Korean

The Dry Mala Ppong ($15.90) is super spicy, but it is also packed with lots of wok hei and flavour. I enjoy the contrasting textures of the chewy noodles, thinly sliced pork belly, crunchy cabbage, onion and shimeji mushroom, tossed together in the potent but delicious mala sauce. This is one satisfying meal that is worth sweating for🔥!

The fastest way to activate post-lunch food coma is to indulge in 12 different Korean side dishes in one seating🤤 This is my first visit to Kim’s Family Korean Restaurant and I’m really impressed with the generous spread of side dishes. The taste is on point and they are refillable. For lunch, I ordered Kimchi Jjigae ($15) and I like that the soup is flavourful and not too sour. It also comes with a generous serving of pork belly, kimchi and tofu. Overall, the food is good, the portion is generous and it’s hard to find another Korean restaurant that offers such a wide variety of side dishes - another Korean gem unlocked in Tanjong Pagar area:)!

It has been a while since I visited Hyang Yeon, one of my favourite Korean restaurants around my office area. The $12 DIY lunch set comes with 2 main dishes, kimchi, side dishes, rice and drink of your choice. This time round, I tried the Doenjang Jigae (soybean paste stew) and I like it! It reminds me of a spicy miso soup with enoki mushroom, tofu and potato, which goes really well with my brown rice. As always, the serving is generous and I’m super full after the meal - great value-for-money!

We tried the Gogi Mandu ($9.80) today. The steamed pork dumplings resemble an oversized xiao long bao but the filling is meatier with less meat soup in each dumpling. As usual, I love their house-made kimchi and it goes well with everything! P.S. There is a 15% discount if you order a set meal comprising a main, side and drink:)

The Yuk Kalguksu ($14.80) from Noodle Star K comes with a bowl of spicy beef soup containing beef that has been cooked till soft and tender and assorted vegetables such as onion and carrots that add sweetness to the soup. The flavourful broth has just the right amount of spiciness and goes well with the Korean knife-cut noodles, which still have a firm bite. P.S. There is a 15% discount if you order a set meal comprising a main, side and drink:)

The 8-Colour Set ($98) from 8 Korean BBQ comes with pork belly in 8 different flavours (i.e. original, wine, ginseng, garlic, herb, curry, miso, red pepper), a stew of your choice and side dishes. The different flavours are not that distinct but nonetheless, the pork belly is quite delicious! The ratio of fat and meat is balanced, and the pork belly is slightly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The tangy grilled kimchi helps keep the greasiness of the pork belly at bay. The Seafood Soft Tofu Stew (top up $6) is slightly spicy and pretty flavourful as well. Even without rice, this set is super filling for 3 pax!

PSA: There is 10% - 30% discount if your purchase a cash voucher on Chope:)

This is my 2nd visit to Noodle Star K and I decided to try the Jjajangmyeon ($12) this time. The black bean paste sauce is filled with onion and potato chunks and it goes well with the delicious house-made kimchi - I like that the kimchi is well-seasoned and has a garlicky tone to it. The robust beef broth that is served on the side is surprisingly rich and flavourful. We also ordered beef short plate ($12) and boiled pork dumplings ($6.80) to share. The thinly sliced grilled beef is tender and juicy. The boiled pork dumplings are the size of wanton and the skin is very Q - I find myself popping one dumpling after another:) The portion is generous and we are super full by the end of the meal. PSA: There is a 15% discount if you order a set meal comprising a main, side and drink!

I need to confess: I have been binge-watching Korean dramas during Circuit Breaker and I finally satisfied my tteokbokki (Korean rice cake) craving at Red Holic! The Pork Cutlet Tteokbokki ($25.80 for 2-3 pax) came with pork cutlet, fish cake, egg, cabbage, fried dumpling and a variety of carbs such as tteokbokki, glass noodles, ramyeon and something that resembles chee cheong fun. The sweet and spicy sauce is really addictive - do note that the original spicy level is already quite potent. The tteokbokki is soft and chewy, and the sweet potato and cheese tteokbokki are very good as well. The fried pork cutlet and dumpling get soft quite quickly, so do eat them first. We also ordered a few side dishes. The chicken feet ($15) is tasty and even spicier than the tteokbokki. It is a little tough though - would be nice if it is softer! We cleaned the whole pan of tteokbokki by the end of the meal - super full and satisfied:) 잘먹었습니다!

Given the blazing weather lately, we decided to treat ourselves to a refreshing bowl of Naengmyeon (Korean cold noodles) at the newly opened Noodle Star K at 58 Tanjong Pagar Road:) The Bibim Naengmyeon (Korean potato starch cold noodles in spicy sauce) and Mul Naengmyeon (Korean potato starch noodles) are $15.80 each and the taste and portion did not disappoint. Each bowl comes with a generous portion of chewy potato starch noodles, slices of pear, cucumber, pork and a hard boiled egg. Initially, I was a little worried that the Bibim sauce might be too sweet for my liking but it turned out to have just the right amount of spiciness with a hint of sesame oil fragrance - yummy! We also ordered Daepae Samgyeop ($18.80), which is grilled thinly sliced pork belly. The pork is well marinated and tender. Overall, I’m pretty impressed with their Naengmyeon and surprisingly there are a lot more noodle dishes on the menu. Can definitely see myself revisiting this place for lunch when I’m back at office - would love to try the other noodle dishes then:)!

There are days when you just want to feast like a king for lunch. The lunch set at Wang Dae Bak fits the bill - for $15, I had Kimchi Stew and Pork Bulgogi, accompanied by 5 side dishes and multi-grain rice. The sweet undertone of the kimchi stew complements the tangy kimchi and goes well with the tofu, pork belly and chewy glass noodle. There is a slight porky aftertaste though, thought it could be toned down a bit. The pork bulgogi is flavourful and the meat is very soft. The side dishes are quite special too - apart from the usual anchovies and kimchi, there are also braised egg, eggplant and potato salad. Overall, the portion is very generous and I’m quite satisfied with the food and service:)!

I’m back at @ and since I have tried their signature spicy soft tofu stew previously, I decided to go with LA Galbi Combo ($39.90) which comprises of BBQ short rib and a tofu stew of your choice. The portion is great for sharing and the short rib is smokey, sweet and appetising. A pretty good match with the spicy tofu stew and rice I must say! We also ordered Japchae ($19.90) to share and it’s hard for the stir fried glass noodles with vegetables and beef to go wrong - love the chewy noodles and sesame oil fragrance. Pretty happy with everything I tried here so far!

The sundubu-jjigae from SBCD Korean Tofu House is perfect for days when I crave a hearty pot of soft tofu stew. The Dumpling Sundubu ($21.90) comes with pork, dumplings, curdled tofu, egg and kimchi. The spicy and flavourful stew goes really well with rice. The dumpling skin is thin and the pork filling is generous. Apart from the typical side dishes, the set also comes with a fried fish that is super soft and tasty🤤 Although it’s a little pricey, the sundubu-jjigae is packed with ingredients and the taste is on point. Craving satisfied!