Quality Korean Barbecue at affordable prices, get your fill at Supulae KBBQ!
With an influx of Korean Barbecue Restaurants in Singapore, it can be hard to choose which one to go to, especially when they all seem to be similar in many ways. Apart from convenience and raving reviews, the quality of meat also sets apart a restaurant from its competitors, and is a reason why customers would go back more than once. Supulae qualifies all three. With fresh and quality meat at affordable prices, a great variety of food choices and friendly staff and owners, it should very well be on your list of KBBQ restaurants to visit next.
Supulae KBBQ
Supulae is a Korean Barbecue restaurant located in the heart of Tanjong Pagar. Simply a 5-minute walk away from Tanjong Pagar MRT, it is easily accessible and convenient. Keep a lookout for the signboard as it might be easily missed amongst the many other Korean shops around that stretch!
Their Signboard from across the Street
You will be greeted by various signs and ongoing promotions on the glass door leading to the shop, signalling that you have reached the right place.
The Front Door
The restaurant is cosy and the owners - two pretty and fashionable Korean ladies, are sisters who have just started their own KBBQ restaurant. They were very welcoming and friendly, and made the effort to have conversations, and were always seen smiling.
There are different tables catered for groups of varying sizes, with tables that can sit up to 8 people, but do note that it can be quite crowded during the peak periods, so aim to arrive earlier if you intend to come with a large group of friends.
Each table comes with a barbecue grill and a fume extraction chute, which minimises smokiness caused by the barbecuing. The grilling is also done by the store owners or staff, to ensure that the meat is cooked to perfection, and guests would not have to go through the hassle of unrolling the meat or the pain from getting scalded by the sizzling oil.
When it comes to the actual menu, one would be spoilt for choice. There are four different sets available, in addition to Ala Carte dishes and various drinks. The Sets are Sets A, B, C and D respectively, and the owners mentioned that Sets C and D are more popular amongst Singaporeans, as they consist of marinated meat that is considered to be more flavourful and suited to their tastes. All Sets come with a choice of soup, as well as Korean-Style Steamed Egg, many side dishes and two bowls of rice, and is recommended for groups of 2-3 people.
There was a large variety of side dishes, compared to other Korean restaurants, and there were a few that stood out, one of which was the Salad topped with a Special Sauce. According to the owners, the sauce is homemade and consists of a mix of pineapple sauce, sesame sauce and mayo, and is also the most popular side-dish in the restaurant, as many people ask for multiple portions or refills after the first round. The seasoned mackerel with turnip caught our attention as the fish is fleshy and soft, and breaks apart quickly in one's mouth. The sauce goes nicely with the texture of the fish and is well-absorbed into both the fish and turnip. The savoury and sweet flavours add up to a delicious dish.
As per the Korean Tradition, lettuce leaves are also provided to make "ssam", where the grilled meat and other side dishes are wrapped up into a ball in the lettuce leaves and eaten whole. The lettuce helps in neutralising the oil and saltiness of the meat and condiments. This also helps one to eat more as they will not be full too quickly due to gradual accumulated greasiness when the meat is eaten by itself. Those that are game enough can also try adding the raw garlic pieces into the wrap, like what Koreans often do.
As per the Korean Tradition, lettuce leaves are also provided to make "ssam", where the grilled meat and other side dishes are wrapped up into a ball in the lettuce leaves and eaten whole. The lettuce helps in neutralising the oil and saltiness of the meat and condiments. This also helps one to eat more as they will not be full too quickly due to gradual accumulated greasiness when the meat is eaten by itself. Those that are game enough can also try adding the raw garlic pieces into the wrap, like what Koreans often do.
Set D ($58.80++) is highly reccommended out of all the sets, and the marinated Beef Ribs were the highlight of the meal. The beef was seasoned to perfection and was extremely tender and juicy, neither too hard nor too soft. All the meat were of good quality and were very fresh, but be sure to watch as the meat is being cooked and eat them once they are sufficiently barbecued as they will burn very quickly.
Beef Briskets and Ribs Barbecuing
The steamed egg is soft and fluffy, and calms down one's tastebuds after all the flavour from the meat and side dishes. The texture is also unique as it is unlike the Japanese Chawanmushi, but is instead slightly harder and less flavourful, and is tasty in a different way.
Korean Steamed Egg
The Kimchi Stew that came with the set is very mildly spicy, and those with a low spice tolerance will definitely enjoy it. Spicy food lovers however, might be slightly disappointed as it may not have enough of a spicy "kick" to it. That aside, the stew is rich and goes well with rice and barbecue.
Kimchi Stew
Table Full of Food
There is a vast selection of drinks available, ranging from common canned drinks like Coca Cola, to various Korean drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Shikhye (A Traditional Korean Rice Drink) and Soo Jeong Gwa (Sweet Cinnamon Punch) were available and we tried both of these. The Shikhye was sweet and contained bits of rice within it, adding texture to the drink, whereas the Soo Jeong Gwa had a very strong cinnamon taste and was slightly sweeter than the Shikhye.
Shikhye and Soo Jeong Gwa
Various Korean Alcohol
There are also desserts available, in the form of Frozen Carp Bread Ice Cream and the popular Melona Ice cream.
Frozen Carp Bread and Melona Ice Cream
Overall, the price of the food was definitely worth it, considering the quality and taste. This is definitely one of the better Korean Barbecue places around and one worth visiting! We would like to thank Supulae for having us, and the owners for being so friendly and approachable!
Drop them a visit at Supulae:
80 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088501
Contact them at: 6225 2248
Writer: Kai Lin
Drop them a visit at Supulae:
80 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088501
Contact them at: 6225 2248
Writer: Kai Lin