October 06, 2016

Seoul Jjimdak @ City Square Mall ~ Hearty Korean Braised Chicken & Army Stew! Delicious!



PinkyPiggu was in a taxi on her way to City Square Mall at Kitchener Road when the driver asked, "you go there for what? There very quiet leh. Got things to see meh?".

Aiyah, the taxi uncle don't know lah. The mall may not be the most bustling or have the trendiest shops, but its F&B outlets have sufficient draw to lure us over.

Besides Wok Master for zhi char meals, there is also Seoul Jjimdak, a casual restaurant specializing in hearty Korean fare such as Jjimdak and Budae Jjigae.

I must emphasize: DELICIOUS Jjimdak and Budae Jjigae!


I guess most of us would know by now that Budae Jjigae refers to the army stew dish, but Jjimdak might not ring that familiar a tone yet.

It is essentially Korean-style braised chicken. Said to have originated from Andong in Korea, the dish is traditionally made up of chicken and various vegetables marinated in Korean soy sauce.

Here, the signature Seoul Jjimdak ($36.90) is braised with onions, carrots and dried chilies, and served with bone or boneless chicken with options of dressing it up further with a selection of toppings including Prawn & Mussels ($5.90), Mushrooms ($4.90), Ramyeon ($2.90), Tteokbokki ($2.90), and Mozzarella Cheese ($2.90).

The standard portion is good enough for 2 to 3 pax to share, but our group wouldn't mind if there's more food lol. Besides the complimentary Banchan, there are other side dishes such as Seafood Pancake ($16.90) and Japchae ($12.90) to oomph up the meal further.


The seafood pancake with prawns and squid was well-fried with a soft chewy interior covered by a crispy crust, while the japchae had a homely taste with glass noodles, vegetables and chicken strips stir-fried in homemade bulgogi sauce. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish due to the heavy use of red and yellow bell peppers, however, PinkyPiggu felt the capsicums were too overpowering and threw dish's flavors off balance.

Army Stew ($36.90) was a dish we all looked forward to, and the sight of luncheon meat, pork belly strips, assorted vegetables, baked beans and tofu simmering away in a home-made kimchi stew certainly had us salivating!

Taste wise, this dish is hard to fault. While the broth can be rather diluted in some other places, the rendition here was of just the right consistency. Its mild spiciness and tomato-ish tang came very well together, though one of us thought it could still do with a bit more depth in flavor. Serving size was generous and this dish is best shared amongst friends.


Equally good for sharing is the Mayak Jjimdak ($43.90) - a spicier version of Seoul Jjimdak - which was launched last week.

This dish, in particular, caught my attention not just with the sight of it but for its taste as well. It was blanketed with melted mozzarella cheese all over! Well, who isn't enthusiastic over cheese!

Under that gooey goodness was a delightful mix of juicy chicken thigh pieces and chunks of soft radish, carrots and potatoes smothered in an umami sauce! We can choose from 3 levels of spiciness to suit our taste bud, but we played safe and chose the "Original" level. You can be "Wicked" or "Devil" if you want haha.

The original spiciness level provided a nice heat to the background of the flavor profile without being overly distracting. Love that the rich savory depth of the chicken stew was further lifted by the cheese, creating a melt-in-your mouth feel. No doubt, this dish was the star of the day.


Seoul Jjimdak is best enjoyed with a large group of friends due to its massive serving size, but there are items on the menu suitable for smaller group, couples or individual diners too.

For instance, there is the Mini Boneless Jjimdak ($12.90), a scaled-down version of Seoul jjimdak that is ideal for one person to savor. Just as satisfying!

The Spicy Seafood Soup ($12.90) bubbling with fresh, huge prawns, succulent mussels, clams, kimchi and tofu in spicy broth is not to be missed too. So slurp-worthy, PinkyPiggu finished it to the last drop.

Do also check out their Seoul Value Meal (available daily from 11.30am to 5pm), as well as 40% Discount Special (usual price $36.90, now $23.90) for both their Signature Seoul Jjimdak or best-selling Army Stew (available daily, 11.30am to 3pm).


All in all, it was a great dining experience at Seoul Jjimdak.

Screaming all things Korean with its music, posters and food, K-Pop/Drama lovers will certainly enjoy the vibrant ambience and yummy offerings at Seoul Jjimdak. Even the-not-so-crazy about Korean culture me will certainly return again for the Mayak Jjimdak.


Seoul Jjimdak
Address: City Square Mall #05-04, 14 Kitchener Link, Singapore 208539
Contact: +65 6634 2668
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seouljjimdak/
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am-10pm

Prices are (1) Stated in Singapore dollars (2) Subject to 10% service charge & 7% GST (3) Correct at point of published date.

* Written by BFF, a guy who is desperately trying to find a balance while lost in the world of sights, sound and taste.
* Edited with additional inputs by PinkyPiggu
* Photos by PinkyPiggu



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