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2013-10-29
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Just 10 minutes away from Toa Payoh MRT, SAFRA clubhouse is a convenient location where you can enjoy a whole host of activities including fitness, bowling, fencing and much to my surprise, a number of interesting dining outlets too. Located on level 1 just next to the lobby, Kkongdon BBQ is quite easy to spot amongst the row of other restaurants along that corridor. And upon stepping inside, you will be immediately greeted with kpop music videos playing on the restaurant's LCD screens, adding t
Just 10 minutes away from Toa Payoh MRT, SAFRA clubhouse is a convenient location where you can enjoy a whole host of activities including fitness, bowling, fencing and much to my surprise, a number of interesting dining outlets too.
Located on level 1 just next to the lobby, Kkongdon BBQ is quite easy to spot amongst the row of other restaurants along that corridor. And upon stepping inside, you will be immediately greeted with kpop music videos playing on the restaurant's LCD screens, adding to the Korean feel of the place.
I particularly liked the open salad bar concept where you have a wide selection of Korean side dishes (Banchan 반찬). I tried some of their non-spicy options like the Lotus Root (Yeongeun Jorim 연근조림) which had an interesting smoky and woody taste to it, and also helped myself to some refreshing Seaweed Salad (Miyeok Muchim 미역 무침).
I seldom eat Korean BBQ and was quite curious to see that the hot plate is elevated above the electric stove, and titled at an angle, with a gap at the end for excess oil to drain off. There are also these UFO-looking smoke vents which suck up all the BBQ smoke.
Meat-lovers will definitely enjoy this: Pork Belly (Samgeopsal 삼겹살) and Beef Short Ribs (Galbisal 갈비살). For just $20.80++ this set comes with 2 types of meat, free flow from the salad bar and 2 side dishes. It's actually a set meant for 2 persons, but I felt that the meat portions were quite small.
Check out the sizzling hot plate of meats! My colleague also BBQ-ed some kimchi which actually intensifies its flavour, making it more sour and spicy. I think that was also why our hot plate got a bit burnt The Samgeopsal 삼겹살 tasted very fresh and is great when dipped into some of their Ssamjang 쌈장 Korean sauce and wrapped in fresh lettuce leafs. The Galbisal 갈비살 on the other hand turned out to be much too spicy because of the thick black pepper marinade. When we feedback this to the staff, they were very helpful and actually washed off the marinade for us which made it a lot less spicy and more edible.
Prawns are not included in the set, but this came from another table who ordered a different set from us. Well, the good thing about eating in a large group is that you get to share the food! By the way, water is actually chargeable at this restaurant although tea is free flow.
The set-for-2 comes with a bowl of Kimchi Tofu Soup (Kimchi Jjigae 김치찌개) which sometimes contain tuna or pork belly. This version consists tofu, chicken and lots of vegetables - a firey, salty and sour soup for people who enjoy eating kimchi.
Another side dish which came with the set is the Korean Rice Cake (Tteok 떡) which is made of glutinous rice flour and drenched in more kimchi sauce. There were also some cockles in the sauce.Overall, the food and atmosphere of the place is perfect for a casual BBQ meal and the prices are also pretty affordable. You could also order more meat or other side dishes if the set meal is not enough to satisfy your craving for meat. Definitely one of the recommended places to check out if you love a good Korean BBQ!
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