Bada Tapas

A wonderful, charming place with fantastic, mainly Asian cuisine. Dishes served in small and inexpensive portions allow you to taste many delights at once. The atmosphere in the restaurant encourages you to spend more time there, peacefully savor the taste and time with your loved ones. We've probably tried all the dishes on the menu. They are all fresh, delicious, each has its own individual character.

We visited Bada through the recommendation of a family friend, who thought that this restaurant served good food -- fusion Korean/Asian influenced tapas. We visited during lunch and had a reasonable sampling of dishes - Chicken katsu curry, baby squid, korean glass noodles, glaced fried chicken and Korean pancake. All of us are highly familiar with Korean and Asian food, almost as a "native" would, so we are basing our comments on how it compares elsewhere, both in the UK and in Asia. Our first thoughts are that the food -- branded as fusion, is decent overall (with exceptions). Authenticity isn't the main proposition, but innovation and blending is the main draw. For this, I would say that Bada succeeds. A few comments on what we ate: The glaced fried chicken was tingly, tangy and perfectly crispy - delicious. The baby squid is delicious, with a distinctive sweet& sour base. The paejeon (Korean pancake) isn't like the typical Korean equivalent (battered with a curry taste, mixed with veg and little seafood pieces), was passable, slightly soggy and not impressive. The katsu curry portions were small (two smallish slivers of fried chicken, a handful of veg, some curry sauce; with rice needed to be ordered separately though). Lastly, the glass noodles was minimalist with regards to ingredients, drenched in dark sauce and overly sweetened we feel. So overall, the food ranged from brilliant, to above average, to some mediocre offerings. However for me, the main gripe isn't the food, but rather Bada's positioning, format and pricing as a restaurant. Let me explain: 1. I realise that Bada brands its dishes as tapas, but the servings are 'neither here nor there'. In terms of portion size, it's not large enough for one meal and yet it's priced at the level (where anywhere else is) close to main dish prices. Needing to order two dishes per person to fill one's stomach comes across as "expensive" rather than "value for money". I would like it if Bada came up with main dishes that are sufficient as a standalone dish (I would not imagine incremental costs would be that much greater- I could be mistaken). At the same time, the tapas could even be shrunk down in terms of portions and price to keep Bada's concept. 2. Bada's ambience and deco are chic yet somewhere informal. It feels like it is trying to cater for young professionals and singles with its extensive bar and trendy layout. Yet, the manner dishes are priced now (high-ish) with its "half sized, neither here nor there" portions, is probably not aligned with the price points of younger folks and to encourage them to become repeat customers. 3. Small table sizes: Perhaps it's designed with the intent to maximize space, but this means it becomes cramped for larger groups; plates have to be more petite, and hence dish portions appear small in small plates. 4. Brand and store visibility: From the main street, one hardly knows Bada exists (even though there are signboards). At the same time, the signage looking from the front isn't prominent. People can walk past yet it may not be immediately apparent what the identity of the store front stands for. In fact, we knew Bada existed but yet it took more than a few hard looks before we realised what we were looking for! 5. The Bada name: Far be it for me to comment directly about the restaurant's name and owner's intent for their establishment, so I won't. However, the point I would like to make is that future customers need to know what Bada stands for in the name. For me at least, this would be: Fusion. Asian. Tapas. Unfortunately, "F.A.T." isn't such a good acronym, so the management team will need to think how something can perhaps be incorporated into its name and brand identity so that it can be immediately apparent what its food conceptually stands for. Bada, being a relative newbie on the block, needs to figure out what it wants to be. Promising, but more potential could further be realised.

A wonderful atmosphere and excellent authentic korean food. I enjoyed every thing that I ordered! Don’t forget your Mojito too👍🏾

Genuinely I think this is the best restaurant in Godalming, if not the best I've been to in the UK. The cocktails were amazing, the food was just perfect in all areas: flavour, texture, presentation, quality of ingredients. Service was brilliant, friendly and attentive, they never left us waiting to get their attention. Absolutely recommend. The interior is also very aesthetically pleasing and in good taste. All around brilliant spot!