We were wandering around Covent Garden when I recalled a restaurant that a friend had recommended to me – On the Bab. We trotted over there for a light dinner early that evening and found it absolutely rammed with Korean and Chinese students. They sure can sniff out a good place for a meal!
And good it was, selling the kind of Korean food that’s a little bit junky, a little bit trendy, and a whole lot of popular. Korean fried chicken has to be on that list of course. This was their Yangyum chicken – sweet spicy (small – £5.5). Larger orders on other tables seemed to include extra salads. The chicken was good though a little swamped by the sauce. I enjoyed it though.
Bab Twigim – Korean style kimchi and cheese arancini (£3.8) were very moreish and contained that very trendy combination of kimchi and mild melty cheese. Cheese (this mild stuff at least) does seem quite popular in Korea, showing up on all manner of spicy dishes.
Kimchi and cheese egg muffin (£3.5) came highly recommended from my friend and whatever I was expecting, it sure wasn’t this! This had been made in some mould with the kimchi and again that mild melting cheese (similar to an American mozzarella) had been cooked within a soft pancake-like batter. Excellent.
On the Bibimbab (£7.5) didn’t come in a stone bowl but was still very tasty with its multitude of ingredients. Of course, a hot stone bowl would have made it all better…
In all, a solid place for a Korean meal in an unlikely location – Covent Garden. The only downside is how cramped the restaurant is, with neighbouring tables really pushed up against each other. But still, I’d like to try more from the menu! There are two other branches in addition to the Covent Garden one.
On the Bab
36 Wellington Street
Covent Garden
London WC2E 7BD
Tamarind and Thyme 
Wed, 6 Apr, 2016 at 07:06
Kimchi and cheese sounds like a most unusual combination!
Mon, 23 May, 2016 at 12:25
It’s very popular in Korea!
Wed, 6 Apr, 2016 at 10:39
Thanks Su-Lin. I love it when you find a good deal and the descriptions of the food takes away the unknown so you know what it’s going to be like to eat!
Mon, 23 May, 2016 at 12:27
At your service! I do find blog posts very useful for this kind of thing. Restaurants can be so expensive in London that I’d like to know what I’ll be getting.
Wed, 6 Apr, 2016 at 11:18
The food sounds good! But I can’t be doing with cramped.
Mon, 23 May, 2016 at 12:26
True dat. But they also do takeaway orders!
Tue, 19 Apr, 2016 at 15:20
MMMM kimchi and cheeeeeese!! 🙂 Nice to hear of somewhere like this in Covent Garden – I never know where to eat when I’m there.
Mon, 23 May, 2016 at 12:27
I’m surprised not more Korean restaurants are doing the whole cheese and chili thing…. it seems to be extremely popular in Korea!
Sun, 29 May, 2016 at 21:41
Looks amazing! Will be going here!
Sun, 18 Feb, 2018 at 19:51
Lizzie Chinatown Kitchen does a Cheese on toast kimchi in her book, seriously cool and hot:)