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2013-11-19
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Not too long ago, I got to know some Korean friends after a leisure trip to Seoul and Jeju and we decided to catch up when they were in town recently. Since they had already tried most of the Singapore delicacies, I decided to bring them to a Korean restaurant around the popular Telok Ayer enclave which is filled with countless Korean restaurants ranging from Bibimbap to Barbeque.We arrived at Star Korean Restaurant which is located at Far East Plaza, just a few doors away from Woo Jung, a popu
We arrived at Star Korean Restaurant which is located at Far East Plaza, just a few doors away from Woo Jung, a popular spot for Korean BBQ among expatriates working here. If you're just happen to be passing by, you will think that is it just another Korean restaurant which doesn't raise an eyebrow.
Entering the restaurant, it looks simple yet has a very cozy home-like atmosphere. What I like is that this place doesn't smell as bad like some Korean BBQ restaurants as they serve ala carte and hotpot dishes. Later did I know that this place is owned by a Korean lady boss (who is camera shy) is trained in martial arts and currently holds a black belt (my female friends casually chatted with her.) Better not mess around with Korean ladies, I thought.
The friendly restaurant staffs, a mix of Koreans and PRC Chinese seated us comfortably and served us a spread of Korean Banchans (not all pictured) and told us that we can request for free refills. There were a variety from kimchi, pickled vegetables, beansprouts, egg omelette, anchovies and fish cake. They were very refreshing, appetizing and it is free-flow but in Korean culture, please do not waste the food as all these are specially homemade and they value every effort that goes into the preparation process.
The centre-piece of our dinner table lies a huge hot-wok (instead of a pot) over a gas stove with the drool-inducing Kimchi Hotpot Stew with Dumplings ($35). It looks like the Korean Army Stew which has ingredients like kimchi, tofu, hotdogs, chilies and on top of that, pork belly and 3 humongous meat dumplings! Although the dumplings are few, the rest of the portion was huge and good for 4-5 adults to share. Delicious, satisfying and of course, SPICY! It is best to eat it along with rice so those chilies won't burn your stomach that badly.
Since they don't serve barbeque meat here, they have something very similar just that it has been marinated, boiled and neatly sliced. No oil splattering, no stinky stench, no cooking. All nicely prepared on a platter with fresh vegetables, garlic, onions and chilies accompanied by kimchi and special hot sauce that taste quite similar to assam. Eating this is similar to Korean BBQ. Grab a leafy lettuce, place a slice of pork belly on it accompanied by spices and sauces to season it to your preference. The boiled meat wasn't too salty and retained its moist and succulent texture when bite into. Yummy!
Craving for more, we ordered the Korean Popcorn Chicken ($12) which was perfect to go along with some beer and soju. Crispy fried chicken with a nice coating of tangy sweet Korean sauce and sprinkled with white sesame on it. How addictive it is! There goes a saying "once you pop, you can't stop" and this is the case. We wiped out every single bite-size popcorn chicken that's on the dish and we had a delicious good time! To conclude, the food is excellent and according to my Korean friends, it felt like dining at a Korean restaurant back at their hometown and the hospitality of the lady boss is very warm and friendly, making sure our every request is taken care of. Just in adding additional water, giving us extra serviettes. Although the food can be a little pricey, the quality isn't compromised as the recipes were passed down by the mum of the lady boss. I can feel her insistence on that point and felt sad that not many Singaporeans patronize her restaurant probably due to little publicity and pricey menu.
If you're a fan of true blue authentic Korean cuisine, do lend your support for Star Korean Restaurant!
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