These days, Korean BBQ restaurants are aplenty — there’s probably at least one in every neighbourhood, not that we’re complaining. If you’re looking to enjoy the deliciousness of Korean BBQ, without having to grill the meat yourself and end up smelling like the BBQ grill, then Bulgogi Syo in Bugis might be your new favourite hangout spot.
Bulgogi Syo is helmed by the same team behind another popular Korean BBQ chain in Singapore, Seorae. But what sets them apart from their sister brand is Bulgogi Syo uses a three-step grilling process that has cuts of meats torched, grilled, and flambéed at your table — bonus points for the little fireshow done at your table.
We kicked off our meat-tastic meal with the Angus Beef Ribeye (S$28.90) which had thick and juicy cuts of meat served alongside a runny sunny side up egg, kimchi and pumpkin slices. The juicy beef cuts were served doused in alcohol before being flambéed before our very eyes. You better whip out your phones quickly before the flames disappear.
Taste-wise, I absolutely fell in love with the sweet marinade and the smokiness from the grill. I also love that the meats were thick and juicy which made it even more enjoyable. They were seared to perfection, with just the right amount of char on the meat.
However, you won’t be able to request the doneness of the meat given the three-step grilling process of course. But even though the meat comes served medium well, they’re still super yummy especially when you wrap it in a lettuce leaf with some kimchi — true Korean style.
We also had a serving of LA Galbi (S$39.90) — another cut of meat that is iconic to Korean BBQ restaurants. This was one of the best LA galbi I’ve had. It was well marinated and cooked to a fall-off-the-bone soft. The charred bits really helped to elevate the flavours of the beef. I’m definitely ordering this again on my next visit.
The Duroc Pork Belly (S$20.90) is another must-order — is it really K-BBQ if you didn’t have pork belly? What I loved about the pork belly was that it had a great fat-to-meat ratio. I always love my pork belly to be a little bit on the charred side, and here the pork belly had a nice smokey char while still being juicy and flavourful.
What’s interesting here is they also offer Pork Ribs (S$26.90) — something you don’t typically see at regular Korean BBQ restaurants. I love me a good pork rib, and the ones served here are fall-off-the-bone tender and generously coated in a sweet and lightly spicy sauce. My only gripe was that the meat here was a tad bland.
We introduced some seafood into the mix with the Spicy Baby Octopus (S$25.90) which had a generous serving of baby octopus drenched in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce. The octopus was chewy and complimented the spicy sauce. If you’ve got a low spice tolerance, you might wanna skip this dish as the spicy sauce does pack a pretty punch.
Apart from grilled meats, Bulgogi Syo also has some pretty amazing Korean street snacks too. We definitely recommend getting the Bacon Kongnamul Pancake (S$15.90) which is super crispy and pairs perfectly with the aged kimchi.
It also comes with a sweet and spicy sauce to give the dish an added flavour. However, the savouriness from the bacon shone through here and it might get a little jelak after a while. If you prefer something more classic, you can go for the seafood or kimchi version too.
Another quintessential Korean snack is the Cheesy Tteokbokki with Kimari (S$17.90). I can never say no to a serving of cheesy tteokbokki because it’s a combination that can do no wrong. The tteokbokki is nicely crisp on the outside, but super chewy on the inside. The sauce tasted pretty authentic too, though a little on the spicy side.
The cheese does help to mellow down the spiciness, plus you get a free fire show as the cheese is torched at your table, so you get piping hot cheese and an oh so satisfying cheese pull.
The tteokbokki is served alongside a set of kimari which is rice noodles wrapped in a seaweed before it is deep fried to a nice golden brown. The kimari is a little on the peppery side and is best enjoyed hot so you get a nice crunch from the fried batter and the seaweed.
To finish our meal, we had a nice soothing bowl of Chadol Beanpaste Jiggae (S$16.90) that was spicy, fragrant, and came chock full of ingredients — the perfect way to end a hearty meaty affair.
Overall, I was really impressed by the quality of meats served here. The Korean snacks we had were also pretty yummy too!
If you’re ever in the Bugis area or wandering around the new Woodleigh Mall, you know where to head to for some hearty Korean BBQ.
Bulgogi Syo
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???? 200 Victoria Street, Bugis Junction #02-49, Singapore 188021
???? 11:30am—10pm (Daily)
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