Tucked away along Stanley Street is Joong San, a Korean restaurant that has been receiving quite a bit of attention. If you’ve ever been to Um Yong Baek, you’d know that they’re the folks behind Joong San, and flyers of their opening have been posted for a while.
Charcoal KBBQ in Telok Ayer
As someone who has been to Um Yong Baek, expectations were high for Joong San.
Long story short, I was really impressed by everything.
First impressions, I really liked how the interior was dimly lit, with booths and tables large enough to fit groups of 4 to 6. There’s also an open kitchen concept so you can see the staff at work, with bits of Korean touches here and there in their interior.
Joong San Menu
The menu at Joong San differs between lunch and dinner. During the day, they mainly serve items like soft tofu stew and noodles. Basically, things that are perfect for office workers nearby!
For dinner, the restaurant transforms into a KBBQ joint, offering beef cuts grilled over a charcoal fire, alongside side dishes like Yukhoe ($35). The overall menu is straightforward, with only a couple of cuts to choose from, plus six rice and noodle dishes.
I opted for a Sogogi Modeum Set for 2 ($160), which includes Tenderloin, Diced Ribeye, Beef Tongue Slices, and Andong-Style Marinated Ribs. In total, it’s about 400-450 grams of meat, which is quite doable for two people.
You can also go for their Jjag Galbi ($17 per 100g), which is a rare rib cut. Only two full slabs can be taken from an entire cow, and each rib is trimmed whole and prepared in limited quantities.
Out of the four cuts in the beef platter, I really enjoyed the Beef Tongue Slices and Tenderloin. The staff cooked everything perfectly, and they pair so well with the side dishes.
The Jjag Galbi, on the other hand, was super tender and flavourful, kind of just melts a bit in your mouth.
Caviar? Nope, Just Black Truffle Mustard Seeds
There are many ways to pair your meats here at Joong San: you can dip them in salt, pair them with wasabi, or eat them with the house-made kimchi dishes. My personal favourite was their Yuja Baek Kimchi and Gat Kimchi! Perfect for cutting through any greasiness.
What’s most unique to Joong San is probably their Black Truffle Mustard. It looks like a tin of caviar, but it is not. The tin contains house-matured mustard seeds with a nice truffle flavour, which pair amazingly with the deep, rich flavours of the meat.
The first tin is complimentary, but the second tin will cost $15.
Some other side dishes you can expect include their house-made pickles, spicy cucumber salad and a seasonal vegetable salad! Banchan is refillable free of charge.
Of Rice & Noodles
Something Joong San has written on their menu is how it’s common for Koreans to enjoy noodles and/or rice towards the end of a Korean BBQ meal.
For something hearty & soupy, they have either a Doenjang Jjigae Set ($15) or a Sundubu Jjigae Set ($15) which comes with a bowl of rice, and some side dishes. I tried the tofu one since they make the tofu in-house and enjoyed it a lot.
They also have cold noodles, which are commonly had during Korean BBQs.
The Perilla Oil Buckwheat Noodles ($21) were quite delicious for me, but I can see how Singaporeans might not be able to enjoy them fully. They freshly press perilla and sesame oils in-house, which is quite impressive. I felt the noodles could have a better chew, but flavour-wise, it was very nutty and rich.
The same goes for the Bibim Naengmyeon ($21), which wasn’t as spicy as I thought, but definitely a refreshing option as a post-KBBQ dish.
Best Korean BBQ in Singapore
Overall, I feel Joong San could be one of the best Korean BBQ joints in Singapore. Service and food, especially the KBBQ part of our experience, were terrific. They might still need some time to fine-tune the side menu dishes, but if you’re looking for a beef-focused KBBQ place in Singapore, I’d recommend this place in a heartbeat.
Joong San
28 Stanley Street, #01-01, Singapore 068737
Mon-Sat, 11:30am-3:30pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm
Closed on Sundays
For reservations, click here
*This article is based on a media-tasting event, but all opinions expressed about the food are entirely our own.
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