Take a dive into Bada Art Café

Bada Art Café is located adjacent to the Beach Road Pathway in Oleai, across the Saipan Mayor’s Office, and right before the Kilili Pavilion. (LEIGH GASES)

You can now have your cake and eat it too as you create art while sipping on delicious refreshments and eating desserts when you dive into what may be the only art café in the CNMI—the ocean-themed Bada Art Café.

Whether you need a new date spot, want to get your creative juices flowing, or are on the hunt for new drinks and desserts, the art café should be next on your list. 

The art café is a family owned small business opened in October 2022 along the Beach Road pathway right across the Saipan Mayor’s Office and before the Kilili Beach Park. Manager Sarah Lee is originally from South Korea and a Saipan resident of 10 years, while her sister, Kara is the art instructor. 

Must try in their café menu is the Ocean Blue Ade, left, and their croffle and ice cream dessert which is a combination of a croissant and waffle. They also serve a variety of hot/iced coffee, middle, and Hibiscus Ade, right. (LEIGH GASES)

With the shores of Oleai beach right in their backyard, along with the ocean-themed art, decor, and their ocean-themed drink, Ocean Blue Ade, you are sure to feel like you are outdoors on a sunny beach day without actually being outside—and rightfully so, as bada means ocean in Korean.

If you do want to feel the breeze in your hair and smell the salt of the ocean, there is an outdoor barbecue party space for rent.

For those who book an art class such as painting or DIY scented candle making, the café provides all of the art supplies and serves complimentary coffee and light refreshments.

Seen here are DIY scented candles created in the art café. Book an art class now to learn how to create these stunningly beautiful candles and take a piece of the Marianas with you. (LEIGH GASES)

If you’re just there for the café, the must try with their Ocean Blue Ade drink is the croffle with ice cream—a hybrid of a croissant and waffle, which is a popular Korean dessert. They also serve different flavors of hot or iced coffee.

You can also see the underwater world that you can only visit via their virtual reality set readily available. Dive in and take a tour of the ocean’s depths without getting your feet wet as you wait for your ocean-scented candle to dry, or try it out for $5 per 10 minutes.

“We work with all age groups from young as 6 years old to adults. Even grandma and grandpa can come and enjoy the Made in Saipan art products like scented ocean candles, painting, and other art and crafts,” said Sarah about their art café.

“Customers have the opportunity to express their creativity. Also, we work on any kind of art related projects like website design and logo design. We are diversified with many different ethnicities. Many of our students and participants join our art classes with different backgrounds and talents. That makes it special and fun!”

Sarah looks forward to working with the local and tourist youth who want to learn the arts, while her plans in the future include working with organizations within the community such as the man’amko or schools, where they can teach a class that “can promote healing minds and spirits through the art program.”

“My sister and I are extremely grateful and happy to continue developing our fragile economy as a small business,” said Sarah on their journey so far. She recalled how badly damaged the building was after Super Typhoon Yutu and all the challenges they overcame, but she thanked her friends for the strength and vision to finish. “There were many challenges but I was determined to finish and get it done and now here we are as Bada Art Café.” 

As an ocean lover who took to freediving and scuba diving, Sarah hopes that those who leave the art café can take with them a piece of the Marianas through their handmade candles, paintings, or any other arts and crafts made within the art café.

“I always wanted to serve the community well for our precious warm nice local residents—and tourists too. I would love to see people hang out at Bada Art Café and enjoy the ocean and natural surroundings. Tourists and locals can make their own handmade scented ocean candles, reminiscent of the Marianas’ beautiful ocean.” 

The cafe is open daily from 9am to 5pm while their art class schedule is flexible. 
Follow them on their Instagram @ohbadasaipan or contact (670) 287-8456 for questions or to book an art class.