Established in 1965, Kelim Dakdoritang is a famous Korean spicy chicken hotpot chain with more than 50 outlets in South Korea and it has opened its first outlet in Singapore at Serangoon Gardens.

The speciality spicy chicken stew restaurant is brought in to Singapore by Lee Seongmin is the son of Kelim Dakdoritang’s founder.

Dakdoritang, or Korean spicy chicken stew, is a traditional Korean dish made by boiling chunks of chicken with potatoes, rice cakes vegetables, spices and gochujang. What makes Kelim Dakdoritang’s rendition different is the additional of a copious amount of chopped garlic and leek.

Kelim Dakdoritang serves their Korean spicy chicken stew in the form of a hotpot and you can choose to add on more toppings including rice cake, sausage, mushrooms, and quail eggs.

The Korean spicy chicken stew was actually not as spicy as it looked; it had the right amount of spice with a strong garlicky taste.

For carbs, you can choose from Kalguksu (Korean knife cut noodles), Udon, or Ramyeon.

End your meal with their Fried Rice (S$8), a typical Korean ‘dessert’. The staff will fry rice, seaweed, sesame oil, and kimchi with the remaining stew in the hotpot at your table.

This is definitely not the place to go on a first date. But if you love spicy Korean stews, check out Kelim Dakdoritang the next time you are in Serangoon Gardens.

Kelim Dakdoritang
14B Kensington Park Rd
Singapore 557265
Tel: +65 6241 4241

Tanjong Pagar—also known as Korea Town in Singapore—has no lack of Korean restaurants and you may be lost on where to start.

But if you are looking at an all-you-can-eat buffet option for K-BBQ, then Sin Manbok is one to go to. At S$29++per pax, you get unlimited portions of meat, two pieces of Korean fried chicken (for each diner) in your preferred flavour, a Korean stew to share, a side of tteokbokki and ramyeon, and another side of Korean pancake. Do note that the buffet option is only available during lunch.

At just S$29++ per person for lunch, you get quite a spread and despite the portions being relatively small, we were actually very stuffed from eating a bit of everything that is included in the buffet.

For the lunch buffet, you get unlimited portions of meat, two pieces of Korean fried chicken in your preferred flavour, a stew to share, a side of tteokbokki and ramyeon, and another side of Korean pancake. What did we say about being full from eating a bit of everything?

On the unlimited meat menu, there are marinated chicken, beef brisket, sliced pork belly and marinated pork short ribs.

Out of the four meat options, our favourite was the thinly sliced 2mm Pork Belly.

Each diner gets 2 pieces of Korean fried chicken and you can choose from seasoned chicken, soy chicken, fried chicken or a mixture of seasoned and soy chicken.

The restaurant will portion the stew according to the number of diners. We had the Kimchi Jjigae and it was full of flavours and very addictive.

Stir-fried tteokbokki with ramyeon.

Sin Manbok Korean BBQ Buffet
81 Tanjong Pagar Rd, Singapore 088502
Tel: +65 6221 7030

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Don Dae Bak Korean BBQ along Kreta Ayer Road offers a Korean BBQ buffet with unlimited meats, sides and steamed eggs at only S$27.90++/pax on weekdays.

What we love most about Don Dae Bak Korean BBQ is that the Korean restaurant uses charcoal grill instead of the usual gasoline grill. That sure makes a lot of difference to our meats!

This small outlet is just like any usual Korean BBQ place—round communal tables that are surrounded by kimchi and side dishes (free flow), all your sauces and chilli, and loud Korean pop songs on repeat mode. They use beef and pork belly from USA and Australia, as well as chicken that is sourced locally.

Don Dae Bak’s Korean BBQ Buffet includes:

• Beef Bulogi
• Beef Brisket
• Pork Belly
• Spicy Pork Belly
• Shoulder Loin
• Marinated Shoulder Loin
• Marinated Chicken
• Spicy Marinated Chicken
• Korean sides
• Steamed eggs

Other than the meats, the Korean BBQ buffet also comes with six free-flow Korean sides and unlimited steamed eggs.

The cherry on top is the pocket around the grill, where egg custard is poured and steamed egg is made. It is so simple, yet nothing short of comforting; just like the great Korean BBQ meals we’ve had in Seoul, though more often than not, steamed egg is a free dish they offer to diners.

Don Dae Bak Korean BBQ Restaurant
35 Kreta Ayer Rd
Singapore 089000
Tel: +65 6226 1727
Weekday: S$27.90++/pax, weekend S$29.9++/pax

Known for serving affordable and authentic Korean dishes, Ajumma’s Korean Restaurant has closed down its original outlet at The Cathay recently and it has officially opened its new location at Bukit Panjang Plaza on 21 Dec 2021.

Ajumma’s is a casual Korean eatery where you can get Korea homestyle cooking minus the frills (and service charge).

Most of the dishes on Ajumma’s menu are affordably priced under S$10 and they include options such as Chicken Bulgogi, Bibimbap, Spicy Ramyeon, and House-Smoked Mackerel.

The Beef Bulgogi (S$10.50) set comes with plump white rice and an assortment of small side dishes. The marinated grilled beef was juicy and savoury, best eaten with rice to balance the saltiness.

The Kimchi Ramyeon (S$8.90+) has a generous portion of noodles, meat, tofu and vegetables.

The opening of Ajumma’s Korean Restaurant at Bukit Panjang Plaza is definitely great news for those who are staying in the west of Singapore.

Ajumma’s Korean Restaurant
1 Jelebu Road
#03-10A Bukit Panjang Plaza
Singapore 677743

Honey Night is a Korean bar and bistro where you can get refreshing drinks on a hot day, Korean street snacks and mains to satisfy your hunger pangs. It is conveniently located in Grandlink Square, just walking distance from Paya Lebar MRT.

Gulp down a somaek tower, bite on chewy spicy rice cakes and indulge in hearty soups, while bobbing and singing along to K-pop hits. You don’t have to fly to Korea for that ahjumma’s kimchi stew anymore because you’re in for a treat at Honey Night with their authentic tasting Korean food fare!

We had the Deep Fried Boneless Chicken (S$13 for 3pcs). It was tender and the seasoning was kept to a minimum which brought out the fragrance of the meat itself. However, the batter was a little too thick, causing some mush underneath but still crunchy on the outside.

A thinner batter that was coated more evenly would’ve been better, but the sweet and spicy sauce that came along with it tasted oh-so-good with the chicken! Have it with a piece or two of the seasoned radish and you’ll overlook the flaws of the batter.

A must-order at every Korean restaurant, the Kimchi Stew (S$12) here was pretty well done – with just the right amount of spice with robust flavours of kimchi that warms your heart, especially on a rainy day.

Flavours were 10/10, and it was as authentic as it can get. Brownie points for the generous ingredients in the soup, including tofu, glass noodles, pork belly, kimchi and onions! You know a Korean restaurant is good if they can do kimchi stews well because it is a simple dish that is hard to perfect.

The Beef Bulgogi Set Meal (S$13) is a crowd favourite! It came with a bowl of short grain rice, seaweed soup and kimchi. Can we just say that the seaweed soup was one of the best seaweed soups we’ve had because normally seaweed soup tastes bland and smells of the sea, but this was so light yet flavourful and helps to cleanse your palette.

The beef was sweet, infused with natural flavours of the onions and is a match made in heaven with short grain rice. We enjoyed it but we felt that this dish would have been perfect if the beef was slightly more tender, maybe with a fattier part and had some sweet potato noodles added in just like those you can get in Korea.

Honey Night is a hidden gem in the Paya Lebar area and the prices are slightly lower than other Korean restaurants.

Honey Night
511 Guillemard Road
#01-08, Grandlink Square
Singapore 399849
Tel: +65 8671 1443
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar

If you are a fan of Korean Dramas, K-POP and all things Korean, you will be familiar with the famous dak galbi chain from South Korea, Yoogane. Well-loved for their addictively spicy chicken galbi, Yoogane has earned its well-deserved reputation for serving authentic and delicious traditional Korean food.

For a limited period only, Yoogane introduces its new Samgyetang Hansik menu which features a myriad of Korean cuisine classics such as Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup), Ganjang Yangnyeom Dakgangjeong (Korean Soy Sauce Fried Chicken) and Nakji Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Spicy Octopus). The new lineup of traditional Korean dishes will definitely make you feel like you’re eating right in the heart of Seoul!

Yoogane’s Samgyetang Hansik sets will be available for 2 pax (S$48++) and 4 pax (S$88++), beginning in mid-August at selected outlets, so check out what we thought of these speciality dishes before you make a trip down with your friends!

KOREAN BANCHAN & MUSHROOM GARLIC RICE

Savour 8 different kinds of traditional Korean side dishes while your mains arrive. From sweet to savoury, Yoogane has got you covered with their traditional cabbage Kimchi, Kong Ja Ban (Sweet Fermented Black Beans), Yeongeun Jorim (Braised Lotus Roots) and Kkaennip Jangajji (Pickled Perilla Leaves).

You will also have a bowl of piping-hot Mushroom and Garlic Rice and a medley of fresh vegetables and ssamjang (Korean Bean Paste Sauce) to go along with all of your dishes and banchan. Shake your rice before you dig in to mix the toppings evenly!

GANJANG YANGNYEOM DAKGANJEONG

Part of the Samgyetang Hansik set for 4 pax, this sweet-and-savoury dish is a popular midnight snack for many Koreans. Golden-brown fried chicken chunks are glazed with a sticky-sweet glaze and given a slight hint of spice from chopped chillis. They are then topped off with toasted almond slices, sesame seeds and deep-fried tteokbokki (rice cakes).

One of our favourite dishes, this dish perfectly encapsulated the best of both worlds—Sweet and savoury. The kick of spice is subtle yet lends a great amount of flavour to the crispy morsels of chicken. The crispy yet chewy rice cakes were an excellent addition, making the dish even more addictive.

SAENGSEON JEON

Yoogane’s Saengseon Jeon features silky white fish dipped in a savoury Korean pancake batter and fried till the perfect golden-brown.

The fish is so tender that it melts the moment you sink your teeth into it. Dip these special “pancakes” in a bit of ssamjang (Korean Bean Paste Sauce) to add an extra savoury kick.

NAKJI BOKKEUM

Fresh and tender octopus is fried with a myriad of vegetables and a spicy sauce to create this spicy octopus stir-fry. Though it may look menacingly red, it is not that spicy, so milder spice lovers can still enjoy this Korean cuisine staple.

We loved how the sauce was so flavourful and coated each and every ingredient such that every bite was as flavourful as the last. This saucy dish is best eaten with the Mushroom and Garlic Rice!

DAK GALBI

Yoogane’s signature and what catapulted it to fame was their dangerously addictive Dak Galbi. Cabbage, scallions, tteokbokki, and chicken are stir-fried in Yoogane’s special sweet-and-spicy marinade to create this mouth-watering Korean classic.

This needs little introduction and will definitely take your tastebuds to Seoul and back. The chicken is tender and juicy, having absorbed all the flavours of the sauce perfectly. The same goes for the chewy tteokbokki.

SAMGYETANG

Lastly, the undisputed star of Yoogane’s new Samgyetang Hansik menu has to be the Samgyetang (Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup). A whole spring chicken, stuffed with short-grained Calrose rice, is boiled in a flavourful ginseng broth. Samgyetang is an absolute must-try when in South Korea, but now you can savour this authentic staple in sunny Singapore.

The broth was ambrosial on the tastebuds. Packed with so much flavour and a mild aroma of chicken, we could not help but go back for seconds and even thirds! This is definitely one of the best Samgyetang in Singapore.

As for the chicken, just a jab from your chopsticks will separate the meat—that is how tender it is. The chicken is perfectly juicy, best eaten with a dip into salt and pepper.

Don’t forget that there is rice hidden inside the succulent chicken. Wonderfully stewed with the ginseng broth, the rice is beautifully perfumed with the light aroma of herbs. Savour it with a piece of chicken or with any of the banchan to truly enjoy this simple yet satisfying dish.

Yoogane’s Samgyetang Hansik set comes in a 2-person (S$48++) or 4-person (S$88++) portion and will be available at the following outlets:

• Bugis Junction
• NEX
• Westgate

Yoogane @ Bugis Junction
200 Victoria Street
#02-47/48 Bugis Junction
Singapore 188021
Tel: +65 6337 7337
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Bugis

Yoogane @ NEX
23 Serangoon Central
B1-28/29 NEX
Singapore 556083
Tel: +65 6634 2887
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Serangoon

Yoogane @ Westgate
3 Gateway Drive
#03-08 Westgate
Singapore 608532
Tel: +65 6710 7821
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

This post was brought to you by Yoogane Singapore.