Outside the rear gate of the Grafenwoehr army post is what appears to be a Korean hole-in-the-wall eatery tucked between several dive bars. But like the Mines of Moria, this hole is full of treasure.
Korean Restaurant Bab serves up fantastic East Asian food at a great price, and if you like barbecue beef, this is the mother lode.
A fan favorite is the spicy beef bulgogi — Korean barbecue, marinated in soy sauce and pear juice, and served on a bed of grilled onions.
However, I prefer the bibimbap, which to me sounds a lot like that Hanson song.
The bibimbap is like a stir fry of vegetables, beef Bulgogi and an egg, served atop rice in a hot stone bowl. You can get it with a spicy chili pepper-based sauce, which gives it a kick that’s hard to find in the German cuisine of the area.
They have lots of appetizers as well, like the bulgogi kimbap, a seaweed-wrapped rice roll with BBQ beef, egg and vegetables, or several varieties of dumplings stuffed with meat or vegetables.
The most well-known Korean food to Americans, kimchi, is abundant on the menu. If you’re not familiar with it, don’t expect something as boring as sauerkraut, Germany’s own fermented cabbage. Kimchi packs a lot of spice and flavor.
Bab’s kimchi comes in three types: cabbage, cucumber and radish. You can get small orders of these for as little as 1.50 euros ($1.84). I tried all three and highly recommend the radish kimchi. It’s crunchy, spicy and has a kick.
They serve several zesty soups there as well that are big enough to be meals in themselves. I recommend the kimchi beef soup or any of the fried noodle soups.
To drink, they have a variety of German beer and several nonalcoholic options like barley tea, which tastes a bit like green tea but earthier.
If you’re looking for something different around Grafenwoehr, and you want a lot of barbecue beef, this is the place to go.
egnash.martin@stripes.com Twitter: @Marty_Stripes
Address: Alte Amberger Str. 35, 92655 Grafenwoehr
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for lunch and 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for dinner. Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays.
Prices: Around 10 euros for a meal
Dress: Casual
Phone: (+49) 09641 9298778