K-Drama Actor Song Kang Approves Of This Korean Grilled Chicken Spot, But Is It Worth The Hype?

Song Gye Ok opens in SG with famous Korean grilled chicken 

Korean BBQ is usually my go-to celebration meal after hitting a major milestone. But like most people, I tend to stick to the classic meats: premium pork belly or marbled beef cuts. So when I heard about the opening of Song Gye Ok, a new restaurant from Seoul that’s famous for its grilled chicken, my interest was piqued. After all, it’s one of Korea’s most popular chicken BBQ chains—their outlets see long queues daily, and they’ve garnered the stamp of approval from numerous Korean celebrities, including the popular actor Song Kang of Sweet Home and Nevertheless. 

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Food at Song Gye Ok

We started our meal with their signature Sgo Signature Platter ($98++), which showcases the restaurant’s core appeal: specialty chicken cuts that are seldom offered elsewhere, grilled over traditional charcoal. 

This 720g plate of meat consists of Boneless Chicken Neck Fillet, Gizzard AKA chicken innards, Heart, Softbone, Thigh, and Tenders. 

If you’re here as a pair, opt for the Chicken Grill Platter ($68++), comprising 470g of the same cuts of meat, minus the chicken neck. There are a la carte options too, for those looking for specific cuts of meat.

A staff member expertly grilled the chicken right in front of us, and we appreciated that the cooked meat was left on the grill to keep it warm throughout our meal.

The first cut we tried was the Heart, which came thinly sliced. I expected a mushy texture, but was pleasantly surprised by its satisfying chew and subtle meaty flavour.

If you’re getting a la carte, a must-order is their Boneless Neck Fillet. It was fleshy, tender, and had a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The Gizzard, on the other hand, had a texture similar to soft bone. It was savoury and clean-tasting, without much of a gamey flavour.

Finally, we moved on to the Thigh and Tenders, which featured a few pieces of chicken breast and thigh meat. As with most breast meat, the chicken wasn’t the most tender or juicy, but the biggest let-down for us was the thigh meat, as it was as tough as the breast.

Thankfully, the selection of condiments helped to elevate the otherwise plain and dry meat, making the experience much more enjoyable.

You get six house-made condiments to pair with your protein: creamy and sweet sriracha mayo, diced garlic, salt, soy sauce, chopped shishito pepper—a popular Korean chilli—and shishito pepper tossed in a tangy yuzu sauce. A word of caution: go easy on the shishito peppers, as a small slice carries a potent kick.

Korean fare lovers will be glad to know that Song Gye Ok is a sister brand of the popular samgyetang spot, MODU restaurant, famous for its long queues during peak hours. The Truffle Samgyetang ($34++) is an outlet-exclusive item at Song Gye Ok. It stars a creamy truffle broth with a whole, tender chicken packed with glutinous rice and jujube, topped with ginseng root, chives, and truffle slices for extra flavour.

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We appreciated how soft the meat was—it came off the bone with a slight poke from our chopsticks. As for the broth, it was thick and creamy, reminding me almost of a rich mushroom soup. We loved how the soup boasted pronounced truffle notes as well.

Do note that samgyetang is available only for lunch, while K-BBQ is offered exclusively on the dinner menu.

If samgyetang isn’t your thing, go for the delicious Sgo Signature Doenjang Stew ($24++) instead. 

At first glance, the dish looked like kimchi stew with its bright orange hue, except the soup wasn’t spicy at all. Instead, it was rich and fragrant with the deep, savoury flavour profile of doenjang, a fermented soybean paste. 

The stew came with generous portions of tofu, shiitake mushrooms, chopped onions, and fresh vegetables, making each spoonful satisfyingly comforting. Texture-wise, the soup had a grainy consistency, similar to miso soup but with a richer flavour. 

Soups aside, a must-try at Song Gye Ok is their Bibim Noodles ($24++), a twist on the classic bibimbap that’s typically served with white rice. This cold noodle dish helped to quell the heavier flavours of the items we had earlier.

It features a bed of QQ noodles topped with pickled vegetables, fresh onions, lettuce, Korean seaweed, minced chicken tenders, and a dollop of spicy gochugaru sauce.

When mixed, the noodles boasted a sweet-tangy flavour with a light kick of spice. Just a bite of this dish immediately earned our nods of approval.

Pair your mains with their Grilled Rice Ball ($8++), which comes as two jumbo samgak kimbaps. These triangle-shaped rice balls are brushed with soy sauce on the outside and lightly torched, giving them a smoky, sweet-umami finish. 

Each bite was rich and fragrant from the sesame oil, and the surprise pops of ebiko hidden within added a briny touch that we found addictive.

We cleansed our palette with their Earl Grey Highball ($14++).

The ingredients are simple: Earl Grey-infused gin, sparkling water, and a wedge of lemon for a citrusy kick. As an unseasoned alcohol drinker, I found this cocktail pretty beginner-friendly—light, fragrant, and easy to sip on without being too boozy.

Ambience at Song Gye Ok

Much like its sister restaurant MODU, Song Gye Ok exudes a warm, rustic charm reminiscent of a traditional Korean hanok. However, while MODU features a bright and airy design, this restaurant opts for a moodier vibe. Dark-tinted windows let in just a sliver of natural light, while soft, warm lighting sets the tone, creating a cosy and intimate atmosphere.

With just over 50 seats, it’s not the largest K-BBQ restaurant you’ll find, but the layout is thoughtfully arranged to ensure a comfortable dining experience, with ample space between each group. There’s also an open kitchen, where you can catch the Korean chefs in action as they prepare your meats.

For easy access, Song Gye Ok is conveniently located a three-minute walk from Telok Ayer MRT Station.

Song Gye Ok – Eatbook review

While Song Gye Ok delivered a fairly authentic Korean dining experience, I have to admit that the star of the show, their chicken, fell short of my expectations. Perhaps I’ll stick to my usual pork and beef cuts when it comes to Korean BBQ next time.

That’s not to say that the restaurant isn’t worth a visit, though, as most of the other dishes we tried were genuinely delicious, with mains such as the Sgo Signature Doenjang Stew and Bibim Noodles standing out as highlights. I’ll consider paying another visit the next time I’m in the area!

In related content, check out our CheongDamChae review, where your meats are cooked with an automatic grill. Alternatively, Seoul Noodle Shop is another popular eatery for Korean fare just around the corner.

Address: 113 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068582
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm, Sat-Sun 11am to 10pm
Website
Song Gye Ok is not a halal-certified eatery.

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Photos taken by Tan Tao Zhi.
This was a media tasting at Song Gye Ok.