Korean – DiniBlini

Joo Bar

Yucha maekgolli slush — Yucha makgeolli slush

I am a GREAT friend.

When Alex was visiting from Kabul and I couldn’t make his birthday party I decided I would be super selfless and take him to a restaurant that we would both totally enjoy that I’ve been wanting to go to for ages.

BESTFRIENDEVER.

It’s Korean. It’s hip. And I wanted to go.

The bar itself is in Bugis and sits at the end of Tan Quee Lan street past all the legit Korean BBQ places, as this cool-ish, industrial-ish, Korean-ish bar.

There’s a table hanging from the ceiling outside and the color palette is grey, black and white. It’s borderline depressing BUT they have funny comics on the wall inside.

Once there, I ordered makgeolli, a rice alcohol beverage that is native to Korea. Or at least that is what Wikipedia told me.

I ordered the most non-alcohol tasting version that included shaved ice and yucha, which is really just yuzu. It tasted of happiness and made me feel like a princess. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Alex and I seriously got down to business and decided that we needed this chicken. I can’t remember the actual name of these babies but to be honest, they were only ok. Next time I would opt for their wings.

While we looked forward to this dish the most, it was really very lacklustre. The tofu was cold and the kimchi lacked kick. The spam was great because I love spam. Don’t judge me.

The humble japchae was honestly the best thing we had. Alex consumed huge amounts of it. Ok, honestly, he had like two servings because the guy cannot eat. But it was filling, flavorful and goooood.

I loved these sliders which honestly just tasted like Alabama style ribs in a bun. Very sweet but again, goooood.

My verdict is that this place doesn’t actually live up to the hype. The food really did lack that Korean punch, and no matter what all the other reviews say, that is a problem.

Too bad because I liked that yummy rice alcohol slush.

Joo Bar
5 Tan Quee Lan Street
188094

Paik’s Bibimbap

What: Fast Korean Food.

Pros: It’s fast and relatively healthy, offers bibimbap and tteokbokki and other Korean dishes at a reasonable price.

Cons: It’s really, not that good. I mean I make a better bibimbap. But I did live in Korea for four years.

Verdict: Don’t go. Find another Korean restaurant to satisfy that kimchi craving you’ve got goin’ on.

Details:
Vivocity
#02-125,
1 Harbourfront Walk
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 9.30pm

Bibimbap

Most people already know this but I spent a good four years of my life in Korea.

The first year or two I hated it. I hated the landscape, this new school I had to go to and MAN did I hate the food.

And then one day it was like a lightbulb turned on and I couldn’t get enough of the bulgogi, tokbuki, gimbap, ramen and ohhh bibimbap. In the months leading up to my family’s move back to Malaysia I would eat bibimbap everyday.

So when I came across this recipe from the aspirational How You Glow, I had to try it.

The verdict: IT IS SO DAMN GOOD.

Go straight to the website for instructions because I did it exactly as they advised. Except I subbed soy sauce (use 2 Tbsps) for tamari – what the heck is that anyway?