Famous Golden Mile Complex Mookata eatery, New Udon Mookata will be moving out of Golden Mile Complex around May or June 2023 as the building was sold en bloc to a consortium.

New Udon Mookata will be opening a new outlet at Foch Road next week as well as other outlets in the near future.

Golden Mile Complex or otherwise known fondly as “Little Thailand” to the locals and Thais living in Singapore is a mall that is always bustling with activity throughout the day. While most people would know the place for its pubs and drinking places, there are also many humble eateries and hidden restaurants inside that serve authentic Thai food.

Established in 2007, New Udon Mookata is arguably the most popular eatery in Golden Mile Complex and it is always packed with regulars.

In an interview with 8days, the daughter of New Udon Mookata’s founder says the restaurant is expected to move out of Golden Mile Complex around May or June in 2023, though it will remain open for now.

New Udon Mookata will be opening its second outlet at Foch Road next week, though there are no concrete details for now.

They also have plans to expand with more locations in Jurong West and Greenwood Avenue.

Fans of New Udon Mookata will be happy to know that the famous mookata eatery will have more outlets in Singapore and you can satisfy your Mookata cravings without going all the way to Golden Mile Complex.

New Udon Mookata
5001 Beach Rd, #01 66B, Singapore 199588
Tel: +65 8451 9973

Of all the tremendous amounts of cooking methods available to us, be it fancy or rustic, barbecue still remains one of our all-time-favourite ways to have food cooked. It’s hard not to give in to a platter of smoky, seared meat, and thanks to a slew of new openings, the barbecue trend is bigger than ever in Singapore.

Nearly every culture has their own form of barbecue, in fact, the whole concept of barbecue dates back to caveman times where food was literally cooked over an open fire on a spit (or a stick). Now, with Singapore playing host to so many varieties of cultural influences and cuisines, we get to enjoy so many varieties.

Whether it’s a sweet, marinated Korean bulgogi beef you crave, good-old Louisiana-style baby back ribs, Filipino pork lechon or even a humble mookata, here is our guide to 13  BBQ restaurants in Singapore.

SUPERSTAR K

Talk about the hottest Korean BBQ restaurants in Singapore, and we all think of Superstar K at Tanjong Pagar. The outlet specialises in using charcoal grills for its Korean BBQ, and the authentic dining experience explains its popularity among Singaporeans and tourists alike.

Side dishes are modest yet not overly ambitious, unlike many other Korean eateries. Our personal favourites to order here include the beef short rib as well as the pork belly. It is also good to note that they open until 4am daily which is great if you ever find yourself craving for Korean barbecue after a night of heavy drinking.

75 Tanjong Pagar Road,
Singapore 088496
Tel: +65 6224 0504
Daily: 12pm – 2pm, 5pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Tanjong Pagar

I’M KIM JUNIOR

Located conveniently at Orchard’s *SCAPE, I’m Kim Junior is a casual Korean BBQ restaurant that is popular amongst the young crowd. Following the success of its sister restaurant—I’m Kim—at the School of the Arts (SOTA), I’m Kim Junior has a menu that features new items such as Korean Army Stew.

On the barbecue, you can look forward to a pretty insane spread from pork belly, a myriad of marinated meats, seafood as well as their bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms which is a surefire hit among the little ones.

2 Orchard Link
#03-01 *Scape
Singapore 237978
Tel: +65 6634 0420
Daily: 11.30pm – 3.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

DON DAE BAK

What we love most about Don Dae Bak Korean BBQ is that the restaurant uses charcoal grills instead of the usual gasoline grill. That sure makes a lot of difference to our meats in imparting that deep charred aroma that every good barbecue should have.

This small outlet along Kreta Ayer is just like any usual Korean BBQ place—round communal tables surrounded by kimchi and pickles that are entirely free-flow, an abundance of sauces and upbeat Korean pop songs on loop in the background.

35 Kreta Ayer Road,
Singapore 089000
Tel: +65 6226 1727
(Closed on Sundays)
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 5pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Outram Park

WANG DAE BAK KOREAN BBQ

Wang Dae Bak Korean BBQ Restaurant is one of the most well known Korean BBQ restaurants in Singapore for serving up high-quality BBQ dishes at affordable prices. They specialise in charcoal barbecue which sets them apart from many other Korean BBQ establishments.

Here, you can get a free-flow of fluffy egg that is poured around the side of the barbecue pan.

22 Cross Street, #01-64
China Square Central
Singapore 048421
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Chinatown

EIGHT KOREAN BBQ

Korean BBQ is all about the meat, but at some barbecue joints, you end up paying lots for subpar cuts or under-marinated meats with little or no character—well, not at Eight Korean BBQ. These folks here pride themselves with their extensive knowledge of meats and they focus only on exquisite cuts from premium varieties of beef and pork.

In true Korean style, you can have your meats seared unadorned, coated in a punchy marinade, or served up in a nourishing stew. The next time your carnivorous tendencies act up, stop by Eight Korean BBQ to experience some of the best meats the world has to offer.

6 Eu Tong Sen St, 02-79/90,
Singapore 059817
Tel: +65 8692 1188
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30am – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

TENKAICHI JAPANESE BBQ RESTAURANT

An award-winning Japanese BBQ Buffet Restaurant in Singapore that specialises in Wagyu Beef BBQ, Tenkaichi Japanese BBQ Restaurant is the perfect place to visit if you are looking to satisfy your meat and barbecue cravings.

During your visit, make sure to order the Premium BBQ Menu which entitles you to free-flow tender wagyu beef, along with a variety of sashimi.

Tenkaichi Japanese BBQ Restaurant
6 Raffles Boulevard, #03-129 Marina Square,
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 6250 8918
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Promenade

GYU-KAKU

For a truly authentic Japanese Yakiniku experience, Gyu-Kaku is definitely the place to go. With barbecue as their main focus, the restaurant takes pride in bringing in only the finest of ingredients. Which means you can look forward to the likes of Kagoshima Wagyu and more!

Have some refreshing appetisers to go with your barbecue feast not just because they’re mighty tasty, but because they also help to cleanse your palate, allowing you to dive right back into the meat.

81 Clemenceau Ave, 01-18/19,
Singapore 239918
Tel: +65 6733 4001
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Sat & Sun: 12pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Fort Canning

ABURIYA

A popular name that pops up at the mere mention of solid Japanese barbecue along the Robertson Quay area, Aburiya is one that promises exceptional quality meats and proper grilling using charcoal.

The menu offers a pretty substantial array of meaty options from beef, pork, chicken and even lamb but we recommend opting for the sets. The wagyu set, although a tad pricey, is worth every penny.

60 Robertson Quay, #01-03
Singapore 238252
Tel: +65 6735 4862
Mon to Sat: 6pm – 11.30pm
Sun: 6pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Fort Canning

888 MOOKATA

Founded by local celebrities Chew Chor Meng and Zhou Chongqing in partnership with cousins Esmond and Ronnie, 888 Mookata—at the coffee shop in Blk 212 Hougang Street 21—is a hot spot for those craving for decent Thai mookata without having to make a trip to Golden Mile Complex.

Ordering is relatively straightforward at 888 Mookata as they only have 2 options on their main menu—Platter For 2 and Platter For 4.

212 Hougang Street 21
Singapore 530212
Tel: +65 9656 2655
Mon to Thu, Sun: 5pm – 12am
Fri & Sat: 5pm – 2am
Nearest Station: Kovan

AROY MAK MOOKATA

Aroy Mak Mookata prides itself on offering authentic traditional Thai Cuisine BBQ and steamboat. You can indulge in Chiang Rai style Mookata marinated pork and chicken sliced meat, non-MSG soup stock and authentic homemade Thai chilli dips.

Located along Macpherson Road, this eatery offers an all-you-can-eat buffet with no time limit! At just S$17.80 per pax from Mondays to Thursday, you get to choose between 60 dishes including pork, chicken and vegetables.

Aroy Mak Mookata
476-478 Macpherson Road
Singapore 368191
Tel: +65 9052 0555
Daily: 5pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Tai Seng

LADYBOY MOO-KA-CHEESE

A fairly new addition to Geylang’s cluster of eateries is Ladyboy Moo-Ka-Cheese—a Thai mookata-forward restaurant that is quite possibly the first of its kind to boast a stunning array of tantalising, innovative cheese dips along with the traditional Thai-style barbecue.

Their buffet menu features a whole host of options from salmon, scallops to even jumbo prawns and you can expect to enjoy them with the likes of their stellar truffle cheese dip or even their rainbow cheese dip that makes for a pretty neat photo—did we mention that drinks and ice cream are all free-flow?

644 Geylang Lorong 40
Singapore 389574
Tel: +65 8138 3836
Mon to Fri: 6pm – 2am
Sat: 5pm – 2am
Sun: 5pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar

BURNT ENDS

Voted 10th in the Asia’s 50 Best and 53rd in the World’s 50 Best 2017, Burnt Ends is a modern Australian barbecue restaurant along Teck Lim Road—just off the food-laden Keong Saik Road—that offers casual dining with beef as its main star.

This humble restaurant takes pride in its custom-built four tonne, dual cavity ovens and three elevation grills of which ensure that each beefy dish is grilled to utmost perfection. As far as barbecue and meat go, these folks don’t mess around. No one ever leaves Burnt Ends disappointed. Period.

20 Teck Lim Road
Singapore 088391
Tel: +65 6224 3933
(Closed on Sundays & Mondays)
Tue to Thu: 6pm – 12am
Fri & Sat: 11.45am – 2pm, 6pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Outram Park

Photo Credit: Iskina Cebu

ISKINA CEBU

Iskina Cebu over at TImbre+ is a Cebuano-owned brand which aims to promote Cebu food culture and dining experience. Their cooking comes from the heart whether its their insanely tender pork Lechon, Spicy Belly Chon and Non-Spicy Belly Chon.

Here is where homesick Filipinos can get a taste of home and Singaporeans can treat their palates to something rustic, delicious and possibly new. Go on, try yourself a portion of their Lechon and watch it slowly change your life from its paper-thin crispy skin to its aromatic, melt-in-your-mouth flesh.

#01-27, 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent,
Timbre+
Singapore 139957
Tel: +65 9326 2920
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: One North

Golden Mile Complex or otherwise known fondly as “Little Thailand” to the locals and Thais living in Singapore is a mall that is always bustling with activity throughout the day.

While most people would know the place for its pubs and drinking places, there are also many humble eateries and hidden restaurants inside that cater for the lunch crowd during midday too.

Whether you are craving for traditional Pad Thai, creamy Green Curry or simply want to fill your hungry stomach with aromatic beef boat noodles, you will surely be able to find them all at Golden Mile Complex.

Here is our Golden Mile Complex Food Guide, featuring 11 Thai eateries that you must dine at.

#1 BANANA/ YAM/ SWEET POTATO FRITTERS

You will be able to find a simple stall selling fried fritters located outside the Thai supermarket. Flavours include banana, yam and sweet potato and they are going for 5 pieces at S$2. The banana fritters have been deep fried into just the right crispiness.

5001 Beach Road
Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

#2 BAANTHAI KITCHEN

Baanthai Kitchen is essentially a food court with various stalls for you to choose from. Since the Thai Boat Noodle stall looked promising, we gave their Beef Noodles Soup (S$5) a try. The soup was flavourful and comes with good portions of mixed beef and silky kway tiao reua (boat noodles).

5001 Beach Road
Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Daily: 11am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

#3 BEERTHAI HOUSE RESTAURANT

It is easy to miss this restaurant tucked at the back of Golden Mile Complex. We have heard that this place is popular and gets really crowded on the weekends so be sure to reach early to get yourself a table! Signature dishes include Pad Thai, Green Curry and Tom Yam Soup.

5001 Beach Road
#01-96 Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Daily: 11am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

#4 DIANDIN LELUK

One of the more well known Thai restaurants in Golden Mile Complex, Diandin Leluk offers authentic Thai food such as BBQ Pork, Papaya Salad, Oven-Baked Pineapple Rice, Salted Crab and more.

5001 Beach Road
#01-67/68/69 Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Tel: +65 6293 5101
Daily: 24 Hours
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

#5 LUCKY THAI FOOD

Lucky Thai Food is opened from 6pm till late, making it the choice destination for dinner and supper. You can expect wallet-friendly authentic Thai food when dining at this cosy eatery.

5001 Beach Road
#01-39 Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Tel: +65 6341 5860
Daily: 6pm – 5am
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

#6 NANA ORIGINAL THAI FOOD

The menu at Nana Thai is large. Besides the usual tom yum ($10), pineapple rice ($7), stir-fried glass noodle ($5), they also have Thai hotpot ($30), and a selection of grilled items done in Thai style. The moist and well-fried pad thai ($5) is something you must order there.

5001 Beach Road
#01-51/52/66C Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Tel: +65 6297 8498
Daily: 24 Hours
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

#7 NANGFA CAFE & BAR

We are thrilled to find this hidden gem in Golden Mile Complex that offers Thai Laksa Buffet for an affordable price of S$10! If that sounds too much for you, go for their a la carte Laksa (S$5) instead.

5001 Beach Road
#01-91 Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Daily: 11am – 8pm
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

#8 NEW UDON THAI FOOD

A reputable mookata shop in Golden Mile Complex, it is not surprising to see long queues for dinner at New Udon Thai Food. Diners get to choose between a la carte or set menus which the staff will recommend base on your dining group. If you are a meat lover, you must try their extremely well-marinated pork slices.

5001 Beach Road
#01-55 Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Daily: 11am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

#9 NONGKHAI BEER HOUSE

You will definitely not miss Nongkhai Beer House’s bright orange signboard inside the shopping complex. Even at nonpeak hours, the Thai restaurant is able to draw in a huge crowd. Blend in with the Thais by having a few bottles of beer to accompany the food.

5001 Beach Road
#01-73/74 Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

#10 NOODLE CAFE

Walk down a flight of stairs leading to the basement to find Noodle Cafe. This humble eatery has been making its rounds on social media for serving S$1.90 per bowl of traditional boat noodles.

5001 Beach Road
#B1-08 Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Daily: 12pm – 9pm
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

#11 Y CUBE MOOKATA BUFFET

The mookata hype has been ongoing for several years and does not seem to be slowing down any moment. Y Cube Mookata Buffet opens for long hours throughout the day with a wide range of seafood and meat.

5001 Beach Road
#02-45 Golden Mile Complex
Singapore 199588
Tel: +65 6291 3313/ 9159 9152
Mon to Thu: 3pm – 6am
Fri to Sun: 12pm – 6am

Apart from food places, you can also do some grocery shopping at Golden Mile Complex too. In addition to the Thai supermarket at level 2, there are also a few small grocery stalls that sell fresh meat, vegetables and spices.

Founded by local celebrities Chew Chor Meng and Zhou Chongqing in partnership with cousins Esmond and Ronnie, 888 Mookata—at the coffee shop in Blk 212 Hougang Street 21—is a new 2-week old Mookata restaurant and the latest addition to the Mookata scene in Singapore.

To top it off, service at this restaurant is exemplary which contributes to an enhanced dining experience.

Although the name of 888 Mookata may lead you to think of the famous Mookata restaurant of the same name in Bangkok, they are in no way affiliated.

Ordering is relatively straightforward at 888 Mookata as they only have 2 options on their main menu—Platter For 2 (S$26) and Platter For 4 (S$45).

For those still craving for more, you can look to 888 Mookata’s Add-on Menu for more options. Each a la carte dish will cost you S$1.80 or you could opt for their Mushroom Platter (S$6.80), Vege Platter (S$6.80) or Meat Platter (S$10.80).

We decided to go with the Platter For 4 (S$45) which consists of marinated meat, seafood, vegetables, an egg and more.

Although we weren’t blown away by the portions served, we appreciated that there was a wide variety of ingredients in the platter.

Before you begin your meal, do make sure that you first stir fry the pork lard provided as the oil will add another level of flavour to your food.

Although the broth may seem slightly underwhelming at the start, it will slowly become richer and more flavourful mid-way through your meal. One tip is to throw in the tiger prawn heads into the broth for a stronger and tastier soup.

During our visit, we were also informed by 888 Mookata’s staff that the restaurant is usually quite busy during dinner time. It is recommended that you make a reservation in advance. However, do note that reservations are not available during weekends and only on weekdays.

888 Mookata
212 Hougang Street 21
Singapore 530212
Tel: +65 9656 2655
Daily: 5pm – 2am
Nearest Station: Kovan

Located on the eighth level of Orchard Central is 160-seater mookata restaurant Talay Kata. The Thai seafood barbeque buffet restaurant’s concept is different from most other eateries—you get to cook your food in the comforts of indoor air conditioning equipped with smoke suctions. Barbeques minus the nasty smell? We are in.

Prices range from S$18.80++ per adult during lunchtime buffet and S$28.80++ per adult during dinner buffet. The buffet’s highlight would be their decadent seafood spread such as crayfish, king crab and slipper lobster.

Talay Kata offers a variety of soup bases, from Bonito Soup, Chicken Soup to Tom Yum Soup, and the popular Salted Egg Seafood Soup.

From Japanese scallop, squid cube, slipper lobster to white clam; we must admit that we were pleasantly surprised by the impressive selection of fresh seafood. Furthermore, you can indulge in these free flow for just S$18.80++!

Seafood aside, Talay Kata also serves cabbage, chicken, fish sausage, pork belly, pork jowl, sea urchin ball. If you are too hungry to wait for the food to be cooked, why not help yourselves to the hot food live station first?

Gather all your desired ingredients and start cooking the raw food on either the dome-shaped grill or let them boil in the hot pot. A rich salted egg seafood broth is poured into the appliance’s moat. Just in case you are wondering, you are also entitled to unlimited soup refills.

We dunked heaps of ingredients into the steamboat and watched it cook in the piping hot yellow broth.

Interestingly, the broth actually solidifies when left heated over an extended period of time; it even became charred!

And we are sorry to disappoint but… we are not sure what the salted egg seafood broth’s recipe entails, and we will be honest that we would very much rather stick to classic Thai flavours.

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Talay Kata
181 Orchard Road
Orchard Central, #08-04/05
Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 6634 0551
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

Huay Kwang Thai at Upper Thomson has been around for a while and the mookata restaurant remains jam-packed with hungry patrons on a nightly basis.

Hate it or love it, but it seems like the mookata dining concept is here to stay.

Prices for the mookata buffet are relatively affordable; it ranges from S$19.90+ per adult for a Value Mak Mak Buffet to S$29.90+ per adult for a Deluxe Buffet. You will have to add S$3+ on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, eve of public holidays and on public holidays.

Choose either the standard pork bone soup or top up S$8+ for clear tom yum broth.

Do bear in mind that the all-you-can-eat mookata buffet is strictly limited to 90 minutes. We chose the Value Mak Mak Buffet (S$12.90+ per child, S$19.90+ per adult) and were entitled to free-flow eggs, chicken, pork, vegetables, glass noodles and rice.

For an additional S$10, the Deluxe Buffet comes with a selection of beef and seafood.

For those of you who are new to mookata, the appliance you use to cook your food has dual functions. The dome-shaped metal skillet acts as a griller and pork lard is used to grease the metallic surface. The BBQ meats here are characterised by a distinct charcoal flavour.

On the other hand, the moat—surrounding the dome-shaped griller—is filled with soup and you can boil your food like you would do at hot pots.

The F&B turnover rate in Upper Thomson neighbourhood is notably high, but Huay Kwang Thai evidently faces no lack of customers. The restaurant is bustling with life every single night – regardless of whether it is a weekday or weekend.

It opens till 2am every day, hence making it a perfect supper destination.

Huay Kwang Thai
244R Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574369
Tel: +65 8588 9990
Daily: 5.30pm – 2am
Nearest Station: Marymount

The whole stretch of restaurants and eateries along Macpherson Road always leaves us spoilt for choice. We decided to give Aroy Mak Mookata a shot. At just S$17.80 Nett, you get a huge variety of meats and ingredients for your Mookata buffet.

You get a standard pork bone soup broth but for an additional S$2, you get to choose other soup variations.

For the S$17.80 Nett Mookata Buffet package, you get to choose between pork and chicken varieties and an additional but optional S$5.10 will get you more premium ingredients such as Snow Flake Beef, Mussels, Bamboo Clam and Prawns.

There are several homemade Thai chilli sauces too to complement for your meats.

We picked the Chiang Rai Marinated Pork, Black Pepper Chicken, Pork Belly, Purple Scallops, amongst other filler ingredients such as fish roe dumpling, crab sticks, mushrooms and vegetables. The Chiang Rai Marinated meats are part of their signature series and we liked the light and subtle marinate that does not overwhelm the meat.

However, if you are a huge pork fan, go right for the pork belly. When lightly grilled, the pork belly almost melts in your mouth.

Aroy Mak Mookata is perfect for anyone who has a hankering for Mookata on a budget. Best part about this is that you can eat to your heart’s content in an air-conditioned environment!

Weekday Mookata Buffet S$17.80 Nett, Weekend Mookata Buffet S$20.80.

Aroy Mak Mookata
476 Macpherson Road
Singapore 368191
Tel: +65 9052 0555
Daily: 5pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Tai Seng

About the writer:
Cheryl is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She loves a good steak and an even better cuppa. She eats just about anything and everything. In her free time, she regularly starts on sci-fi or fantasy movie marathons.