Hyped as the best Chicken Galbi in Korea, Yoogane's restaurant in Singapore remains crowded more than a month after its grand opening.
Photos by Chong Yap, unless otherwise indicated
Those who worship everything Korean or have been to South Korea would have heard of Yoogane. The restaurant chain serves one of the most popular and best Chicken Galbi in Korea, with more than 130 outlets regionally. Food critic Chong Yap of Make Your Calories Count recently checked out its Singapore outlet.
Instructions from Yoogane Singapore
On reaching our table, we saw two nicely folded aprons on the table. The aprons were specially prepared for diners to protect our clothes from being stained by sauces sizzling out of the pan as the chef prepared the food and cooked in front of us. Very thoughtful indeed!
Free flow salad bar
Probably the staff were too busy with the crowd. No one informed us that there was a freeflow salad bar at the back of the restaurant. Unfortunately, we only realised this on our way out to pay the bill. So if you are intending to visit, be sure to look out for the salad bar and grab some peppers, kimchi or radish with their pink dressing to complement your mains.
We also faced some issues when it came to ordering as there were only two of us. The signature chicken galbi dish needed a minimum of 2 persons to order, so we requested if we could have a single portion in order to try other mains for variety but were turned down.
The owner who stepped forward to serve us then explained that this is the Korean culture where they usually share the same food and eat together. With much reluctance and disappointment, we ordered Seafood with Chicken Galbi (S$48.90 for 2 pax).
The fying pan sits in a high cylindrical vessel that prevents hot sauce from flying all over the table during the cooking process.
About five minutes after placing our orders, the server came to our table with this pan of ingredients (including their signature marinated chicken, prawn, mussel, rice cake and cabbage) and put it on the hob in front of us.
The serving size might look tiny, but trust me: After adding the mouth-watering mozerella cheese or the carbohydrates such as fried rice, noodle and rice cake, there is more than enough to feed two!
As squid is easily cooked, it is first set aside on a plate, and added into the frying pan in the later part of the cooking process.
We requested if we could get hands-on in the cooking process, but the staff politely told us that it is the Korean culture that we should be happily served and waited on. Korean guests can't pour drinks for themselves.
Then, you can add in your preferred carbohydrates; be it rice, rice cake or the recommended Korean instant noodles which came with a complementary homemade sauce specially imported from Korea.
Dadah! Couldn't wait to start digging in!
A very nice pan of goodies indeed.
The limelight was the unique sauce and seasoning imported from Yoogane's main restaurant in Korea.
Also, the seafood was fresher than expected, and the chicken well marinated.
However, we felt that the chicken galbi was slightly overcooked. Still, it was juicy and decent.
We loved the balance in spiciness and flavours of the sauce that was infused into the ingredients, making the dish highly enjoyable and addictive.
Therefore, proper training is needed, especially in the control of cooking time. The staff were friendly and approachable though everyone seemed to be perpetually busy.
I would definitely come back for their Marinated Chicken Galbi Fried Rice on a bed of cheese, how could a cheese lover skip it, yeah?
Spotting a casual dining ambience, Yoogane surely found the right fit among the younger generation in the heart of Bugis Junction.
Overall Verdict: 8.0/10
Yoogane
Bugis Junction
200 Victoria St #02-47/48
https://www.facebook.com/yoogane.singapore