Dutum Korean BBQ – Lotte Wagyu Beef and Dutum Pork

Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant (“Dutum”) is the latest Korean BBQ joint in Singapore K-Town, Tanjong Pagar. LD and I were supposed to try its sister restaurant, however, as that restaurant has a long waiting list, they referred us to try Dutum. To our surprise, Dutum is owned and operated by John, an old friend that we know from another K-BBQ joint. After completing his National Service in South Korea, he got married and return to Singapore with his family.

Dutum Korean BBQ

Dutum only opened its doors in July 2024. The restaurant looks clean and classy. The copper gold exhaust pipes and signboard make it look “atas” and give you the confidence that you will be well looked after here.

Dutum Interior

Here are some of the items that we have tried for the past 2 visits. Premium Beef Set [$145] – Wagyu Ribeye, Wagyu Oyster Blade, DUTUM Prime Beef. Complimentary 1 Vegetable stick & Steamed Egg.

Banchan and Sauces

Dutum uses Lotte Wagyu Beef that are raised on Hanwoo Diet. For those who have been to Korea, you will know that Korean Beef (Hanwoo) is one of the best premium beef in the market. The marbling of the beef is superb and you can expect a #Beefgasm experience. Luckily, Dutum also provide a full service, meaning the service staff will bbq the meat for you on your table.

Premium Beef Set

Dutum also uses Korean charcoal for their BBQ, to ensure consistency of the fire. The beef set is cooked on cast iron grill plate, that helps to seal the juice in the meat. All the beef are cooked to the point of medium rare. The ribeye is just fantastic. Juicy and melts in your mouth. The oyster blade has a lovely bite to it, where you can taste the flavour of the meat more. Not forgetting the prime beef, for the explosive flavour. Yummy!!

Wagyu Ribeye

Wagyu Oyster Blade

DUTUM Prime Beef

Premium Pork Set [$90] – DUTUM Pork Belly, DUTUM Pork Neck, Pork Finger Rib. Complimentary 1 Vegetable stick & Steamed Egg. Dutum’s Fire-Oven Pork undergoes a preliminary cooking process at 500 degrees C in a fire oven to achieve a succulent and crispy texture. Subsequently, it is further cooked with charcoal, on a steel mesh grill to enhance its flavour with a smoky essence.

Premium Pork Set

DUTUM Pork Belly

The pork belly has a crisp exterior, followed by juicy and succulent meat. What a #Porkgasm experience. The pork neck is leaner compared to pork belly, but it is still packed with flavours. However, my favourite cut of the pork is the pork finger ribs. Just think of a prime cut from the pork ribs. It is juicy, bouncy, full of flavours. Unlike pork belly which can be overwhelming, these pork finger ribs are just perfect for bbq. Don’t forget to eat the pork with the housemade ginger and spring onion paste. It looks similar to wasabi, but it tastes totally different. Drool!!

Pork Finger Rib

Potato Pancake, Pork Finger Rib, DUTUM Pork Neck

Steamed eggs are complimentary from the premium beef set and premium pork set. They are fluffy and bouncy (Toing!! Toing!!).

Steamed Egg

Soy Marinated Crab [$48]. Housemade by John’s Mother-In-Law. LD totally vouches for this. The crabs are fresh and the soy marinated is spot on, you just won’t stop. Unlike the factory-made version, that usually very salty, LD does not need any rice to enjoy this Ganjang-gejang. A must-order for crab lovers.

Soy Marinated Crab

Spicy Chicken Feet Set [$70] - Fish Roe Rice Ball & Steamed Egg. LD and her friends enjoy this. True to its name, spicy chicken feet can be one of the spiciest items in Korean food. That numbing spicy flavour is accompanied by the crunchy and chewy texture of the chicken feet. Even though, they are all “blowing fire” by the spiciness, they simply cannot stop themselves.

Spicy Chicken Feet

The fish roe rice ball come early before they even start cooking the chicken feet. I always think of this as a deconstructed Gimbab. When you mix it well, you get a “Flavour Bomb” rice balls.

Fish Roe Rice Ball

Fishcake Soup [$35]. This fishcake is tasty and bouncy. What I like about fishcake soup is the pepper broth. The broth gave that warm feeling, just like when we are slurping our Singapore Bak Kut Teh, the pepper version. It also works wonders to open up your appetite or as a final dish. Usually, I will ask for a packet of Ramyeon or two to add to the broth, but we have ordered too much. (Do note: the standard version of this fishcake soup comes with 5 sticks of fishcake).

Fishcake Soup

Potato Pancake [$25]. Korean version of Rosti. It is crispy and delicious. The key to this dish is to let it cool down, don’t eat it immediately. After 10 minutes, the crispiness of the batter and potato will have set. I tried one piece when it just came out, but when I tried the second piece after 10 mins, I was blown away. Yum!!

Potato Pancake

Cheese Bomb Fried Rice [$20]. The fried rice, cheese, fried egg and seaweed are prep on the square box and heated up on the charcoal. It is then shaken and served. While the idea is good, I find it MEH!! The flavours are separated from each other and the cheese all the ingredients together. The heating process also made the fried egg overcooked.

Cheese Bomb Fried Rice

Spicy Rice Cake [$20]. I did not try this but our friends’ feedback, it is spicy and got KICK!

Spicy Rice Cake

Yukhoe Spicy Cold Noodle [$25]. LD found a dish that combines two of her favourite ingredients. Cold Noodle and Raw Beef. The raw beef is fresh, while the spicy cold noodle is awesome and flavourful. The broth is robust, tangy and refreshing.

Yukhoe Spicy Cold Noodle 

I personally like the original Cold Noodle [$18]. Served chilled, the Mul-naengmyeon is just refreshing. The broth is robust and tangy with a hint of sweetness from the sliced pear. The buckwheat noodle is smooth and bouncy. I like the version at Dutum because it is served super chill and the tanginess in the broth is just right to balance the greasiness from the Korean BBQ.

Cold Noodle

Overall, we were impressed by the quality of the food at Dutum. The wagyu beef and pork are memorable, and the taste of the food seems to be suitable with our palate. Not forgetting, the service staff are very experienced and they do also ensure the meat are barbequed to perfection. What else can you ask for. Definitely, our go-to K-BBQ Restaurant from now on. Geonbae!! Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 9/10

Value: 8.5/10

Service: 8.5/10

Ambiance: 8.5/10

Budget per Person: $51 - $80; $81 & Above

Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant

57 Tanjong Pagar Road

Singapore 088478

T: +65 9355 8550

F: https://www.facebook.com/dutum.korean.bbq.restaurant/

IG: @Dutumsg

OH:

Tue – Fri: 12.00 – 15.00; 17.00 – Midnight (L.O. 23.00)

Sat – Sun: 12.00 – Midnight (L.O. 23.00)

Closed on Mondays

Myung Ga II – Authentic Korean Family Recipe [MEDIA INVITE]

Myung Ga (명가) II is a name famous in Singapore’s Korean food scene, that has become synonymous with dishes rooted in authentic Korean family recipes. The restaurant is expanding its legacy and proudly announces the opening of its second outlet in Singapore’s Litte Korea, Tanjong Pagar.

Myung Ga II

We started the tasting with Original Kimbap Spam ($11). These colourful Kimbab fillings include spam, omelette, carrot, spinach, pickled radish and burdock root. We like the chewy of the rice and seaweed, followed by the different textures of the fillings. I feel they can be a bit more generous with sesame oil wash on the seaweed. A good start to the meal.

Original Kimbap Spam

Banchan

Donkatsu ($20). I have tried a few Korean donkatsu in Singapore and I must say the version at Myung Ga II is the best one I tried in Singapore. The pork cutlet is fried to the point of very crispy, and the sauce has a nice balance of sweet and sour. The best part is the pork cutlet remains crispy even when it is covered with the sauce for a while. Served together on the donkatsu are corn kernels, baked beans, salad and pickled radish.

Donkatsu

Cheese Gyelanjjim ($15). The slightly charred cheese on top of gyelanjjim is just so inviting. The egg is fluffy and tasty, while the cheese adds the stretch factor and umami flavour to the egg.

Cheese Gyelanjjim

Seafood Pancake - Haemu Buchu Jeon ($20). Crispy externally, moist and pillowy internally. They are very generous with the ingredients, as I get a bite of the seafood in each part. The pancake itself is very tasty, I did not use the dipping sauce.

Seafood Pancake

Altang ($23) Korean Spicy Fish Roe Stew. Once we saw the fish roe and fish milt on the menu, we decided we must order this soup. The fish roe has a firm eggy texture, while the milt is soft and easily melts in your mouth. The soup is hot and spicy, suitable for LD but too spicy for me. The good thing is the portion of fish roe and fish milt are very generous as well.

Altang - Korean Spicy Fish Roe Stew

Spicy Stir Fried Octopus - Nakji Dupbap ($20). One of LD’s favourite Korean dishes, the octopus is tender, slightly chewy and spicy but shiok. Definitely a rice thief.

Spicy Stir Fried Octopus - Nakji Dupbap 

Finally, we have Sliced Iberico Pork Belly ($22 for self grill / $24 for served grill). A speciality dish for Myung Ga at Tanjong Pagar. It is a time-honoured tradition of frozen pork BBQ. With the latest technology, frozen pork now delivers a better flavour compared to the vintage year.

Sliced Iberico Pork Belly 

The frozen thin slices of pork belly are grilled and seasoned with salt and pepper. The result is crispy pork belly. You can eat the pork belly with seasoned gochujang, salt & sesame dip, green chilli and lettuce. I recommend that you ask the staff to do the grilling for you. Also for the first order, there is a minimum of 2 pax.

Perfectly Grilled Sliced Iberico Pork Belly 

The sidekick for grilled pork belly

The décor of the restaurant is like a casual café setting. You won’t see any suction pipes coming down from the roof as it is not a Korean BBQ restaurant. The restaurant is bright and the ambiance is spruced up with K-pop music.

The Dining Area

Overall, Myung Ga II served solid Korean homecooked food. The dishes are well executed and they are very enticing as well. We’ll come back to try the rest of the dishes plus the Altang and Nakji Dupbap.

Our Desserts

Thank you very much Protegie and Victoria + Myung Ga II Team for the invitation.

Food & Drink: 8.5/10

Value: 8.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Myung Ga (명가) II

28 Tanjong Pagar Road

Singapore 088451

T: +65 8042 8025

F: https://www.facebook.com/myungga2.sg

IG: @myungga2.sg

OH:

Tue – Sun: 11.30 – 15.00; 17.30 – 22.00

Closed on Monday.

Other Location

1 Jln Anak Bukit

#B1-55 Bukit Timah Plaza

Singapore 588996

T: +65 6469 5123

OH:

Tue – Sun: 11.30 – 15.00; 17.30 – 21.30

Closed on Monday.

88 Pocha + BBQ – Vintage 80s Korean BBQ [MEDIA INVITE]

The 88 Pocha + BBQ is the extension of the 88 Pocha brand, owned and operated by Food Palace Group Pte Ltd. The first outlet of 88 Pocha opened at Lor Mambong, Holland Village earlier this year and the second outlet at Kovan opened a few months later. A full review of this exciting Pojangmacha at Holland Village is available here.

The Inflatable Man

This third 88 Pocha outlet at Duxton has incorporated Korean BBQ into its menu. Instead of offering the regular Korean BBQ menu that you usually find in Singapore, the team introduced the time-honoured tradition of frozen pork BBQ, revisiting the cherished memories of the 1980s and 90s. In the late 90s, the advancement of modern refrigeration methods ensured Koreans were able to enjoy fresh pork all year round and curtail frozen pork BBQ. However, this old-cherish tradition starting to make a comeback in the Korean dining scene. Again, due to the advancement in technology, frozen pork is delivering a better flavour compared to the vintage years.

88 Pocha + BBQ

The furnishings of 88 Pocha + BBQ outlet are slightly different from the first 2 outlets. There are still pojangmacha tables and chairs at the back section of the restaurant, but the front half of the restaurant is decked up with proper Korean BBQ tables and exhaust system. To spice up the atmosphere, the restaurant also uses colour lights just like in the retro era.

Proper Korean BBQ Table 

For the tasting, we tried the Duroc Pork Set ($45.88), which comes with Pork Belly (180g), Pork Jowl (180g), Kimchi, Chinese Chive and Watercress. To ensure the dish reached the optimum flavour, the service staff did the cooking at the table.

Duroc Pork Set

Duroc Pork Set

We get started on the banchan. Consists of mashed potatoes, strips of pickled radish, kimchi and fresh lettuce to go with BBQ.

Dipping Sauce: Salt + Sesame Oil, Samjang and Garlic
Mashed Potatoes & Pickled Radish

Kimchi

Fresh Lettuce with Black Pepper at the Back

There are a few ways to eat the thinly sliced grilled pork belly. First, with the watercress. The duroc pork belly is naturally sweet, complimented by the bitter and crunchy watercress. Second, with grilled kimchi. According to LD, the kimchi is slightly aged, when they are grilled the flavour becomes more intense and balances out the fat in the pork belly.

Duroc Pork Belly with Watercress

Duroc Pork Belly with Grilled Kimchi

Duroc Pork Belly

The pork jowl is paired with Chinese chives and BBQ garlic. I like the texture of the pork jowl as it is thicker, juicier and has a nice bouncy texture. The Chinese chives provided aromatic and bitter flavour that enhance the taste of the pork jowl.

Duroc Pork Jowl, Chinese Chives and Garlic

Duroc Pork Jowl

For dipping sauce, we have salt + sesame oil, samjang sauce and garlic. There is also a pepper on the table, it is recommended to sprinkle this on top of frozen pork.

Citrus Highball

To accompany the pork duroc set, we choose the Seafood Soft Tofu Stew ($12.88). It is packed with ingredients and the stew is on the lighter side. Though the clams are light in flavour, we can still taste it in the broth.

Seafood Soft Tofu Stew

Seafood Soft Tofu Stew

Completing the BBQ experience is Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice. Due to the holes on the grill plate, the fried rice is done on an aluminium foil. Instead of using the existing pork fat left on the BBQ, the fried rice uses bacon. The texture of the fried rice is good and flavourful as well thanks to the generous kimchi, Chinese chives and seaweed,

Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice

Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice

LD also tried Golbaengi (Topshell) Bibim Naeng Ramyeon ($12.88). Korean ramyeon style cold noodle with topshell. I think it looks menacing due to the red colour sauce but LD likes it. It is springy, refreshing and packed with flavour.

Golbaengi (Topshell) Bibim Naeng Ramyeon 

Golbaengi (Topshell) Bibim Naeng Ramyeon

Other than the Duroc Pork set, 88 Pocha + BBQ also serve Chicken Set ($45.88) – Chicken oyster (4 pcs), Boneless Neck (100g), Chicken Thigh (200g), King Oyster Mushroom, and Leek. Plus, there is also A5 Wagyu Beef Clod ($38.88 for 150g) part of the BBQ ala carte.

Menu 1

Overall, it was nice experiencing the vintage Korean frozen pork BBQ. The combination of the pork belly, eaten with kimchi and watercress brings out a different flavour to the dish. I like the pork jowl the most as it is packed with the goodness of the OINK OINK. Check out 88 Pocha + BBQ for the nostalgic BBQ and street food of Korean in the 80s and 90s. Geonbae!! Cheers!!

Menu 2

Thank you very much Protegie and 88 Pocha + BBQ Team for the invitation.

Lunch Menu

Menu 3

Food & Drink: 7.25/10

Value: 7/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

88 Pocha + BBQ

17 Duxton Road

Singapore 089483

T: +65 9273 9957

F: https://www.facebook.com/88pochasg

IG: @88pochasg

OH: 11.30 – 15.00; 17.00 – 23.00 Daily

Menu, Reservation and Delivery Links available here