I was impressed during a recent visit to Crystal Jade Korean Restaurant at Takashimaya. They have pretty good Korean food at affordable prices and it currently ranks highly on my list of Korean Restaurants in Singapore.

I have to admit that I wasn’t a fan of Crystal Jade restaurants initially as I didn’t like restaurant chains. But after several visits to the different Crystal Jade restaurants, it’s not too difficult to understand why they are popular.

First, the prices at most of the Crystal Jade Restaurants are affordable. Second, the food is consistent, it’s quite unlikely that you will have a bad meal at any of the Crystal Jade restaurants. Most people are not very adventurous when it comes to food (I used to be like that too before starting my food blog), so I can understand the appeal of reliable restaurants like Crystal Jade.

Third, most of the Crystal Jade Restaurants are conveniently located in town, it’s quite difficult to find good yet affordable food in Orchard, plus they have different restaurants catering for everyone.

My friends were craving for Korean BBQ, and we decided to try Crystal Jade Korean Restaurant since we were meeting in town. Now you know why Crystal Jade is so popular!

Crystal Jade Korean BBQ is much more affordable than I thought. The five of us ordered two servings of pork and chicken ($18 each), Grilled Fish ($22), Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup ($25), Kim Chi Pancakes ($14), and we paid about $23 per person. Obviously, it helps to have a group of friends so that we can order more food to share.

It was so much fun to BBQ the meat on the sizzling grill, and even better to put the slightly charred meat into my mouth. Thankfully, the air ventilation of the restaurant was good, and we didn’t leave the place smelling like barbecue.

The Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup was fantastic, the chicken was delicious and the stock was rich and flavourful. My companions agreed with me that Crystal Jade Korean Restaurant’s rendition was much better than the one that we had at Togi Korean Restaurant.

Along with the six complimentary side dishes, we also ordered the Kimchi Pancakes as appetisers. It was not too bad, but personally I would prefer Seafood pancakes over that.

Here’s a quick guide for those of you who have no idea which restaurants to go for Korean food in Singapore: I will go to Kko Kko Nara Korean Restaurant at Tras Street for the excellent Korean Fried Chicken, and if location is not an issue, Kim’s Family Restaurant is definitely my favourite Korean Restaurant in Singapore.

Most of us usually meet our friends in Orchard since it is convenient for everyone, if that’s the case, Crystal Jade Korean Restaurant at Ngee Ann City is definitely the place to satisfy your craving for Korean BBQ and Ginseng Chicken.

Singapore Food Restaurants Review
Crystal Jade Korean Restaurant
391 Orchard Road #04-20
Ngee Ann City Singapore
Tel: +65 6733 3229

176 Orchard Road #04-13
Centrepoint Singapore
Tel: +65 6737 3282

Featured in

icon-31

I love KFC! I’m referring to Korean Fried Chicken, not Kentucy Fried Chicken (even though I will find it hard to say no to that too).

Kko Kko Nara Korean Restaurant on Tras Street (Tanjong Pagar) is a mom-and-pop chicken place that has been around for a while. They are famous for their Korean Fried Chicken, and the best part is they operate till late night 4am. For those of you who are always on the lookout for new supper place in Singapore — how about some Korean Fried Chicken and soju?

The Korean Fried Chicken craze actually took over New York City back in early 2007, but in Singapore, the term “Korean Fried Chicken” has not generated as much interest as KOI or Gong Cha Bubble tea.

Who cares if nobody knows about Korean Fried Chicken? I’m glad that there are a couple Korean Restaurants in Singapore serving them, and the best thing is: there’s no need to queue up.

After settling down, I was delighted to hear Koreans chatting in their native language. It’s always a good sign to see that the Korean Restaurant has the stamp of approval from their own people.

We started with the pickled daikon, a very good appetiser to wake the palate. Like Togi Korean Restaurant, Kko Kko Nara only serves 6 side dishes: kimchi, potato, black lotus root, and beansprout. My favourite place for Korean food in Singapore: Kim’s Family Restaurant is still the best, with 10 side dishes and a whole fish!

The Stone Pot Bibimbap ($10) came first. What’s there not to like about it? Add in the hot chilli sauce, and mix everything together in the hot stone pot — this is a must-order Korean food whenever I eat at Korean Restaurants. FYI: Kko Kko Nara only serves Bibimbap for lunch, it’s not available during dinner. I’ll touch on this in a while.

My friend wanted to try the Spicy Korean Ramen ($7), the stock was average, nothing to shout about. It’s also available for lunch only.

And finally, Korean Fried Chicken (KFC)!

Kko Kko Nara’s Korean Fried Chicken comes in four different flavours: original, soy garlic sauce, sweet & spicy, and hot & spicy. Since it was our first time there, we decided to go for the Small Chicken Combo Set ($20) which comes with 3pc of original, sweet & garlic. For those who prefer to have just a particular flavour, the Korean Fried Chicken is $15 for half and $25 for whole during lunch time (different pricing for dinner).

What’s so special about Korean Fried Chicken?

From what I understand, the chicken pieces are lightly coated with flour and deep-fried twice till a gorgeous shade of golden brown with shattering crisp. I tried the original flavour first, it was like normal deep-fried chicken, only leaner and crispier without any fats. Seriously, I could eat a dozen of the chicken wings on my own.

I proceeded with the sweetish Soy Garlic sauce chicken wings which had more depth in flavour and taste. It was a right decision to leave Kko Kko Nara’s Sweet & Spicy KFC for the last, the spiciness only hit you after a while. I started to sweat, but I didn’t stop eating. They were awesome – Awesome with a capital A!

Is KFC the best fried chicken in Singapore? I don’t know about others, but I preferred Korean Fried Chicken to the ‘best chicken wings’ that I had at No. 5 Emerald Hill.

If you are keen to try out Kko Kko Nara korean restaurant for the Korean Fried Chicken, I’d advise you to go during lunch. The same chicken wings cost $5 more during dinner, and the ‘cheaper’ main dishes like Bibibamp, Bulgogi are not available at night. Unless you just want the fried chicken wings, the other main courses for dinner are in the $20-$40 range. I’m guessing that the premium is probably to cover their cost for opening till late night. But like what I have mentioned, Kko Kko Nara at Tras Street (Tanjong Pagar) is a great supper place for some drinks and Korean Fried Chicken.

I’m gonna try the Korean Fried Chicken from Woori Nara Korean Restaurant at Lorong Kilat next. KFC FTW!

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
Kko Kko Nara Korean Restaurant
57 Tras Street #01-01 Singapore
Tel: +65 6224 8186

// Recommended: lunch for the working crowd in Tanjong Pagar, and late night supper.

Featured in

icon-31
icon-23

I think it’s a shame that Korean food in the Singapore food scene isn’t as strong as its Japanese counterpart. For those of you who have been craving for Korean Food, I know exactly how you feel. Sometimes, it’s quite frustrating not knowing where to go for good Korean Food even though we have quite a few Korean Restaurants in Singapore.

I’m currently on a hunt for the best Korean Fried Chicken in Singapore, and I also want to try a few Korean BBQ Restaurant. I am going to round up a few friends for a Korean BBQ Buffet and have a crazy night of eating. Okay, one of my new year resolutions is to eat more Korean food – bibimbap, Korean Ginseng Chicken, kimchi and pancake, here we come!

Here’s a list of the Best Korean Restaurants in Singapore:

Auntie Kim’s Korean Restaurant

265 Upper Thomson Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6452 2112

Bornga Korean Restaurant

#02-2 The Star Vista
1 Vista Exchange Green

Big Mama Korean Restaurant

While it is relatively easy to find Korean restaurants in Singapore, it is difficult to find a truly outstanding place that will make you go back again and again to try everything else on the menu that you have not tried. Big Mama Korean Restaurant at Kim Tian Road is one of the few that belongs to this category. The food is generally good, and addictive enough to make you return on a regular basis.

2 Kim Tian Road
Tel: +65 6270 7704

Blue Garden Korean BBQ Buffet Restaurant

This new Korean restaurant at Link Hotel belongs to the same owner of Kko Kko Nara Korean restaurant. The Korean BBQ buffet is priced at S$19.90/pax for lunch and S$26.90/pax for dinner.

50 Tiong Bahru road
Link Hotel #01-07
Tel: +65 62240700

Chang Korean Charcoal BBQ restaurant

18C Dempsey Road
Tanglin Village
Tel: +65 6473 9005

Crystal Jade Korean Ginseng Chicken & BBQ

Most people are not very adventurous when it comes to food, so I can understand that they prefer to go to somewhere reliable, and Crystal Jade is evidently one of them.

We went to Crystal Jade Korean Restaurant at Ngee Ann City for their Korean BBQ recently, and the food was surprisingly good and affordable. Another must-order dish includes the Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup.

391 Orchard Road #04-20
Ngee Ann City Singapore
Tel: +65 6733 3229

Ga Ya Geum Korean Family Restaurant

Tucked away in the basement of Bukit Timah Shopping Centre is Ga Ya Geum, a Korean family restaurant. The versatile menu makes it a great place for a family meal or a dinner place with friends. There is also a lunch set menu for those who work around the area.

170 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#B2-14 Bukit Timah Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6463 8011
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
Sun: 5pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Clementi

Hyang-To-Go! Korean Restaurant

165 Tanjong Pagar Road 2F
The Amara Singapore
Tel: +65 6220 7160

Jang Shou Korean BBQ

Jang Shou Korean Restaurant at Katong Village serves a decent Korean BBQ Buffet (with a spread of 15 items) and they only open during dinner. The weekday Korean BBQ Buffet is S$28.80++/pax, while the weekend Korean BBQ Buffet is S$33.80++/pax. For those who prefer to order ala carte, go to the outlet at Esplanade Mall.

86 East Coast Road #02-11/20,
Blk B Katong Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6344 8880

8 Raffles Avenue #01-13B
Esplanade Mall Singapore
Tel: +65 6337 8880

4 Fingers Bonchon Chicken Wings

4 Fingers Bonchon is a fastfood restaurant at the basement of Ion Orchard that serves the famous Korean Fried Chicken. Trust me, you can easily have a dozen chicken wings on your own – they are that addictive!

2 Orchard Turn #B4-06A
ION Orchard Singapore

Ju Shin Jung Korean BBQ Restaurant

The Korean BBQ Buffet at Ju Shin Jung Korean BBQ Restaurant is available at S$29++/pax during lunch daily. For dinner, the buffet is only available from Monday to Thursday.

27 West Coast Highway #01-18/19
Yess Centre Singapore
Tel: +65 6464 0872

1018 East Coast Parkway #02-01 Singapore
Tel: +65 6447 9279

Kim Dae Mun Korean Cuisine

For cheap and good Korean food in Singapore, Kim Dae Mun Korean Cuisine, a stall at the basement food court at Concorde Hotel is the place to head to. Prices range from S$4.50 – S$7.50.

100 Orchard Road Level 1
Food Court Concorde Hotel Singapore Singapore

Kim’s Family Restaurant

My favourite Korean restaurant in Singapore. One of the reasons why I love Kim’s Family Restaurant is because they serve ten banchan (side dishes). The food here is authentic, reasonably affordable and very delicious.

17 Lorong Kilat #01-06
Singapore 598139
Tel: +65 6465 0535

Kko Kko Nara Korean Fried Chicken

Kko Kko Nara Korean Restaurant on Tras Street (Tanjong Pagar) is a mom-and-pop chicken place that has been around for a while. It is one of my favourite to-go places for Korean Fried Chicken. And if you are looking for a place for supper, Kko Kko Nara opens till late night 4am.

57 Tras Street #01-01 Singapore
Tel: +65 6224 8186

Ming Jia Korean Food

Frequented mostly by Korean students, Ming Jia Korean Food – a small kiosk at the basement of Bukit Timah Plaza – is another place where you can go for cheap and good Korean food.

1 Jalan Anak Bukit
#B1-07 Bukit Timah Plaza

Nolboo Hangari Galbi

With close to 680 restaurants in Korea and across Asia in China, Japan, Nolboo Hangari Galbi at Orchard Central is the first of the Korean restaurant chain’s BBQ outlets in Singapore.

181 Orchard Road #08-04/05
Orchard Central Singapore
Tel: +65 6884 9151

Red Pig Korean Restaurant

Red Pig Korean Restaurant is one of the most popular Korean places in the Central Business District. If you are working in the area, go there for lunch – most of the set lunches are only S$10. For dinner, prices are considerately steeper, but there is a reason why people always go back for the Korean BBQ.

93 Amoy Street
Tel: +65 6220 7176

Sarang Korean Restaurant

Located at Orchard Central (level 7), Sarang prides itself as a Korean bistro, and it has recently introduced a Korean-style tapas menu which features classic favourites and modern Korean-fusion dishes.

181 Orchard Road #07-01
Orchard Central Singapore
Tel: +65 6773 1322

Togi Korean Restaurant

Judging by the crowd on a weekday dinner, Togi Korean Restaurant is definitely one of the more popular places for Korean cuisine. I’ll probably go back again for their Korean BBQ.

11 Mosque Street Singapore
Tel: +65 6221 0830

Wang Dae Bak Korean BBQ Restaurant

Another place that you can go on Amoy Street is Wang Dae Bak Korean Restaurant, which specialises in Korean BBQ. During lunch, they have very good set lunches and we would recommend the Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup (S$10), which is a steal for the price.

98 Amoy Street
Tel: +65 6226 0450
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11pm

Woori Nara Korean Restaurant

Another place that has really good Korean fried chicken is Woori Nara Korean Restaurant at Lorong Kilat. They have four different flavours – original, signature in-house sauce, soy and garlic – for the Korean fried chicken. You can also find popular Korean classic dishes such as Grilled Pork Belly (S$35), Stone Pot Bibimbap (S$17), and Seafood & Kimchi Pancake (S$15).

19 Lorong Kilat #01-02 Singapore
Tel: +65 6464 9282

It’s a pity that Korean food in the Singapore food scene isn’t as strong as its Japanese counterpart. Most people tend to crave for sushi rather than kimchi. I’m sure you can easily rattle off a list of good Japanese restaurants, but it’s not the same story when it comes to Korean Restaurants in Singapore.

My friends were craving for Korean food, and after hearing so much about Togi Korean Restaurant at Mosque Street, we decided to check it out on a weekday night.

The Ginseng Chicken Soup ($21) was mightily awesome. Even though the soup wasn’t that flavorful, the chicken was really tasty as it absorbed the finesse of all the ingredients.

Everybody loves bibimbap – tell me who doesn’t?

We poured a lot of the spicy-sweet chili into the pipping hot stone pot, stirring and mixing the Bibimbap ($11) into a delightful color of red, yellow and green. It looked good, it tasted even better! With an assortment of vegetables, mushroom, chicken, chili and steamed rice jumbled up — the bibimbap is a dish for all seasons.

We also had the stirred fried Spicy rice cake ($12), a famous street food in Korea. To be fair, I think it’s an acquired taste, and it’s really one of those dishes that you either love or hate.

I looked at the table, and fought the temptation to order the crispy Korean crispy pancakes: “No Brad, there’s too much food left”. Another visit to Togi Korean Restaurant, perhaps?

Judging by the crowd on a weekday dinner, Togi Korean Restaurant is definitely one of the more popular Korean restaurants in Singapore. Prices at both Togi and Kim’s Family Restaurant are in the same range, but the latter serves ten side dishes while the former only has six.

Even though I enjoyed the dinner there, Kim’s Family Restaurant is still my best Singapore Korean Restaurant.

Restaurant Review
Togi Korean Restaurant
11 Mosque Street Singapore
Tel: +65 6221 0830

Featured in

icon-31