Korean restaurants in Tanjong Pagar are a dime a dozen, but only a handful feel like home to me—as someone whose home country is Korea. Charim Korean BBQ is one of the few that reminds me of Korea, partly because a Korean mother-daughter duo runs the restaurant, so you know their offerings are legit. You won’t see much of the imo AKA auntie as she’s busy running the kitchen, but you might be lucky enough to catch her daughter helping out in the dining area.
My colleague and I tried their Beef Shrimp Spicy Rice Cake ($28++) first, which is only available after 9pm every day. This dish is part of their anju menu, which refers to snacks or foods that pair well with alcoholic drinks. There are a few variations of tteokbokki in our culture: sweet, spicy, creamy and the list goes on. Here, you can expect a nice balance of sweet-spicy flavours without one overpowering the other.
Great for two or three diners, the Beef Shrimp Spicy Rice Cake was brimming with a variety of yummy ingredients: chewy rice cakes, fresh peeled prawns, and thinly sliced tender beef brisket. At first, I thought the price tag was a little steep for tteokbokki, but seeing how generous they were with every ingredient, it was justified.
We were also served a piping hot stone pot of their Soybean Stew ($13++). You can choose from three types of ingredients: pork, beef, and vegetable. We decided to get the beef as there’s just something comforting about the combination of brisket and soybean stew. And it turned out to be a good choice as my colleague and I went for seconds and thirds.Â
We ended our meal with a huge plate of Chive Pancake ($24++), which resembled the one my grandma would make for me back home. Also, the picture doesn’t do justice to how big the portion was—this can easily be shared among four to five diners.
Their jeon checked off almost every box of what I would consider a legit Korean-style pancake. It was crispy on the outside, and wasn’t thick to the extent that the insides were dry and doughy. Although the batter was a tad bland, the savoury dipping sauce that comprised soya sauce, red chilli, and spring onions compensated for it.
If you’re out with a group of friends in the CBD, Charim Korean BBQ is a great spot for your consideration. The restaurant is a quick four-minute walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, and opens till the wee hours every day, except Monday.
An alternative late-night spot in the area is Sodam Korean Restaurant, a legit K-BBQ restaurant that opens till 6am. Else, read our guide to the best Korean restaurants in Singapore!
Address: 65 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088486
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 11:30am to 1am, Sun 11:30am to 12am
Website
Charim Korean BBQ is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Kaedynce Chew.
This was a media tasting at Charim Korean BBQ.