Orchard Towers is a rather controversial location, with lots of media coverage on the activities that occur within the building. But other than that, Orchard Towers is also known for its Thai food and a rather affordable place to get lunch for lots of working adults nearby. Orchard Towers is now home to Bab Sarang, a simple Korean stall, opened by Koreans, serving simple Korean fare.
Affordable Korean Food In Orchard
Located in Basement 1 of Orchard Towers 1 (emphasizing this because we ended up in Tower 2 and got lost for a while) is Bab Sarang, a humble-looking Korean stall. The place reminded us of a scaled-down version of Myung Ga II over at Bukit Timah Plaza since it’s also run by a Korean.
Everyone here at Bab Sarang is Korean, from the owner to the cooks – you can hear them conversing in Korean, which we guess is a way for one to experience Korea while in Singapore.
Bab Sarang Menu
The menu here at Bab Sarang is reminiscent of the menus you see in food courts with items such as BBQ Beef Set ($6.90), Toufu Soup Set ($5.90) and Kimchi Soup Set ($5.90).
BBQ Chicken Set ($6.50)
The BBQ Chicken was served on a hotplate alongside some kimchi and anchovies. It also came with a bowl of rice and soup. Can we just take a moment to appreciate how they served short-grain rice like the ones you get in Korean eateries? Hopefully, they keep this up!
The BBQ chicken was cooked well and not too dry, however, we did find the portion to be on the smaller side.
Kimchi Fried Rice Set ($5.90)
The kimchi fried rice set is topped with a fried egg and comes with a choice of protein. You can choose from chicken, pork or beef.
The kimchi at Bab Sarang that’s served with all their mains is well balanced, not too sour or too spicy and had a nice sweetness to it.
Bibimbap ($5.90)
A simple dish that’s topped with a generous amount of vegetables such as beansprouts, cucumber, lettuce, carrots and seaweed flakes. When mixed with the sauce, it wasn’t too spicy or overwhelming. One of the healthier options at Bab Sarang.
Loved that the fried egg had a runny yolk.
Samgyetang ($8.90)
Perhaps the most expensive dish here at Bab Sarang is the Korean Ginseng Chicken. The dish itself does not come with any rice, so you’ll have to top up $1 for a bowl of short-grain rice.
Inside the huge bowl of Samgyetang is a half-chicken that’s cooked so well that you can easily break the meat off the bones. You can even see the tiny ginseng strings floating in the soup. The broth itself had a really clean taste, or as Koreans would say, 깔끔한 맛 (kkalkkeumhan mat).
Usually, Samgyetang is served with a side of salt on the side, not sure if they forgot, but it would have been nice to have.
For $8.90, we would say that their Samgyetang is really value-for-money.
Tteokbokki ($5.90)
The tteokbokki was a simple dish that came with a few slices of fishcake. It was also probably the spiciest dish amongst everything we tried.
Unless you’re sharing this, we would recommend going for the main dishes instead.
New Authentic Korean Food in Orchard
We must say, Bab Sarang offers really affordable Korean cuisine right in the heart of town. This spot would be great for students or anyone on a budget when in town. The best part? You know the food is authentic, cooked with love by Korean moms.
You can also purchase tubs of their handmade kimchi, anchovies side dishes as well as marinated meats at the restaurant.
Bab Sarang
Orchard Towers, 400 Orchard Rd, #B1-25, Singapore 238875
Mon-Sun, 10:30am-8pm
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