December 27, 2017

Seoul Yummy @ ION Orchard ~ New Menu! New Look! A Place For Casual And Affordable Contemporary Korean Cuisine



Many of us would have dine at, or at least heard of Seoul Yummy at some point.

Best known for its quintessential traditional cuisine with a modern twist, the homegrown Korean casual restaurant is fast approaching its tenth year in business, and has eight outlets islandwide at Bugis+, Causeway Point, ION Orchard, Jem, Junction 8, Square 2, The Central, and Singpost Centre!

It has recently announced a menu update of 30 new dishes, as well as revamped interiors and a new logo.

High time for us to make a revisit!


Stepping into Seoul Yummy somewhat felt like homecoming, bringing back memories of the occasion when I last dined there. It was the period when BOA was the face of K-pop, and many were catching the K-drama, Da Chang Jin. I remember it was around that time when Seoul Yummy was newly-established, offering a more traditional Korean menu in a conservative wooden interior setting.

Oops, that was so so so long ago!

Fast forward to the present, Seoul Yummy continues to embrace the explosive wave of K-pop culture. We visited the outlet at ION Orchard, and was greeted with neon-colored graffiti-style posters of Korean artists and bands lining the walls.

We like its whole bright and airy look. Vibes are certainly youthful and energetic.


The menu book which is styled after a magazine, is no less eye-catching. Even the names of the dishes are inspired by K-dramas and bands!

Just a few examples: Goong Pot, Kimchick Sonata, Goblin's Garden, Spam Over Flowers, Legend Of The Sea, My Love From The Pork Ribs, Descendants Of The Beef Ribs, Running Chicken, Gangnam Chicken.

Can you guess which shows are these dishes named after?


Fancy names aside, the few dishes we tried that evening were all very pleasing, and not to mention, very affordably-priced too.

The Spam Rice Balls ($7.90) started us on a delicious note with crisp-fried spam mixed with seaweed flakes and tobiko in brown rice (you can opt for white rice if preferred). It was a great way to fill up my hunger pangs while waiting for the mains.

Maybe we were all hungry lol! The Fried Chikin ($8.90) featuring crunchy pieces of boneless chicken coated in a sweet-garlicky honey butter sauce was finished almost as soon as it arrived!

Fans of Japanese oden would perhaps also like the Odeng Guk ($14.90) which has an assortment of Korea-imported skewered fish cakes simmered in light bonito broth. The pot also comes with tofu skin, white radish and shiitake mushrooms.


The Return Of Wagyu ($22.90) is undoubtedly a highlight of our meal!

While budae jjgae or army stew is commonly found on Korean menus, the rendition at Seoul Yummy is served with premium U.S. premium wagyu slices!

Just a quick dip into the boiling soup is sufficient to bring out the soft, buttery melt-in-the-mouth texture of the well-marbled beef slices. This must be most luxurious army stew I've ever tasted.

While the pot is "mini" in size compared to standard servings elsewhere, it brimmed with all the ingredients that a typical army stew should have, including ramyeon, spam tteokbokki, sausage, enoki mushrooms, beancurd, baked beans, carrots, and kimchi.


Food always tastes better with cheese? Then we couldn't leave Seoul Yummy without trying one of its Hyeong Cheese Pot!

Available in choices of Pork Ribs ($49.90), Beef Ribs ($69.90), and Chicken Wings ($46.90), each pot of bubbling goodness features chunks of meat in a pool of melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese. It also came with egg and mixed fries, and we got to choose another two sides (corn cream, fried chicken, fried spam cubes, nacho chips or chicken dumplings) on top of that.

You can imagine how hearty the serving is. Best for two to four persons to share.

With "Ms-everything-also-chicken-wings" PinkyPiggu around, our only natural choice was the chicken wings. Between the sweet & spicy and soy garlic wings, we prefer the latter for its umami balance of sweetness and saltiness. Diner can opt for honey butter wings too.

Tip: Do dip the fried spam cubes into the melted cheese too. It just feels so wrong, yet so right.


We did not go along with the recommended Ko Ko Pop Bingsu ($11.90) but ordered the Crunch Generation Bingsu ($11.90) with cereal crunch, Korean red bean, rice cakes and almond flakes instead. Not a wise decision as the rice cakes lacked the expected soft chewiness. The shaved ice wasn't that smooth either. Overall the bingsu was quite a let down.

If you are already of drinking age, you may want to try the Sista's Love ($28.90), a refreshing concoction of grapefruit soju, mixed berries, pomegranate juice and sprite. Each bucket is good for four persons.

It's heartening to see a local brand able to stand strong over the years in the ever increasing competitive F&B market, especially with so many international brands gunning their sights on Singapore. Its convenient locations in popular malls, scrumptious offerings, and affordable prices makes Seoul Yummy a good choice for casual meetups and gatherings.


Seoul Yummy
Website: http://www.seoulyummy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seoulyummy/

Outlets
Bugis+ #04 – 11 | Tel +65 6509 6900
Causeway Point #05-13 | Tel +65 6219 5008
ION Orchard #B3-22 | Tel +65 6509 4045
Jem #03-05 | Tel +65 6694 3013
Junction 8 #01-40 | Tel +65 6570 2033
Singpost Centre #01-139 | Tel +65 6747 9665
Square 2 #03-68 | Tel +65 6397 6939
The Central #03-92 | Tel +65 6227 8802

Prices are stated in Singapore dollars and subject to 10% service charge and 7% GST unless otherwise stated. Information is 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

Follow PinkyPiggu on Facebook and Instagram for daily delicious updates!



No comments:

Post a Comment