Waba Korean Restaurant

Really enjoyed the whole experience.  Went there for a friends party with 10 to 12 people and it was perfect for a large party.  The service was incredible and all done by one person.  Most of us had never had Korean food and the waitress was really helpful (without making us feel stupid). The vegetarian bibimbap and tofu dish I tried were so tasty.  Everyone at the table loved the appetizers.  She also brought out a yogurt-Sujo (Korean vodka-like liquor) drink for the table and it was INCREDIBLE.  After dinner we headed into the karaoke room we had reserved.  Everyone fit comfortably, the mikes worked, there was a ton of music (korean and english), videos playing during songs were pretty hilarious.  Made for a fun night out!

Looks can be rather deceiving: from the outside Waba looks like a little hole in the wall place. Walking through their entrance, a mirror on the right provides that illusory trick of making the hallway seem larger than it is (mental checks occur about how this places must be tiny if it's resorting to such cheap tricks).

Then my friend and I entered the place proper and were greeted by our wondrous hostess, who also served as our waiter. As we sat down she asked to make sure if we were familiar with Korean cuisine, and then the fun began. Ordering drinks, she gave us advice and her opinion on what would be best for what we were ordering in terms of food.

Bringing out various bits on which to nibble, she quickly noticed what we were eating most and made sure that we had a steady supply of such (particularly the pickled cucumber and kimchi). Conversations were had between bites, where she talked about the restaurant, what all they offered, and all of it generally made us feel at home.

Then the food. Yegads it was delicious. My friend had the Kimchee Ji Gae, which was all manners of lovely spices and consistencies playing around on the tongue and in our mouths. Meanwhile, I tried the WaBa Cheese Steak, whose various odd bits and pieces came together marvelously, with the provolone providing a welcome complement to the spicy mayo, and the steak being quite tenderly mushed in between hungry teeth gnashes.

As we found out, there is karaoke offered as well, which I'll gladly attend with friends to both enjoy the friendly and informative atmosphere as well as the quite delicious offerings.

I think I've been to this one.... thrice so far? Lowkey, this is THE place to hold a night out. For $25 or so an hour, you can book a karaoke room / NRB huge enough to comfortably cram dozens. The mics actually WORK. The service is great. The English, Korean, and Japanese song selections are impressive. The food is amazing (and oh so plentiful). They play good music in the dining/bar area. I can vouch for their virgin cocktails. The emptiness is a godsend if you don't want your group to be bothered, and to top it off, you can party 'til 2AM!

The location is nice  - on Western (about a block south of Foster), a little bit off from the Bryn Mawr & Lawrence "Koreatown" strips. I still make the commute from there 'cause I like this place so much!
You can find parking on the street. Just take the 49 or 92 (for long distance: brown line) there and carpool back.

lol @ the people who expect a crowded sit-down restaurant... don't waste the time of the nice ladies who are trying to do twenty things at once for you.