BAB’s Korean BBQ buffet returns

BAB Korean Restaurant’s all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue buffet is now back after temporarily closing for nearly a month. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Those pining for BAB Korean Restaurant’s all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue buffet can heave a big sigh of relief now.

This after the Garapan landmark brought back its famous smokey smorgasbord last week after temporarily halting it for nearly a month. 

Dante Conlu, who handles marketing and promotions for the Garapan restaurant, said BAB Korean Restaurant closed its widely popular Korean barbecue buffet to reassess pricing and because the restaurant itself underwent some minor renovations.

To reflect the rising cost of meat products and other ingredients, the eat-all-you-can Korean barbecue buffet now costs $24.99. It still comes with your delectable banchan offerings, favorite pork belly, marinated pork butt, and marinated chicken plus unlimited Coca-Cola products.

However, instead of the customary shabu-shabu as the second course, BAB Korean Restaurant subbed it out with a rotating soup of the day. 

“No more shabu-shabu at the end, that is actually the Korean-style of eating. For Filipinos and local customers, soup is enjoyed at the beginning and not the end,” said Conlu. 

He added that sometimes diners would beg off from having the shabu-shabu already because they’re basically full enjoying the eat-all-you-can Korean barbecue buffet.

Soup of the day changes week to week and rotates among the following—galbitang, seaweed soup, kimchi soup, fishcake soup, and Korean soybean paste stew, among others.

As for the minor renovations, Conlu said they’re planning to convert part of the restaurant to private karaoke rooms to cater to another segment of customers. They’re also planning to serve a special lunch apart from the Korean barbecue buffet.

Now that their eat-you-can offering has reopened, BAB Korean Restaurant is inviting their loyal customers to enjoy it once again.

“It’s funny that when we closed for a few weeks that’s when our customers kept calling and begging us to reopen. So far, BAB Restaurant is still the only Korean barbecue buffet on island and we’re here to stay,” said Conlu.

The eat-all-you-can Korean barbecue buffet is open from 5pm to 9:30pm everyday. It costs $24.99 per person but children 5-11 years old pay only $12.99.

BAB Korean Restaurant also has two new offerings for its drive-thru Cup BAB menu—chicken dori ($13) and pork belly adobo ($8).

“We just want to give our drive-thru customers more options for their takeaway food. The adobo is our own twist to a Filipino staple, while the chicken dori has always been a favorite of our Korean and local diners who always like things a bit spicy,” said Conlu. 

They will also soon open Cup BAB Afetnas either at the end of this month or first week of December.

“We can finally capture customers in the southern part of Saipan—San Antonio, Koblerville, and Chalan Piao,” said Conlu.

BAB Korean Restaurant is located at the old Caesar’s Sauna building along Middle Road in Garapan. It’s open Monday-Sunday from 5pm to 9:30pm. Cup BAB drive-thru in Garapan and San Jose are from 10am to 9pm. For reservations and for more information, call 233-4222 (Garapan) and 235-4222 (San Jose) or contact them on their Facebook page: Cup BAB.