BAB Korean Food

The current K-Food space in Manchester is well-represented by old-timers like Ban Di Bul and Koreana, not forgetting Seoul Kimchi, Annyeong and Stockport’s excellent Baekdu Korean BBQ Restaurant. But out there in MediaCity, we have the lovely Bab (not to be confused with Bab, the fancypants kebab place in the Northern Quarter). 

Bab Korean Food, to give it its full title, is doing exciting and authentic things with proteins, carbs and vegetables. Mostly with rice, which figures, as ‘bab’ means rice in Korean. 

Best known as the place where Londoners come up for their TV and radio jobs during the week, MediaCity has never had a reputation for being hellzapoppin’ and probably never will. What is blooming is the food scene, and it’s all thanks to the pleasingly unfussy food hall, Kargo MKT. 

Here you’ll find lovely views over the water, especially in the sunshine and a well-chosen array of street food stalls, with Bab as the standout destination for those hankering for East Asian options. 

Bab has been at Kargo since the start, in late 2023. Prior to this, owners Mike and Jina Lee ran Bab out of a converted horse trailer, living life on the festival food circuit until Kargo HQ came a-calling. 

Mike and Jina do a mean line in bibimbap, the ever-popular layered street food bowl, but, word to the wise, their beef bulgogi is a barnstorming dish: simultaneously charred, soft and sizzling. The pillow-soft spring onion pancake is comfort food in excelsis, and the gouchujang-smeared pickled veg side complements the lot. 

Need something deep-fried and dirty, like your soul? Bab’s deep-fried corndog, which I devoured at the recent St John’s Christmas Market, takes the magical fat-salt combination to new, obscene heights. Probably the filthiest takeout snack in Manchester, in a good way. 

When it comes to Korean food in Manchester, Bab has a touch of the renegade, pushing boundaries and always looking ahead. They’ve got the classics nailed down but also the chops to put out some wilder ideas – cranberry sauce on a festive-special turkey corndog, anyone? Sure, this stuff goes viral, but it’s more than a gimmick. Expect big things from Bab.