[Singapore Restaurant] Experience Korea's Most Beloved Dishes from Bibigo

The wave of Korean Fried Chicken + Beer has hit the sunny island of Singapore when this food combo known as Chimaek (치맥) was featured in the popular Korean drama "My Love from the Stars" (별에서 온 그대) earlier this year.  The word "Chimaek" originates from the word Chicken (Koreans pronounce the word as Chikin) and Maekju (which means beer in Korean).  Chimaek is especially popular during the summer seasons when the heat wave is up and the beer has the cooling effect.  It is so popular that an event "Daegu Chicken and Beer Festival" is held annually! 

 

Being summer all year round in Singapore, it is timely that Bibigo has added Chimaek to their menu starting from September!



 

What's unique about Bibigo's version of Chimaek is that, you get to eat the fried chicken with 2 different sauces (soybean and sweet & spicy) and salt!  Personally, my preference would be the soybean sauce, followed by the sweet & spicy sauce.  The salt is dry and doesn't quite stay on the chicken.  The plus point about having Chimaek is the refreshing pickled white radish.  But honestly, the plain fried chicken itself is already quite delicious and addictive.

Order the Gangnam Chicken as an ala carte dish (6-piece chicken) at $10 or top up another $10 for 2 bottles of iced-cold Hite beer.  Hite beer is really popular in Korea!

For an authentic Korean meal, order a Spicy Kimchi Stew ($10) and Kimchi pancake ($9).  The stew comes with a bowl of Korean short grain rice and a kimchi side-dish.  In fact, these 2 dishes have been newly added to Bibigo's menu and they are quite decent, although I think the pancake would have tasted even better if it was crispier. 

 

Just a small tip to share.  The Kimchi pancake does not come with any dipping sauce.  But not to be disappointed, the soybean sauce from the Gangnam Chicken dish is a perfect dipping sauce for the pancake!

 

For non-spicy food lovers, another dish on the limited-time menu would be the Seafood Noodles ($9).  Udon is used as the main staple, cooked with seafood and a generous portion of green veggies, it makes a good option on days when you just feel like having something light and soupy.

 

Overall, the pricing for these new dishes are quite affordable and there is no price differentiation between lunch and dinner.  The food portion is easily sufficient for those with small to moderate appetite.  Head down to Bibigo with 2 to 3 other friends to experience all these dishes!

 

 

Website: http://sg.bibigo.com/index

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/bibigo.singapore?fref=ts

 

Bibigo Suntec City

Suntec City Mall Tower 3 #B1-107 Singapore 038983

Tel: 65-6338-5809
Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm

(Nearest MRT Station: Promenade Station on Circle Line)

Bibigo NEX Shopping Mall

23 Serangoon Central, #03-08 NEX Shopping Mall, Singapore 556083

Tel: 65-6509-8272

Opening Hours: 11.30am to 10pm

(Nearest MRT Station: Serangoon Station on North-East Line)

 

Bibigo Raffles City

252 North Bridge Roadm #B1-74 Raffles City Shopping Center Singapore 179103

Tel: 65-6336-4745

Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm

(Nearest MRT Station: City Hall Station on North-South Line)

 

 

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[Singapore Restaurant] A Korean Style Chicken Restaurant : Chicken Up (한국 치킨 전문점)

As I walk along the stretch of Tanjong Pagar Road starting from Orchid Hotel toward Maxwell Market, I realise that many new Korean restaurants have joined in the wave of hallyu in Singapore.  Other than what we normally get ie.  BBQ, stews and rice, one shop stood out from the rest.  They serve mainly chicken dishes, and Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) is their specialty which is why they are also known as 한국 치킨 전문점, meaning Korean Chicken Specialty Shop.  This shop is Chicken Up.  This new KFC is totally different from the usual KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and it is worth a try.  Best part of it is that you can opt for ala carte or chicken buffet!

The main entrance



The front façade

Chicken Up has been around for about 3 years.  The main restaurant can take up to about 40 guests indoor.  There are also some outdoor seats.  Chicken Up has recently taken over the space next door and expanded its seating capacity.  It is generally an ideal place for gatherings with friends and colleagues, especially if they are K-pop fans.  Immerse in an evening of continuous latest hits which savouring the chicken dishes.

On each table is a small thrash can and it is meant for the chicken bones.  Truly, that's how the Koreans eat fried chicken in Korea!!



There are also some secluded seats behind the main counter which has more privacy.

The newly acquired restaurant uses open concept although it is also air-conditioned.

All-You-Can-Eat Chicken Buffet costs $25 (before tax) per person.  Go for this option if variety is something that you like to have.  Comparing the cost of Korean Fried Chicken against other Korean restaurants, the price is reasonable.  To get into the real mood of eating Korean Fried Chicken, you can top it up with some beer.  치맥 (chicken & beer) is really really popular in Korea.  Note that on Fridays and eves of public holiday, there is a $5 surcharge for the buffet.

Chicken Up has several fried chicken options including Curry Up, Spicy Up, Mild Up, YangNyeom, Soya Chicken and Popcorn Chicken.  The other options include Andong Chicken Stew, truffle fries and salad.

Soya Chicken (간장치킨) comes in chicken wings and this is my favourite.  The savoury and slightly sweet crispy wings are really delicious.   The wings are quite big, tender and juicy.

The Yangnyeom chicken (양념치킨) is 2nd on my favourite list.  Chunky pieces of chicken were deep-fried before coated with a layer of sweet, sticky and slightly spicy sauce.  These are delicious but perhaps the pieces were way too chunky.

Other than the 2 fried chicken dishes, I personally like the Andong Stew Chicken which isn't commonly found in Singapore.  As the name implies, this dish originates from the city of Andong in the Gyeongsang province in Korea.  Other ingredients used in this dish include mainly glass noodle, potato, carrot and onion and together with spicy soy-based sauce and dried chilli.  In Chicken Up's version, rice cakes and lots of sesame are also added! 

Spicy Up is the signature dish at Chicken Up!  The pieces, a mix of breast and thigh pieces, are big as well and very crispy.  However, the taste is a tad ordinary which can be found in some other Korean fried chicken stalls/restaurants in Singapore.

The waiting time for the fried chicken generally takes about 15 to 20 mins.  The chicken dishes aren't pre-cooked and heated up upon order.  I guess that is a little price to pay for freshly cooked food.  In the meantime, salad is also available on the buffet list.  The fresh veggies mixed with thousand island salad offers a refreshing taste to the sinful fried dishes and provides some balance to the diet. =)



Chicken Up 

48 Tanjong Pagar Road #01-01, Singapore 088469

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ChickenUp

Tel: 6327 1203

Opening Hours: 5.30pm to 2am daily. 

Getting there: Take the mrt to Tanjong Pagar Station.  At Exit A, walk towards Peck Seah Street, then Tras Street and finally Tanjong Pagar Rd in the direction towards Maxwell Market.  It is diagonally across Fairfield Methodist Church.



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[Korean Fried Chicken] Nene Chicken @ *SCAPE

The success fried chicken store from Star Vista has come to town, right here at *SCAPE!  It is occupies the place where Gong Cha used to be, facing the entrance of *SCAPE building.

The opening promotion meal comes with rice instead of Buffalo fries and pickled radish.

 

For those of us who had bought take-out fried chicken in Korea, you would be familiar with the compartmentalised box that they use.  The food is neatly placed in the allocation position.

 



What I took-out was the SWICY Chicken, which stands for Sweet & Spicy Chicken.... YangNyeom (양념) style for those who are familiar with the Korean term for chicken coated with sweet & spicy sauce.  The meal set comes with Buffalo fries as well as the very delicious pickled radish! 

Enjoy the tender, tasty and juicy chicken!


Nene Chicken *SCAPE
#02-39
Operation Hours: 1100 to 2230 daily

Nearest MRT: Somerset Station



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Related Posts:
- Bibigo at Suntec City (Click here)
- Chicken Up (Click here)
- Bear Bites @ *Scape (Click here)


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Cool Chix on the Block - Kkul Dak 꿀닭

Following the success of the other Korean Fried Chicken restaurants in Singapore, Kkuldak 꿀닭 (honey chicken), has found its way into Plaza Singapura this month.  *chirp chirp*
 

What sets this apart from the rest is that Kkuldak is based on the Korean Street Food concept, that means it is just grab and go. No cushy seats, no melodic songs and no service charge!  Just the way you grab and go along the shopping belt in Myeongdong or Gangnam.

It is fast, convenient, easy to eat because the chicken is in bite-size.  The munchies are first deep tried before they are pan fried in honey, sweet and sour or spicy sauces.  The tender munchies are flavourful and crispy on the outer layer.  Choose whether you like to go with cheese powder or mustard sauce. My recommendation is to go for spicy flavour and mustard sauce because that's the closest to what you get in the actual kimchi land.

 

 

Smallest cup (in photo) costs $4.50.  The fried chicken comes with ddokpokki 떡볶이 (rice cake) and 1 mini potato munchi stick.  A little expensive but the satisfaction is there if you are a fan of Korean Fried Chicken.  This may just replace the original KFC. ^^

There's also an option to upsize to a meal, complete with rice and kimchi.

 

Chalk up points on your rewards card and you can return for some free munchies.  Have fun!

Note: The stall will be expanding its menu from August.  Look forward to it!

Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Rd Basement 2
#B2-44 (facing Emicakes)
Website: http://www.kkuldak.co.kr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KkulDakSingapore?ref=ts&fref=ts

Getting there: Take MRT to Dhoby Ghaut MRT station.  Use the underpass and take the exit that is directly linked to Plaza Singapura Basement 2.  Although Dhoby Ghaut MRT is contacted by 3 different lines [(North-South Line (Red), Northeast Line (Purple) and Circle Line (Yellow)], the station is inter-connected and it is not necessary to exit to the street level to go to the mall.  Simply look for directional signs to Plaza Singapura and head towards the direction.

 

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Related Posts:
- Chicken Up (link)
- Nene Chicken (link)
- BBQ Chicken (link)
- Korean Fried Chicken Culture (link)


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Korean Food Culture : Korean Fried Chicken (KFC)

Many people would associate Korean food culture with the traditionally tasty dishes such as Kimchi, Bulgogi, Sangyetang, Bibimbap etc.  However, a new wave of Korean Food Culture that cannot be ignored is the Korean Fried Chicken, also known as KFC coincidentally!

The Korean Fried Chicken started off as a supper food, yasik, in the 1980s.  For convenience, fried chicken was a popular home/office-delivery dish, just like how the original KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) had traditionally been marketed.  Besides the chicken, the delivery would normally come with softdrinks and packed pickled radish too.

 

Over the years, the style of making fried chicken in Korea had started to change, incorporating very delicious local flavours such as sweet & spicy, sweet & sour or honey tastes.  The popularity of Korean Fried Chicken has grew so much over the years and it is evidenced through the number of fried chicken restaurants across Korea. 

(Note the pickled radish in the background)

The uniqueness in Korean Fried Chicken is also in the chicken parts used, usually mid-wings, drumlets, or small chunks of thigh meat.  It is unlike KFC where drumsticks, breast meat and whole thigh part is used.  Another unique point about the Korean fried chicken is the way that the dish is prepared.  Small pieces of chicken chunks are used.  This makes it easy as a take-out dish, as a street-food or even something to munch while watching sports.  The texture of Korean fried chicken is also different.  The crispiness of the fried chicken is a result of deep-frying the chicken first before they are pan-fried in different sauces.



Fried Chicken is also a common snack dish that goes with beer, especially when Koreans watch sports at the sports bar.  Not pizza and beer or nachos and beer but fried chicken and beer (치맥).  There is no special reasons, it was simply something delicious to eat.  It has now become a part of Korean food culture.

 (Note the container is provided for chicken bones)

In fact, the Korean fried chicken culture, similar to the K-pop culture is penetrating into many countries.  Franchises are making their inroads globally, thanks to this delicious fried chicken dishes.  It's uniqueness has given food lovers an alternative options to the western style KFC, Texas Chicken, Popeyes Chicken etc.

The Korean Fried Chicken presents a greater variety of options eg.  fried, grilled, baked, popcorn chicken, chicken wings, spicy flavour, bulgogi flavour, sweet flavour etc.  It offers a more refreshing taste.

It is said that Korean Fried Chicken is now the No. 6 most popular dish in Korea.  I certainly hope that this delicious dish will become the No. 6 popular dish in the world one day!

 

 

Note: More postings on fried chicken can be found here.



Korean Fried Chicken - Nene Chicken at Star Vista [네네치킨]

Are you a fan of fried chicken?  Joining franchises like BBQ Chicken from Korea, a new kid has landed into the sunny island of Singapore.  That's really good news because Nene Chicken adopts a fast food concept which means it is more affordable. 

 

My friend was a little shy to pronounce "Nene" and particularly the dish Nene Pop since it sounded like the local way of saying boobs.  But really, there is nothing naughty about it since this is a Korean chain. Nene (네네)  means Yes Yes in Korean ;)

 

Though the fast food restaurant is a little cram, I prefered to eat the chicken when it is freshly served.  The waiting time was slightly long, maybe 10 mins, since the chicken is only fried upon ordered.  I ordered the Bulgogi Fried Chicken, Nenebap and Nenepop.  My favourite amongst these 3 is the Bulgogi flavoured fried chicken.  The chicken is tender, juicy and marinated just right.  Nenebap is a DIY mixed rice where you mix the salad vege, chicken with rice.  Nenepop is a little fun.   The popcorn-size fried chicken is placed in a small bowl on top of the soft drink.  This is convenient as a quick take away meal.

 

To experience the real Korean style of eating fried chicken, a small thrash bin is placed on each table for you to throw away the chicken bones.  It would have been perfect if you could have the fried chicken with beer.  The Koreans call it Chi-maek (치맥) which means chicken and beer.  This culture is so strong that there is an annual festival in the country.

 

Nene Chicken currently has delivery service but limited to selected areas in the West.  So in the meantime, since there is only 1 store, you have got to head down to Star Vista is you want to get your hands on the Nene ;p

 

Nene Chicken
1 Vista Exchange Green, Star Vista #01-24 Singapore 138617
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun, 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Tel: 6694 5489 | Delivery 6222 6363
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nenechickensingapore


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You may also like to check out this posting on Korean Fried Chicken:
- BBQ Chicken
- Kkul Dak
- Korean Fried Chicken Culture

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HanChu (한추) – The Best Fried Chicken In Seoul

My love for fried chicken... and I shall continue my search to try to best fried chicken in Singapore as well as in Korea!

HanChu (한추) – The Best Fried Chicken In Seoul

Korean Fried Chicken - BBQ Chicken

Credits to Hallyu, even Korean food chains are stepping foot into Singapore.  BBQ Chicken raves itself as the No. 1 franchaise brand in Korea.  It now has outlets in 55 countries including Singapore.  For the health conscious folks, BBQ Chicken claims that it using Olive oil from Turkey for cooking.  Perhaps that is the reason that their food is pricier than other fried chicken competitors.

Thumbs up for the golden and tender BBQ wings... while the name says "BBQ wings", these are actually fried chicken wings.  6 pieces for $8.90.  Served with a small bowl of coleslaw.

Korean Traditional Charbroiled set.  Came with 2 huge pieces of charbroiled chicken cutlet, butter rice, drinks and 2 side dishes.  For small eaters, this set can be shared by 3 or 4 persons, especially if your meal includes other side orders.  The chicken was a littttle tough in my opinion. 

Besides chicken, the restaurant has a pretty extensive menu including other types of meat - beef and fish etc.  If the price had been less expensive, I would be attracted to frequent the restaurants more often....

Website: http://www.bbq-chicken.com.sg/
Address: The Central 
6 Eu Tong Seng Street, #01-58/59, The Central, Singapore 059817
Tel: 6224 1138 Fax: 6224 0830

Operation Hours
Daily 11am - 10:30pm
(Last Order 10:15pm)


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You may also like to check out other postings on fried chicken:
- Nene Chicken
- Kkul Dak
- Korean Fried Chicken Culture