I’m not the biggest fan of Korean dramas, but even then, I recall how popular Descendants of the Sun was in 2016. It garnered so much love that Dal.Komm Coffee, a Korean cafe featured in the drama, rode on the wave of popularity and even reached our shores in the same year the series became a hit. The famed coffee chain recently launched a cool dining concept named Dal.Komm Playground at Guoco Midtown in Bugis.
We encourage you to head down in a pair or a group of three or four as there’s a wide array of dishes and drinks great for sharing. One great example is the Signature Seafood Kimchi Ramyun Soup ($39.90++), starring a robust seafood broth with springy noodles and fresh crab, octopus, and prawns.Â
If having just Korean ramyeon doesn’t fill you up, we recommend pairing it with a huge platter of their Seafood Pancake ($23.90++). This crispy pancake stars house-made kimchi batter mixed with scallops, octopus, prawns, and onions, and is ideal for sharing among three or four diners.Â
If the Korean pancake is too much, get their Pan Fried Sotteok ($16.90++) instead. This sharing dish comes with six pieces of rice cakes and four pieces of sausages coated in a sweet-spicy sauce.
My colleague and I really enjoyed pairing the three dishes with the gorgeous Strawberry Makgeolli Bingsu ($38++). This is essentially a DIY alcoholic dessert, where you can add however much rice wine you like—you get a 1.2-litre bottle of this—into the bowl of bingsu packed with crushed ice and berries.
FYI, you don’t have to like the taste of alcohol to enjoy this drink as the addition of fruits helps to mellow out the bitterness by a great deal.Â
Those working in the area can get the K-Bowl Vegetarian ($14.90++) and Beef Bulgogi Sandwich with Chips ($18.90++) as they are hearty and relatively healthy lunch options.Â
The former is similar to bibimbap, topped with lots of vegetables, gochujang sauce, and sesame oil, while the latter features two sourdough toasts brimming with sweet-savoury bulgogi and melted cheese, served with Korean potato chips on the side.
And finally, time for dessert. This pretty Cruffin French Toast ($18.90++) was interesting; the hot cruffins coated in a sweet egg mixture, then pan-fried, were soft, dense, and buttery, complementing well with the vanilla ice cream.
Dal.Komm Playground is situated on the first floor of Guoco Midtown, and is a quick three-minute walk from Bugis MRT Station. We loved that there was plenty of natural sunlight got into the cafe thanks to the huge windows and high ceilings.
For more food places to check out in the area, read our Umai Artisanal Udon Bar review, where we tried the Tokyo-viral flat udon. Otherwise, find out more about So Do Fun, a China-famous restaurant with Sichuan boiled fish and more.
Address: 128 Beach Road, #01-08, Guoco Midtown, Singapore 189773
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Website
Dal.Komm Playground is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Hor Kia Ee.
This was a media tasting at Dal.Komm Playground.