Yaksok Review: Affordable Korean-Japanese Stall With Miso Butter Pasta And More In CBD

Yaksok has affordable rice bowls at Amoy Street Food Centre

Amoy Street Food Centre is a treasure trove of hidden gems, from Malaysian-style nasi lemak at Spicy Wife to modern kopi beverages at Coffee Break. Another stall to check out when you’re in the area is Yaksok, which opened at the bustling food centre in May 2024. This Muslim-owned stall serves up a small range of affordable Korean-Japanese mains that are mostly under $10—not bad for the CBD!

If the name “Yaksok” sounds familiar, that’s because the hawker stall used to be a restaurant along Tanjong Pagar Road, specialising in halal fusion dishes and unique mocktail concoctions. Today, Yaksok sits on the first floor of Amoy Street Food Centre, offering a lineup of Muslim-friendly rice bowls and pasta for the office lunch crowd.

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Food at Yaksok

Unfortunately, only five out of nine items were available when we visited on a weekday at 11am. The more interesting mains, such as the Ghochunagi Pasta ($10)—grilled unagi with gochujang pasta— were unavailable on our visit.

We started with the classic Beef Don ($8), where short-grain rice was blanketed with beef sukiyaki, half a hanjuku egg, corn, and cherry tomatoes. You also get some teriyaki sauce served on the side, so you can pour over as much as you like—great for those who want to control their sodium intake.

I appreciated how generous they were with the beef slices. Although the meat was slightly dry, the sweet teriyaki sauce helped to add some moisture. Overall, this was a decent meal for its price, especially when you factor in its portion.

I felt that the Japanese Curry ($8) fared better. Here, you get pearl rice doused in a creamy Japanese curry sauce that’s loaded with potato chunks, finished with a slab of deep-fried chicken cutlet on top.

The chicken cutlet, though thin, was perfectly crispy on the outside with a tender middle. It came piping hot, which suggested that each batch was fried to order.

When enjoyed with the piquant curry, soft potato chunks, and rice, each spoonful was a delightful mix of textures and flavours. My only gripe was that the curry could’ve spicier. In hindsight, I should have showered my rice with the chilli powder by the counter.

Out of the three mains we tried, the Miso Butter Salmon ($10) was a collective favourite.

I was surprised by the size of the salmon when the bowl arrived on our table. It was a sizeable chunk, covering a good portion of the pasta base!

The salmon was cooked just right for me, though my dining companion felt that it could’ve been pinker in the middle. Nonetheless, it was flaky, tender, and well-seasoned within.

The spaghetti boasted an al dente texture, mopping up all the creamy and buttery sauce. The only letdown was that we couldn’t taste any miso in the sauce, which made the flavour profile rather one-dimensional after a while.

Ambience at Yaksok

Yaksok sits on the ground floor of Amoy Street Food Centre, a seven-minute walk from Maxwell, Telok Ayer, and Tanjong Pagar MRT Stations.

The stall is tucked right at the corner along the row of Muslim-owned stalls, so it feels less hectic than the middle sections of the hawker centre.

The verdict

Yaksok is worth checking out if you happen to be in the CBD during the lunch hour. The generous portions and wallet-friendly prices largely made up for the misses during our time here. Hopefully, their unagi items will be available next time!

In other food news, Yang Ming Seafood has opened at Vivocity! Try the popular zi char restaurant’s signature dishes at their new mall outlet. Alternatively, read our guide to the best halal cafes in Singapore for more Muslim-friendly food recommendations.

Address: 7 Maxwell Road, #01-70, Amoy Street Food Centre, Singapore 069111
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am to 2:30pm
Tel: 9727 4547
Website
Yaksok is a Muslim-owned eatery.

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Photos taken by John Lery Villanueva.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg