Kimbap (and low-carb, or rice-less variations) has been making its rounds in Singapore lately, with eateries like Oni Kimbap and Futoru gaining popularity amongst foodies.
Now you can have more choices for your favourite lunch staple, rice-less options included, with the opening of Friends Kimbap at Orchard Gateway.
This top selling kimbap chain in Shanghai brings classic kimbap flavours, each packed with generous amounts of ingredients, low-carb options and unique inari sushi that departs from the traditional Japanese style to their debut outlet in Singapore.
Other than the usual flavours like roast beef (S$10.90), fried spicy pork (S$9.90) and kimchi (S$9.90), they also offer Crab Meat Kimbap (S$11.90) featuring crab meat specially flown in from Korea.
We gave their Roast Beef Kimbap and Cheese Kimbap (S$9) a try, which comes with a variety of sauces like mayonnaise, sriracha sauce and even wasabi that you can add on for a dollar. As a cheese lover, I felt that the cheese kimbap could do with more cheese, and otherwise tasted a little bland without dipping sauces.
We also went with the Low-carb Beef Kimbap (S$13.90) which had egg sheets replacing the rice. Comprising hearty portions of carrots, cucumbers, egg sheets and fragrant roast beef, it definitely is much more filling than it looks. I felt full halfway into my portion, and I’m usually quite a big eater!
What pleasantly surprised me was their stuffed inari sushi. Unlike traditional Japanese inari sushi, the rice is just seasoned with sugar and salt, intentionally allowing the flavourful toppings to shine without the overpowering tang of vinegar.
My favourite was the Crab Meat Salad Inari Sushi (S$3) which was delightfully light and refreshing. The salad dressing was not cloying like most and paired well with the fresh crab meat, creating a harmonious bite with the lightly seasoned rice and sweet tofu skin.
We also ordered their Tuna Inari Sushi (S$3) and Kimchi Inari Sushi (S$2.50) — though in my opinion their kimchi could’ve been a lot more spicy and tangy.
Friends Kimbap also offers value sets (S$15.80) for those who are looking to try a little of everything. Each set comes with half a roll of kimbap, three inari sushi and a stir-fried rice cake or fish cake soup.
Looking for a healthy lunch? Check out Friends Kimbap at Orchard Gateway!
Friends Kimbap
Website
???? 277 Orchard Road, Orchard Gateway, B1-11, Singapore 238858
???? 10am–10pm (Daily)
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Photos by Kaye Yeo
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