Woo Hyang Korean BBQ

elizbeartravel

February 10

If you have been reading my blog, you will know that I have been looking for kong guksu in Singapore to satisfy my cravings after having the best one in Seoul. You can read about the best kong guksu I had in Seoul Jinju Jib as well as my review of the only other restaurant in Singapore offering this dish; Eee Mo BBQ

Woo Hyang Korean BBQ is located along Amoy Street which is like the 2nd Korean restaurant street after Tanjung Pagar. More famous Korean restaurants from Korea choose to open an outlet here instead of the already crowded Tanjung Pagar stretch. The exterior of the restaurant really does not resemble a BBQ restaurant due to the original Nonya building structure which is under conservation but the pull-up banners with pictures of meat and the green frog at the entrance gave its identity away

The moment you enter the restaurant, the familiar smoke pipes and wooden table with loud Korean background music immediately remind you that you are in a Korean BBQ restaurant. With almost no additional decorations, the restaurant is fuss-free where most customers are more interested in a table of good barbeque meats

The menu selection is quite extensive with a good selection of beef, pork and seafood for grilling as well as stews, soups and noodles for those who prefer a quick meal

The first items to be served are always the side dishes and when I saw the kelp noodles salad I had to stop myself from jumping for joy. This is the same salad which was served in Myth Jokbal in Seoul and I absolutely adore it. This is the first time I see it being served in Singapore and I ended up asking for at least 4 helpings. The rest of the side dishes include leek kimchi, cabbage kimchi, fresh salad and japchae and needless to say my favourite was the kelp noodle salad. In fact, I might return just to eat this dish until I manage to get my hands on the kelp noodles to make it myself

I ordered a portion of pork collar, pork belly and pork intestines as my main aim was the kong guksu. The meats were served with mushrooms and onions and were given nice cuts to ensure the meat was cooked evenly. Unlike most Korean BBQ restaurants, the grill used was a portable version with a hot stone grill placed on top so the oil can tend to splatter. The lucky thing was the staff helped us to cook the meat so we did not have to do it ourselves. There were only a couple of times when the staff was busy and we had to quickly flip or cut the meat

The meat quality is generally great with a deep meaty flavour and the cut was thick and juicy although some bits were slightly overcooked. The pork intestines on the other hand were not as juicy as the ones we had at another restaurant in Tanjung Pagar

My nephew ordered the pork broth - Dwaeji Gukbap which is one of his favourite menus after I introduced him to Um Yong Baek. Needless to say, it is nowhere near the standards of Um Yong Baek but eating it without comparison, it is a decent soup with a light milky flavour and peppery kick

Last but not least, my highlight of visiting the restaurant; is the kong guksu (soybean milk noodles). At first glance, the soup is visibly whiter compared to the other restaurant but it is also very much thinner in consistency compared to the Seoul restaurant. The noodles were chilled and chewy which is perfect for the soybean broth and the shredded cucumber gave each mouthful an additional crunch. The soybean broth was too light and I could hardly taste any soy flavour it was much more like a diluted soybean soup with a tinge of sesame flavour. I wouldn't say it is all bad but they are definitely closer to satisfying my cravings

Overall, the restaurant does serve decent cuts of meat at regular prices and they serve the closest thing I can find in Singapore to satisfy my craving for the soybean noodles in Seoul. An added bonus is the fact that they serve kelp noodles salad which I love, I do not mind visiting them again whenever I crave kelp noodles salad or kong guksu

Address: 89 Amoy St, Singapore 069908

Operating hours: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm to 11 pm ( Sun only open in the evening)