Why We Started THE BAB

THE BAB was never meant to be a fancy restaurant. It isn't fast food either. It sits somewhere in between — and that's exactly where we wanted it to be.

Korean food, made easy to try

When Sunny and I opened THE BAB, one goal stood above the rest: we wanted to make Korean food easy to get to know. To us, Korean food is simply delicious. But we also know it can look a little intimidating if you've never had it before.

So we set ourselves three rules. It should feel familiar enough to try on a first visit. It should be priced so that trying something new never feels like a gamble. And it should be easy to find.

We looked for a spot where anyone could just walk in. We built a menu where one glance makes you think, "Hm, I'd like to try that." And we kept our prices as low as we could, because we'd rather see many people enjoy Korean food than just a few.

Camperstraat 36, 2019

Back in 2019, as far as we knew, there was no Korean-run Korean restaurant in central Amsterdam. Most were clustered in Buitenveldert — good food, but quite a trip by public transport. That's how THE BAB opened its first doors at Camperstraat 36.

Seven years later

Today Amsterdam has many more Korean restaurants, and we think that's a good thing: more and more people are discovering Korean food. Some have beautiful interiors and great locations, and you might even recognise a few dishes from our menu. We take that as a compliment.

What sets us apart isn't something you see from the street — it's something you taste on the plate. THE BAB is still run by Koreans, and we make our own sauces in-house to keep the true taste of Korean food.

Why we won't compromise on Korean ingredients

Since the pandemic, the cost of ingredients from Korea has risen sharply. Switching would be easier. But we won't give up Korean sesame oil, Korean soy sauce and the other Korean staples we cook with. They are the foundation of the flavour — without them, even the most skilled chef will struggle to make Korean food taste truly Korean.

The BAB way

We'll keep going our own way. Food we love to eat ourselves. Dishes our kids and our friends love. Prices that let anyone drop by without a second thought. And above all, real Korean food for as many people as possible.

See you at THE BAB.

— Pyo & Sunny