Meatchelin Review: SG’s First Lamb K-BBQ With “Oppa Chefs” In Tanjong Pagar

Meatchelin has lamb K-BBQ by oppa chefs in Tanjong Pagar

Meatchelin, a relatively new restaurant in Tanjong Pagar, has two elements that make it an interesting prospect. Firstly, it is said to be the first Korean BBQ restaurant in Singapore to offer lamb, and secondly, the meat you order will be grilled in front of you by Korean “oppa chefs”. Yes, seriously.

According to Meatchelin, the idea of having lamb at barbecues is catching on in Korea. But will Singaporeans, especially those who do not enjoy the flavour of lamb, find this concept palatable? To find out the answer, we decided to visit the restaurant.

Food at Meatchelin

Upon taking our seats, the oppa chefs—who all hail from Korea—got down to business. They buzzed around the beautifully lit open kitchen you see above, and after serving some appetisers, began preparing our meat dishes.

Our oppa chef began grilling the Meatchelin Signature Lamb Ribs ($138++), which consists of six pieces of lamb ribs.

Soon enough, the lamb ribs were separated into either smaller chunks of meat, or pieces where a part with the bone was still attached to the meat.

If you’re not a fan of the gamey taste and smell of lamb, I can assure you that these lamb ribs do not have those qualities. Having been grass-fed and raised for more than 10 months on Australian pastures, these ribs had such a clean yet meaty flavour. Cooked till medium rare, they were also smoky, succulent, and melt-in-your-mouth.

I understand that even after what I just said, some of you still wouldn’t go near lamb meat with a ten-foot pole. What you can have instead are the other meat dishes, such as the Wagyu Sirloin ($58++).

Even though this was “just” a sirloin cut, it was still really good in terms of taste and texture. Beefy, buttery, and tender is how I would describe this Wagyu steak.

Meatchelin also served us two seafood dishes: the Scallops ($15++) and Jumbo Red Shrimp ($15++). While the scallops were decent, we would not recommend ordering the shrimp, as they were not particularly fresh. Even the smokiness of the grill wasn’t really present in this dish.

The restaurant’s kimchi is worth a mention as well. While many Korean eateries in Singapore premake their kimchi, Meatchelin insists on preparing it before your eyes.

Because of this, we found the kimchi here to be way fresher than that at your average Korean eatery. Each piece of cabbage was gloriously crunchy and packed with both piquant and umami notes. By the way, Meatchelin also offers traditional white kimchi, which doesn’t have as much of a spicy element, but is equally delicious.

Ambience at Meatchelin

Meatchelin has a fairly unique appearance. Its bar concept is fitted with smoke-absorbing grills and a mix of purple and yellow lights, and there’s an artificial tree at the centre of it all. That’s quite the vibe for enjoying K-BBQ and drinking soju with friends.

Meatchelin is a three-minute walk away from Maxwell MRT Station.

The verdict

Even if you’re not a fan of lamb or mutton, I would still recommend giving Meatchelin a shot as it may possibly change your opinion on it. The restaurant provides delicious eats overall, and its gimmick—the oppa chefs—may appeal to you as well.

For more Korean eateries in the area, read our best Korean Restaurants in Tanjong Pagar and CBD guide. For KBBQ buffets, have a look at our best Korean BBQ buffets in Singapore guide.

Address: 66 Tanjong Pagar Road, #02-01, Singapore 088487
Opening hours: Daily 5pm to 12am
Tel: 9699 0373
Website
Meatchelin is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Melvin Mak.
This was a media tasting at Meatchelin.