small. It got over really quick. I also had plum tea. Sweet, warm, fruity tea, served in a steel mug My friend on the other hand had Kimchi fried rice and seafood pan-cackes. I did taste them, and it was really filing. Great quantity for the price. I had to get another one, and I went for it. Had another set of OnTheBun with spicy chicken. I'll visit this place again. On other note, the waitresses are pretty and the Chef is amazing. read more

See all

Finally made it to this place after hearing from friends that it's a 'must try' spot... We managed to get a seat for four around 10:30 (last orders by the way) in which the waitress was keen to tell us. After settling in we ordered the seafood pancake and shrimp dumplings. The starter portions were very small, a little too small for my liking. I think there were only three dumplings. The dumplings were well seasoned, and had good sized chunks of shrimp in them too! I felt the seafood pancake tasted a bit 'doughy'. Almost like it wasn't thoroughly cooked through. Not sure if this is how it's supposed to be, but at the time I wasn't feeling it - I may it try again upon my return... For main we went for a large portion of Soy & Garlic Fried Chicken with crushed peanuts and bowls of rice. The chicken was glistening from it's sticky coated sauce, I couldn't wait to get stuck in! Included in the tray of chicken was coleslaw with some EPIC sauce which the waiter described as Korean Mayonnaise. I wanted to take that sauce home with me, we were all trying to figure out whether it was store bought or homemade. The waiter unfortunately confirmed that it was homemade...boooo! The selection of chicken was perfect - boneless chicken thighs and bone-in wings (winning combo in my eyes). It went beautifully with the plain rice. To drink I went for the So Maek (recommended) which is Soju with Beer. It was served ice cold in a metal canister style bottle, and went perfect with the meal. This was my second time trying Korean cuisine and I can honestly say some of the best fried chicken I've ever tasted! If you're around the area, do yourself a favour and try On The Bab! read more

On The Bab - Large portion of Soy & Garlic Chicken with Crushed Peanuts and Coleslaw. - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

I absolutely love the bao buns with mushroom fritters (2 are £10.5). Even more so than the meat version, but honestly both are great. Also the plum tea is amazing and I've been desperately trying to find it in supermarkets in London (please hit me up if you know where to get this). It gets pretty crowded during the week at lunch time, but it's a quick turnaround as they prepare the food super quickly. read more

The spicy pork bao is delicious and a meal in itself. The fried chicken in sweet & spicy sauce was great and the bimbimbap was good. The food is very reasonably priced. The only drawbacks are the line outside and the lack of space inside, but if you order it to go you won't have to deal with it. The food is definitely worth the wait though. read more

On The Bab - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

See all

The Korean-style food is pretty good, and it can be cheap if you want it to be. You can get a bibimbap (£7.50 bowl of rice, meat and vegetables with an egg on top) that is filling and delicious especially when large amounts of gochujang (spicy fermented bean paste) are mixed in. You can probably share one of those between two of you so that you can quickly line your stomachs and get back to your Shoreditch Triangle™ pub golf tournament. I wonder if this type of evening out is hinted at in the restaurant's name? On the lash and on the pull, then on the bab before getting on the last train back to Chelmsford? The clientele are young and trendy so On The Bab will have to try harder if they want to pull in the jeans and untucked-button-down-shirt crowd. With our bibimbap we also shared a medium portion of fried chicken wings with cabbage salad. The wings were essentially sweet and sour fried chicken wings, which didn't seem very Korean, but they were delicious. Cabbage kimchi and daikon kimchi is available at £2 a portion (quite small: we had four during the meal) and is served in sealed stainless steel pressure containers that look like they could comfortably contain low-level nuclear waste. I would love to get hold of some as I've disastrously kept kimchi in my fridge before using only regular tupperware causing the entire fridge and its contents to become kimchi flavoured. If you happen to be on the lash then bottles of lager (Asahi, £4.10) will add a bit to the price of your meal, and brought ours to £50 including service for two people. The staff uniform is based around breton striped t-shirts. The walls are part panelled with tongue and groove woodwork with little wooden hat pegs, and the bathrooms have rotating savon de marseille soap holders. The weirdly out of place Frenchness is however offset by pounding K-pop which remains novel and exciting for at least half an hour. (Our fried chicken wings, intended to be eaten with our hands, came with some On The Bab branded moist towelettes to help clean up after our meal[1]. Sadly, they were perfumed to have the scent of chewing gum, so if you find this smell unpleasant -- I do -- you may want to avoid On The Bab. Most customers are given them and the smell wafts throughout.) [1] Relevant Dilbert comic: http://dilbert.com/strip/1990-01-05 read more

See all

I tried Korean fried chicken here. It was amazing. After I first came to this place, I cannot help thinking of ordering kfc again. So I used deliveroo to order it second time. I will definitely try bibimbap and something else next time. Strongly recommend this place! read more

See all

Comparing with the Korean restaurants in the USA, this is two tier behind. I had bimbibon and seaweed salad. Bimbinbon is cold but the waiter claimed it to be a warm dish. There is no hot sauce provided. I cannot understand why there has been waiting lines outside. read more

On The Bab - Bibimbon and seaweed salad. - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Been here several times already. This is apparently a very popular Korean restaurant in the area, always have line at night, best go there for lunch if you don't wanna wait lol. The food is pretty good, nice and pretty staffs, and I really like their tea drinks (Yuzu tea, plum tea) read more

Nice small restaurant with a good and quick service. I had the spice tuna Bibimbap which was very tasty. You get a lot of toppings and just the right amount of rice. It is not a cheap restaurant but it is reasonable. read more

On The Bab - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Even as a Korean, I fell in love with this place! Had their bibimbap with bulgogi and fried chicken. The bibimbap had a very satisfying amount of vegetables and meat, and the chicken was flavorful and crispy. All at a decent price! read more

On The Bab - Bibimbap with bulgogi - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Amazing place, despite the wait outside. Well worth your patience! Really reasonable price wise, although the fact you simply HAVE to try everything does mean it all adds up...! The toppoki is amazing, I have no idea what it's made of but it's a bit like gnocchi in a sticky sweet vegetable sauce (and that does not so it justice). The soups are great, my only criticism is the noodles could be better - they're a little bit too supermarkety and that lets the dish down. The fun thing is we had no idea what anything meant on the menu so just had to go for it - and we were not disappointed. At all. read more

On The Bab - Starters - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

See all

We came here for dinner after work on a Friday, with a craving for tasty Korean food. It seems that many other people had the same idea. It was a full house and there was a line of patient people outside, even though it was raining and the air was crisp. We weren't waiting too long, though, and we were seated on bar stools near the entrance. We are notorious for ordering a lot more than what would be sensible for a couple. We ended up doing it again here, as there were just so many tasty-sounding dishes on the menu. We ordered the following things, which luckily came out periodically, rather than all at once: Pa Jeon (spring onion and seafood pancake) Japchae (glass noodles with vegetables) Yangyum chicken (fried chicken with crushed peanut, we had the sweet/spicy sauce) Spicy pork buns, from the eponymous On the Bab section of the meu Bibimbap Baek ban (we had the bulgogi beef - it was like a bento box arrangement; it came with side dishes, rice and a miso soup). Drinks Wow! After writing that list and reliving the memories of the feast, it is amazing that we really ate that much food. But, I regret nothing! My favourite dishes were the spicy pork buns and the yangyum chicken. The buns were light and fluffy, kind of like the texture of steam buns from a dim sum restaurant. The yangyum chicken was ideal comfort food on a cold winter's night and went very well with our drinks. If you are lucky enough to get a table big enough, I would recommend coming here with a group of friends, ordering many different dishes and just enjoy yourself. We will be coming back here again, no doubt. read more

I suppose the appeal of this place is that there isn't a satisfying Korean place in London. NO I don't think Kimchee fits the bill. Paying for panchan is a blasphemy. And having your soondubu jigae swimming in chili oil is not right. BUT I will commend the buns here. The pork and chicken buns were loaded with meat and sauce. I would come back for them. read more

OK so there's still an air of chaos regarding the seating, maybe they'll get this into a system or maybe it will become part of its charm.. time will tell! Anyway, the pancake and bibimbap were good but on the case of the beef bulgogi bibimbap, where's the spicy chili paste? There's some on the table but it's like a sweet British thing. I used the entire jar and it was still less than mild. I want a bit of fire in my life when I dabble in my Korean food! Over £4 for a Hite as well.. You know they're like £1 at Longdan. Just saying. The good was good though, just a bit British-ised. read more

Delicious Korean street food. I ordered the small plate of yangyum chicken which is Korean fried chicken served with crushed peanuts and in a sweet spicy sauce. I'm normal not a huge fan of fried chicken but Korean BBQ is a fav of mine so I figured this would be different and delicious . And I was right! So yummy. I also got a soup noodle bowl with vegetable fritters and a egg . The broth was so flavourful and the fritter and egg and noodles all went so well together ! Really enjoyed it ! I was so full by the end ! Like really should have gotten two small dishes OR the soup bowl... (Instead of the one small and soup bowl I got!) . I ordered a beer too that I mistakenly thought was a Korean beer, but it was a Belgium or something haha . For so reason Korean food is like Mexican it just takes better with a beer! Must have something to do with the spices ! Delicious place, hoping to make it back again this week! read more

See all

No point talking about the food, previous writers have it down. Super, really good, Chicken Soy Garlic maybe a wee sweet..whole chicken is huge Space is super tight and full of young (under 30 mostly) hipsters. My mate and I were only Londoners as far as we could tell.. I could swear Scarlett Johansson was on a table but my mate said not.. I would return for food but not comfort or waiting outside for a table. Just don't be upset by squished space and wait time. We ate like kings, one beer, one tea 45GBP. read more

Not much I can say about this place other than, the food is amazing. They've got me addicted and I spend too much money with them every month! I might actually pop down there after writing this review. read more

OMG... You should totally forget your diet and run to on the bab if you like korean street food, baos, kimchi and fried chicken! I love baos (almost impossible to find in Brussels, my hometown) and I was so glad to discover On the bab during my short trip to london. We tried the spicy chicken bao and the "kind of" maki with kimchi and seaweed salad on the side. Everything was so tasty! We (me and my sister) truly loved it! read more

On The Bab - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Waited 15mins outside for a table, but that was no problem. Seating is a little cramped but, again, enjoyed this as part of the atmosphere. Enjoyed every dish, especially the steamed buns, chicken bites, bibimbap and spinach pancakes. Will certainly plan another visit soon. read more

My absolute favourite establishment in east London, next to Patty and Bun. I've always had it as a takeaway as there is often not enough space to sit inside - a testament to its growing reputation I suppose. I usually either get the bulgogi beef or pork 'on the bab' (i.e. on a bed of rice, which includes delicious coleslaw with lashings of spicy mayo, bit of kimchi, some pickles, spring onions) or the bibimbab, but I've gotten the spicy chicken before, which is also good. Very very filling and not especially unhealthy - the meat is marinated in a kind of dense, slightly sweet and spicy sauce (I mean dense as in the flavouring penetrates the meat quite intensely, I don't mean that the sauce is sticky or gloopy) and the sticky rice is very comforting to 'discover' at the bottom of your plate. Starters also very good - had the kimchi and arancini balls, very crispy and the dip was great. read more

In one of those - found the right place because the place I wanted was out of business - situations, I very happily found On the Bab. Excellent and authentic Korean food, served quickly and for reasonable prices. read more

One of the best places to eat in London whenever I feel down. Their food warms my heart :)

Was here a week or so ago for a quick bite before a gig. Got the beef on the rice to go and some dumplings on the side. I wouldn't be the biggest expert on Korean food but I do know what I like and I found the dish very tasty. A generous serving of your typical mushy but nice rice and thin strips of beef with a salad garnish and dressing on top. I was concerned the takeaway portion may have been a bit measly but it was anything but. Service was relatively quick but difficult to comment on what table service is like. Not overly expensive and as its old street you can simply grab and go then pick up a few beers in the newsagents next door and make your way to a suitable place to sit and people watch. Would definitely return, this time for a sit down. read more