2D1N Soju Bang
If you thought this Telok Ayer restaurant was actually a Korean travel agent peddling a soju-filled escapade, think again. Named after a Korean game show, this place is all about meat with cuts of pork, chicken and beef like short ribs and thinly-sliced bulgogi. They’ve also got more experimental meats like pig trotters and spicy fried chicken gizzards, too. Lines can get pretty long here so it’s best to come early.
Big Mama Korean Restaurant
Tiong Bahru’s not just hipster central, it’s also home to some hole-in-the-wall mom and pop joints like this Korean place. They’re known for their dakgalbi, an umami-laden, spicy grilled chicken dish cooked in front of you with veggies and some of the springiest topokki (rice cakes) around. Be sure to follow that up with the fried rice option that’s done in the same pan with sesame oil, crisp seaweed and kimchi.
Chang Korean Charcoal BBQ Restaurant
For those times you feel like something a little less hole-in-the-wall, this expansive restaurant with traditional Korean BBQ will do you justice. There are eight different free-flow appetizers like kimchi and tofu to get you started and meats include boneless beef rib and marinated prime beef rib that the staff help you to cook at your table. The meats here are particularly fatty so items like the pork belly really melts in your mouth.
Damotory Korean Wine House
We’re cheating a little to include this wine house, but Damotory that has all manner of Korean tipples from a red ginseng wine to a mountain apple wine. The best part is that the place opens until pretty late and you can order classic dishes like kimchijeon (kimchi pancakes), bulgogi and seafood topokki.
E!GHT Korean BBQ
Unlike many homely Korean restaurants, this place has a more industrial design with exposed brick walls, dark wooden furniture and stools that resemble steel oil barrels. Go straight for house specialty the Eight Colours Set with Berkshire pork in eight different flavors: wine, original, ginseng, garlic, herb, curry, miso and red pepper paste. They’ve also got a solid seafood bean paste stew and pork belly kimchi stew.
Kko Kko Nara
When we say KFC, we don’t mean Southern-style fried chicken. In this case, Korean fried chicken is certainly gaining popularity and this place does chicken justice. The juicy and glazed morsels come in three flavors: original, garlic soy and sweet and spicy. Although the sweet and spicy rendition is the most attention-grabbing, get the mixed platter to cover all your bases. Plus, if you’re not in the mood for some fried chicken, they’ve got classics like bibimbap and ramyun, too.
Manbok Korean Seafood Restaurant
This place has some adventurous options on the menu like fermented skate, but not everything is so experimental. They’ve got a an addictive seafood soup with a smorgasbord of crab, prawns, abalone, scallops, clams, rice cakes, mushrooms and a whole octopus (!) in a spiced broth. They’ve also got tons of side dishes like shredded cabbage salad with cucumbers and potato mash with raisins.
Manna Korean Restaurant
If you ask most Koreans living in Singapore where they go to get a slice of home, they’ll most likely point you in the direction of this restaurant. Manna Korean is homey and a little old-world, so don’t expect anything glitzy. As well as the BBQ dishes, which are thoughtfully cooked in the kitchen, they have a slew of other things like kimchi stew (kimchi chigae), ramyun and a pork dumpling soup. Don’t miss their beef ribs that come sizzling on a hot plate with side dishes like spicy bean sprouts, kimchi, long beans with eggs and spicy potato slices.
Togi BBQ
Adding to the slew of Korean BBQ places is this gem in an Orchard Road mall. They’ve got tons of meats like Black Angus rib eye, boneless short rib, spicy pork collar and marinated spicy pork belly. But if barbecuing meats doesn’t take your fancy, they’ve got plenty of rice cakes, pancakes, rice and noodle dishes, as well as soups and stews like ginseng chicken and a spicy seafood stew.
Wang Dae Bak
Inspired by the retro culture in Korea, this barbecue place is all about the convivial atmosphere and good meats. They use charcoal grills, which give that nicely charred and smoky flavor to the meat, and carry your usual selection including pork belly, boneless prime rib and chicken, as well as more interesting marinated options like herb wine pork belly, shoulder loin and juicy pork shoulder butt. For those who don’t want to just feast on meats, they’ve got other dishes like kim chi pancakes and spicy seafood tofu soup.
