Mom's consultation at Singapore General Hospital went well today. Really a relief to know that everything is fine & there is little to worry about. To celebrate, I brought mom for a little tour around Chinatown & end the day with a hearty dinner at one of the Korean BBQ restaurants nearby. I am sure it will be special for her as she has never tried Korean BBQ before.
A quick reference on Hungrygowhere.com saw us eventually settling for Dae Bak Korean BBQ Restaurant. Apparently the word dae bak in Korean means awesome. No wonder Desia screamed deabaaak!!! in her tweet to me.
At 5.30pm on a Tuesday, we were their first customers! The presence of the 'elephant suction tubes' above the BBQ grill which I have seen at almost all BBQ eateries in Seoul gave this restaurant a really authentic feel.
Mom posing for a photo as she sips her cold korean tea (She hates it but that's cos she believes drinking cold tea is harmful to the body).
The minimal order for BBQ grill is 2 meat sets. Mom does not take beef and prefer non spicy hence we opted for Pork Belly & Marinated Pork Loin. After the order was taken by the korean waitress, a pot of red, hot glowing charcoal was placed in position and on came the heat!
The meat came shortly together with 7 side dishes which includes the ring of BBQ egg on the grill. I was pretty impressive with the egg idea. Its innovative, convenient & add colors to the grill.
Except for the cold salad like side dish that you see below, the rest of the side dishes were pretty disappointing. The kimchi wasn't that great either.
The meat dishes however were the saving grace. The pork belly was tender & juicy (with melted fats) and tasted great any way you choose to eat it. I go for lettuce wraps while mom is contented to just have them with rice.
Did I mention the colors & fragrance of well BBQ pork belly were gorgeous. The fatty parts practically melts in your mouth....
For the health conscious - Putting the meat on the grill longer for lower fat content but be warned that the meat will be alot less tender.
Next came the marinated pork loin.
The helpful waitress help us to cut the chunky portions into smaller, manageable pieces. The marinated meat offers a tint of sweetness with each succulent bite you take. The meat has a fuller texture compared to the pork belly.
Overall a great dining experience, we really enjoyed the bonding session, the delicious meat sets & the entire smoke free BBQ process! Service was good too. Here's the full detail of the restaurant:
Dae Bak Korean BBQ Restaurant
98 Amoy Street S(069918)
Opening Hours - Mon–Sat: 11.30am–2.30pm, 5.30pm–10.30pm (Closed on Sun)
For a more private dining experience, you can call in advance to book one of the 2 private rooms available.
You may also like to check out my posts on other delicious food places here
