We all love Korean food and if you’re like me and can’t make the trip over to Korea anytime soon, we have to look for options in Singapore to satisfy our cravings. This wildly popular Korean chain with over 50 outlets in Seoul has just opened its first outlet in Singapore — hooray!
Are you craving some spicy garlic chicken stew? Time to head down to Kelim Dakdoritang in Serangoon.
The cosy 55-seater restaurant is located in Kensington Park, just a stone’s throw away from the popular Chomp Chomp Food Centre. The diner is overflowing with Korean vibes with its in-built stove dining tables and chairs that double up as a storage space for your bags.
Kelim Dakdoritang specialises in Spicy Garlic ‘bomb’ Chicken Stew (from S$36.90) — and let’s just say, the dish really lives up to its name, especially the garlic bomb. The dish is served with a mountain of garlic which might seem like heaven for garlic lovers (myself included). But be warned, as the stew simmers, you might get a little teary-eyed.
Apart from making your eyes sting a little, the heap of garlic adds a ton of aromatics and flavour to the chicken broth. The spicy version of the dish isn’t too fiery, so even if you’ve got a low spice tolerance, you’ll still be able to enjoy it.
The chicken and garlic combination not only enhances the taste of the soup but also makes it a stamina booster. The soup is very garlicky and with a light bitter aftertaste but you can always adjust the flavour to your liking by adding more soup base.
The chicken pieces were tender and is best enjoyed with the vinegar-soy sauce mix which imparts a salty and mildly sour flavour. My only gripe is that I wish the dish was slightly spicier or if there was chilli paste of some sort to pair with the chicken.
The stew is also chock-full of Tteokbokki, or Korean rice cakes, which you are recommended to finish first as they might lose their chewiness if left in the pot for too long. You can also add on more ingredients like sausage, king oyster mushrooms, and quail eggs to make your meal a little bit heartier.
After downing the rice cakes, you can add in the kalguksu, or knife cut noodles. Unlike Chinese knife cut noodles, kalguksu is thick and chewy, with more of a fettuccine texture.
Another must-try dish is the Bocumbap, or K-Style Fried Rice. The rice is prepared using the balance of the spicy garlic stew to give it a rich flavour and strong aromatics.
It is fried with nori and bits of pickled radish to give it an added sweetness. I loved that the rice was nicely scorched which gives it a slight crunch — although bits of it do get stuck in between your teeth.
Kelim Dakdoritang also has other chicken-based dishes like Dakbal (S$19.90), and Dakttongjip (S$15.90). The Dakbal, or chicken feet, came in a spicier sauce with a stronger taste of gochugaru which was a little too strong for my liking.
I would have preferred if the sauce was slightly thicker and sweeter. However, when paired with the soft and crunchy chicken feet, the pepper taste does get slightly muted.
The Dakttongjip, or chicken gizzard, came high-recommended by the chef of Kelim. So, even the non-gizzard lover had to give it a go. It was surprisingly not as bad as I expected, partly because it was deep-fried — anything will taste better if it’s deep-fried. I recommend dipping it in the soy sauce mix for a more umami flavour!
For dessert, you should definitely order the Hotteok (S$9.90) which is a traditional Korean sweet pancake with a brown sugar and nut filling — it is a must-have at any Korean restaurant whenever I see it on the menu.
I love that the outside was nice and crispy while the filling was nutty and sweet. I only wish that they added more filling for a more consistent crust to filling ratio.
Kelim Daktoritang has plenty of other authentic Korean dishes on the menu including Kimari, Jumeokbap DIY Flying Fish Roe Rice Ball, and even Grilled Semi Dried Squid. Since I won’t be flying off to Korea anytime soon, I will definitely be coming back to give these a try!
Craving some authentic Korean dishes? Make your reservation for Kelim Daktoritang here now!
Kelim Dakdoritang
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???? 14B Kensington Park Road, Singapore 557265
???? 11.30am—2.30pm, 5.30pm—10pm (Daily)
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Photos by Marcus Leong
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