The Green Market (TGM) @ Changi Airport Terminal 2

The Green Market (TGM) is a restaurant in the transit lounge of  Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2, they are also one of the lounges available to Priority Pass members. Having used terminal 2 several times, this lounge is a hidden gem for travellers looking for a relaxing spot to enjoy a meal and rest. Nestled on level 3 of the terminal, it provides a cozy dining environment, away from the bustling crowd at the main foyer level.

As mentioned earlier, this place is in fact a regular Japanese/Korean restaurant which is also opened to members of public who wishes to dine there. Although I must say the pricing on their regular menu is priced with a slight premium. On the day of my visit most diners seems to be utilising their lounge access entitlements.

It is easy to ID folks who uses lounge access entitlements as they offer a specific menu – Corporate Set (for free, limited to 1 set per entitlement).

We tried the Mari Set An assortment of Korean rice rolls served with miso soup, the staff kindly advised us that this set is relatively small in portion and the Beef Shogayaki Set Sliced beef fried with ginger sauce and onions served with miso soup and steamed rice.

Served in a compartmentalised Japanese bento tray, it was a well-balanced meal with a small portion of fruits. I don’t take heavy meals before flight so this portion was just nice for me. The only slight downside of this lounge, compared to SilverKris (SQ lounge), is they don’t include complimentary alcohol drinks. Complimentary hot green tea is offered, although you can order ala carte drinks if you wish to. But the big plus is the peace and quietness here. Nowadays the SilverKris lounge is pretty packed and crowded. If you are looking for a place to wind down and relax before flight, this is a good option to consider.

With a full belly, we are set to jet off to Bangkok~

Oh My Cafe

Arrived at Westgate shopping mall shortly after lunch hour and was exploring the place when I spotted the Oh My Cafe serving Korean-inspired dishes, with colourful drinks served in lightbulb bottles.

The tiffany blue coloured cabinets created a comfy and dreamy ambience at the open dining area.

Although I was initially attracted to the light bulb shaped containers, eventually I chose the larger capacity Yuzu soda drink as I was feeling quite thirsty. BTW, the bottles are free to bring home! Wonderful =)

In need of a proper meal, I chose the BBQ Beef Bibimbap bowl. The beef patty was well-seasoned and bordered on being slight too salty for me but it was juicy and cooked perfectly. The variety of greens was certainly welcomed as with the flowy onsen egg. The other slight discomfort I had was probably the “wood-like prints” which had faded off from the plastic bowl. It had me thinking whether I am at risk of ingesting any of the chemicals.

Nonetheless if I have the chance to, I might try one of their beautiful cakes on display at the counter.

☆ Mingles at Art at Curate, Singapore

For some reasons, Korea had not been on my wanderlust list. There hadn’t been any pull factor which made me feel like visiting the country. But I do keep abreast of the dining scenes there. Notably some of my colleagues had lunch at La Yeon during their trip to Seoul.

Took the opportunity to experience Michelin-star quality Korean cuisine when the chef of Mingles came to Singapore for the Art at Curate series. Chef Kang is the 7th guest chef to grace the CURATE kitchen, located on Sentosa island.

For a start it certainly feels kinda out of place to be dressed for Sunday lunch when most of the other visitors visiting Sentosa were in their beachwear or casual outfit – all geared up for fun and adventure rides in Universal Studios.

There was only 1 seating and we presumed that every other diners would arrive punctually. To our surprise, when we arrived 10 mins before the stated time, the hall was quite empty! Although guests were still streaming in slowly, the short 4-course lunch for us commenced right on time. Starting with small bites of Fluke ‘Hoe’ (Korean-style Sashimi), Dongchimi (Radish Kimchi) and Egg Custard with ‘Sancho’ pepper paired with Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut NV.

My immediate reaction was that the portion was really small…though we enjoyed the appetizing cold dish made of thinly sliced fluke with crunchy seasoned radish. The custard was soft and topped with a light sprinkle of the robust ‘Sancho’ pepper.

The first course was Scallop Carpaccio, ‘Makgeolli’ Ceviche, Korean Bottarga. The fresh scallop was paired with paper-thin pickled cucumbers. Due to the strong flavours of the condiments, it was apparent that the amount used was very measured and well-controlled such that it doesn’t overshadow the mildly flavoured scallop.

The 2nd course was one of my most anticipated dish – Abalone Porridge with ‘Gim’ (Korean Nori) Chips. Several travel programmes on TV had featured this as a must-try dish when one visits Jeju Island. The porridge was flavourful and filled with rich umami goodness. I would be willing to pay to get a full size bowl if that’s available as an option!

Steamed Tilefish with Potato Roll and Doenjang Bearnaise Sauce was paired with Chapoutier Schieferkopf Riesling Lieu-dit Buehl 2011. Freshness of the fish is a must when it was to be prepared by steaming it. The firm texture with mild flavour was well-complimented with a measured amount of doenjang (Korean soybean paste) added to the bearnaise sauce.

Very quickly we reached the final course of our meal. Dessert of Jang trio – ‘Doenjang’ Crème Brulee, ‘Gan Jang’ Pecan, ‘Gochu Jang’ powder, served with Puffed Grains and Vanilla Ice Cream. I was eager to try this interesting dish as it combines 3 types of Korean traditional pastes into 1 dessert. It was also unusual to feature the pastes in sweet dessert as the condiments are typically used in cooked dishes. The ingenious attempt resulted in an end product which was pretty extraordinary. Not only was there complex flavours, there was also a good mix of textures packed within the tiny cup. From the creaminess of the vanilla ice cream to the nice crisp of the puffed grains and nutty crunch of the pecan; each component had a part to play.

We round up our short lunch with Coffee/Tea and mignardises of Raspberry jelly, Cinnamon cookie and Pine Nuts.

Post-meal during our quick chat with Chef Kang, he shared that he had to replace some ingredients with locally sourced ones when he could not find similar quality produce in Singapore. No wonder we could taste familiar flavours such as preserved radish in one of the dishes.

Last but not least, we were presented with a parting gift of Jayone Sesame Seaweed Popped Rice by CURATE. I’m not sure if this Korean snack was specially designed for this event or it’s a pure coincidence that the featured Chef this time is a Korean. If it was the former, I must commend CURATE for this thoughtful gesture of presenting something that relates to the featured Chef.

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Patbingsoo Korean Dining House

Located in Plaza Singapura, situated right next to the escalator in B2. The rather open and awkward open-top location where Patbingsoo Korean Dining House occupies often had me wondering “what if someone dropped something from the escalator or the level above into my food?!“. Nonetheless this seems to be the least of other diners’ concern as there is often a long queue to dine at the eatery.

Although I’ve seen many instagram photos of the signature dish – Rolling Cheese Pork Ribs, we didn’t try that dish as we were trying to save stomach space for the dessert – the dish that lured me here. So we went for the simple dish of Tteokbokki and Ramyeon.

 

The tteokbokki was served on a hotplate which made it taste even spicier than it already was. However I thought the gravy was a tad too watery.

The ramyeon was served in a aluminium pot placed over a mini food warmer rack. The fun presentation not only made it look appealing but served practical purpose as the soup was kept hot throughout our meal.

Last but not least, the key highlight of my meal was the Sinsa Patbingsoo Rock Melon, Pat (red bean paste), Cornflakes, NataCoco, Vanilla Ice Cream.  This was certainly a dessert meant for sharing as it was too huge to be finished by one person. I loved sweet rock melon and the crunchy cornflakes created a rich texture in addition to the smooth and creamy vanilla ice cream. As one digs in further, you’ll find more generous ingredients hidden underneath. I certainly appreciate this type of bingsoo more than the usual ones typically filled with mostly iced shavings.

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Sbcd Korean Tofu House

Sbcd Korean Tofu House is a new-to-market eatery that opened in Tanjong Pagar Centre. We were glad to see a new korean eatery in the area since the one that we usually go to for our seafood stew and gimbap had closed…

Initially I found it odd for a newcomer restaurant to occupy such a huge floor space (they even have private rooms). The restaurant owner must be very confident about the business prospects in Singapore. Upon checking up on the internet, I found that the company has co-invested in BCD tofu house chain in USA. They have businesses in Taiwan and Korea too.

When we visited the eatery, they had just started operation – somewhat like soft launch? But they were well-staffed and service was prompt. Once we were seated, the banchan (side dishes) were served. While most of the banchan served are quite standard, I was surprised to see two whole fishes being included. I guess for some folks, having these banchan with a bowl of porridge can make a good meal~

Now for the key dish – Seafood Soontofu. The ingredients used were quite fresh with prawns, clams, squid, mussels in the dish. Diners can customize their preferred spiciness level according to 4 scales (mild/medium/spicy/crazy hot). We went for the medium spiciness level which was indicated as standard level, but we felt that it was lacking in punch. For folks who can handle spicy food, it is advisable to go with spicy or more.

We ordered the combo which allowed us to chose another dish and we opted for Spicy Octopus. We were pleasantly surprised by the generous portion of the dishes, the combo of a main + a soontofu with a whole pot of rice is definitely filling for most folks. What I liked was the addition of broth into the hot stone to make full use of the scorched rice.

One observation we made was that Corn Tea is missing in the beverage menu. When we sat down, the staff asked us for our drinks order. Instinctively I said I wanted hot corn tea but was informed that they only have Soft Drinks, closest being canned green tea. Hope they will add in this quintessential staple drink in Korean home to their menu soon.

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Andong Zzimdak [Closed]

Koreans are known for enjoying spicy dishes, so the Jjimdak (Korean braised chicken) is one Korean food option for folks who don’t take spicy food.

I’ve spotted a few korean eateries serving Jjimdak in their menu but Andong Zzimdak is probably one of the first in Singapore to specialise in this dish.

As with most of the other Korean dishes, the Jjimdak serving is huge and meant for minmally 2-3 pax. It’s definitely more worthwhile to enjoy it in a group. We struggled slightly to finish the Jjimdak between us – though we finished the chicken but left some potatoes.

The Jjimdak was served with lots of other ingredients such as carrots, cucumber, potatoes and there were cellophane noodles hidden under the pile. Noticed that there were a few slices of dried chilli inside so there’s a tad of spiciness in it, more like peppery taste which shouldn’t pose a problem to most people. We ordered rice to go along with this dish as it can be overwhelmingly savoury to be eaten on its own.

Initially I did enjoy the succulent meat and the soft carrots but after eating half the dish, we started to feel that the dish was too monotonous. Thankfully we could could rely on the pickled radish and kimchi to help break the sweetness and savoriness of gravy.

Bottom line, I do enjoy Jjimdak but would be more palatable if eaten in reasonable portion. So remember to dine in large group.

 

Tokyo Sundubu, Singapore

When I mention Tokyo Sundubu, most people will think that it’s a Japanese restaurant. In fact Sundubu is a type of Korean stew featuring tofu cooked with a variety of ingredients such as vegetables, meat and seafood. The dish gained popularity after a restaurant specializing in Sundubu opened in Los Angeles by a Korean immigrant.

Visited the store in Suntec on a weekday night and was surprised to find the mall rather quiet.

Other than their speciality item, we ordered the Chicken Chijimi $12 (Korean Pancake) as starter. The chijimi served here was the thinnest and crispiest one that I had ever tasted, comparable to thin-crust pizzas. It had a wonderful texture along with a tasty dipping sauce.

As for the Sundubu, using different ingredients, soup base and spiciness level, there can be over 20+ variations!

You can choose your Sundubu by first deciding on the type of ingredient you would like to have such as seafood/vegetable/meat followed by the soup base: Miso, Salt & Ginger and Non-spicy. Naturally spiciness level can only be applied to Miso or Salt & Ginger. Of the 4 levels, the staff recommended either Japan Standard (Level 2) or Singapore Standard (Level 3).

We had the Mentai Cheese Sundubu in miso base $20 (left) and the Seafood Sundubu in salt & ginger base $24 (right) both at spiciness Level 3. The cheese and mentai are served in a separate small bowl and we are told to add them into the boiling soup when it was presented to us. The addition of cheese made the soup thicker and richer, the mentai cheese sundubu had minced meat along with some clams and scallops in it.

Something that surprised me was the mildness of the taste of Gochujang. I’m not a fan of bibimbap cos of the fermented taste…but for the Sundubu served here, I had not issue with it!

As for the seafood sundubu, the staff shared that all the ingredients have been de-shelled, which was very thoughtful for ladies. Hence they used soft-shell crab, along with clams and scallops in the soup.

Amongst the two, the miso base is definitely saltier than the salt & ginger base. The miso base is rich while the salt & ginger base is more appetizing and refreshing.

Both the sundubus included a semi-raw egg and lots of ultra silky tofu!

One step that most people probably missed out when enjoying the sundubu is the 2nd step of instructions given:

(i) Use your spoon to mix the entire bowl well while the sundubu is sizzling hot. Semi-raw egg and fluffy tofu blended together with sauce will give you superb flavour!

(ii) After finishing half of the rice add namuru and preferred amount of Gochujang sauce over the remaining rice. Pour your sudubu over them, mix well and indulge!

For me, I had already finished eating the namuru (side dish) as I ate them intermittently with the meal…Secondly, for every scoop of rice I have on my spoon, I tried to fill it up with the delicious soup!

The portion was pretty filling for me as I had difficulty finishing up the whole soup, perhaps the cheese made it even more filling.

We absolutely loved the smooth tofu boiled in the spicy soup. It’s richer than most of the typical korean seafood tofu soup that we had ever tried.

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Captain K Seafood Tower

Despite all the K-pop/K-drama craze, I’m not exactly tempted to visit Korea (yet). However while watching some TV shows introducing Korea, this Seafood Tower dish caught my attention. I even tried asking my friends who are visiting Korea to try and see if its really nice since many people only eat KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) or Ginseng Chicken when visiting the Kimchi loving nation.

I’m certainly glad that I managed to try this stacked seafood dish in Singapore at Captain K Seafood Tower.  Walked in without making any reservation and was surprised to see that the place was packed! Eventually we left our names and were told to return in about 1.5 hours’ time. Thankfully we managed to keep ourselves occupied by having some pre-dinner drinks at the pub nearby.

By the time we returned at 9.30pm we waited about 10 mins for an available table and we were ready to feast! A word of warning though, you might be overwhelmed by the briny seafood smell when you first step into the place. Although I think my clothes didn’t smell as bad compared to dining at BBQ places.

The recommended number of tiers for 2 pax is 3 layers which comes with 2 levels of mixed seafood (5 varieties based on Chef’s selection) and at the bottom level is the soup base. Choice of soup base included Kombu Dashi, Lorean Kimchi and Premium Korean ginseng chicken (add on $15).

While waiting for the seafood stack to be served, we kept ourselves busy trying to taste the different condiments available for dipping/pairing the seafood with.

Now I shall introduce the seafood that came in our seafood stack starting from the top tier of Mussels & Clams. It was recommended to enjoy these delicious molluscs with the zesty Thai Green Chilli Sauce (this sauce was also my favourite among the condiments provided). The mussels and clams were quite fresh and they all popped open when it was served.

After finishing the top tier, the staff were quick to clear away the steamer and revealed the 2nd tier~ Yummy huge and succulent Scallops awaited us, along with Langoustines and Prawns. I enjoyed the scallops but not so for the crustaceans which weren’t as tasty and fresh as the shellfish. It was recommended to eat the prawns with the tangy Yuzu Deenjang Dip. This dip came in 2nd on my ranking of the condiments.

We added on a special ala-carte item – Snow Crab. This was pretty fresh too. The flesh was meaty and firm.

The final tier was the Kimchi Soup base that we had chosen. The soup had supposedly collected all the “seafood essence” that dripped down through the steamer from the layers above.  The soup came totally without any ingredient and you have to pay extra for the ingredients which are charged by the colour of the plate: Yellow/Orange/Red.

Being kiasu Singaporeans we picked out the ingredients to be added into the soup base even before the stacks arrived. This was because we heard the staff saying that they wouldn’t be replenishing the items anymore. We picked out the ramen, hot dogs, spam, crab sticks etc. the usual ones that always goes into typical Army Stew.

Superbly stuffed at the end of our meal but left feeling pretty satisfied. The scallops are a must-try if you ordering ala carte. =)

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Dosirak

Still adjusting to the jet lag after returning to Singapore, I was not keen to go out to pack lunch therefore ordered delivery.

Dosirak‘s limited opening hours (only opened during office hour) meant I didn’t really have a chance to try them when I’m at work. Hence decided to order their supposedly healthy Korean takeaway rice to try.

Ordered the Cold Crab Fish Roe Brown Rice Cold Crab, Carrots, enoki, Cabbage, Onions, Beansprouts, Fish Roe, Brown Rice and Smoked Duck White Rice Cabbage, shittake, sweet corn, carrots and onions. Both comes with a box of gojuchang sauce to be drizzled over them.

I didn’t quite like the cold crab one cos it had quite a strong “briny” taste from the crab meat…The smoked duck one was better, though I prefer to eat it without adding too much of the special gojuchang sauce.

My personal take? I would prefer the Japanese style Chirashi than this Korean style rice box.

 

Insadong Korea Town

FACT 1: I hate it when I need to go Sentosa for corporate events…Why? Cos the catered food experience is just like the roller coaster rides in Universal Studio…Has its Ups and Downs…So much so that we often decide to forgo eating the catered stuff and look for alternatives.

FACT 2: Majority of the food options in RWS falls into “Mid-range price, so-so quality” category. Not wanting to jostle with the tourists who are eager to savour South East Asian cuisine at the ever-so-crowded Malaysian Food Street, we decided to have our meal at Insadong Korea Town.

The eatery is designed with a “food street” concept. There are 4-5 “stalls” selling different specialty dishes. However all the stalls are actually run by the same owner and ordering is done via self-help counters while food collection is at the individual stalls.

We ordered the Army Stew ($32) and a Mango Bingsu ($12) to share. The portion of the army stew is reasonably filling for 3 pax but for that price I’m pretty sure we can get much bigger stew at any of those traditional family-run Korean restaurants. The food is the as expected “so-so” quality, good enough to fill your tummy.

We enjoyed the bright and spacious seating in the Insadong Korea Town compared to the other food court. However we also noticed that birds tend to fly in and rest on the cables of the artificial electrical posts used as decoration of the place. We were slightly worried about the risk of torpedoes dropping from above…

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