BBQ Friend (BBQ 친구) — Restaurant in Singapore

Wanted to reserve a table online but couldn't find a slot for the same day so headed down early before they open at 530pm and surprisingly, there were two other groups of people who did the same. I guess it's because of limited tables, probably only 6 to 8 tables in total. So it's recommended to make a reservation prior to going down.

We ordered Set C ($59) which is pork set for two, comes with 3 different pork. 2 slabs of pork belly, thinly sliced black pork belly, 1 marinated pork collar. The set also includes soy bean base soup and a korean style steamed egg (both were probably one pax portion). We also added on a kimchi pancake ($18). They also serve 6 different kinds of side dishes. Total damage including GST and service charge for two pax is $84.70.

Portion for the BBQ set is not a lot, if you're a heavy meat eater, I guess you can easily finish the whole set by yourself. Altho the price is on a steep side for the quantity but it is worth the quality. The pork we had didn't have any unpleasant porky smell/taste, even tho the pork belly was all natural, not marinated.

Kimchi pancake was on a thicker side, there is a bite to it and at the same time, it's crispy on the outside. The dipping sauce was fragrant and not as salty as those that I tried at some other Korean eateries. The portion is good for 4 pax sharing, we couldn't finish it and dabao it home.

Side dishes were pretty normal but I didn't quite like the kimchi on its own. The anchovies and seaweed were nice tho. The sides dishes are all free flow so you can ask for refill.

The crews there were all quite friendly, attentive, and polite. They will explain the BBQ to you, telling you which meat to bbq first and whatnot. They will help you to change the paper without you asking too.

Overall, a nice authentic kbbq place and if you're feeling rich, can go there and try their bbq meat cos it's honestly quite fresh (for the pork that we tried) altho the quantity for the meat is not a lot but it can make up with one side dish...

This place is definitely a gem that's hidden in the heartlands! Did a random search on Google maps to satisfy our Korean fix and this little restaurant popped up! If you try searching around, you will notice that this is the only Korean restaurant in SG that has such a high rating (4.9 stars), and there's a very good reason why!

Food & Price: It's good but not mindblowingly good imho, maybe it's just me but I think it's pretty tough for Korean food to be outstanding, there's definitely room for improvement! ☺️ We ordered a Set C (BBQ pork portions with steamed egg and soup) and half a fried chicken (soya), it was just nice for a group of 4 to share! The BBQ pork is of good quality while the fried chicken is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside (even for the breast)! Oh and a plus point is that the menu is decently priced, and there's some ongoing promotions for free drinks on the next visit and a loyalty rewards card too! 👍🏼

Ambience & Service: This is the real attraction I would say! We went yesterday on a weekday night, it wasn't excessively crowded but we made a reservation anyway. The restaurant is tucked away in an ulu corner of Kovan, but it has a very warm and cozy feel on the inside (has the vibes of 담밤 from Itaewon Class!). Service is immaculate, the brothers who are owners of the restaurant will try their best to attend to you and help to cook your meat even though they're super busy! They're kind and patient enough to share why the meats are cooked in a certain way and explained the importance of grill placement, interesting indeed and we had a good chat with 1 of the brothers! Super friendly guys and this is what I think is truly exceptional, you rarely get this kind of service at other Korean restaurants!

Enough said, highly recommend everyone and anyone to give them a chance to...

I was there with my wife for a weekday lunch. Its our first time here. And we were immediately immersed in a full Korean atmosphere!

There were tables of Korean men happily chatting and eating away. Always a good sign if you see a nationality supporting their national food in a restaurant! Their service and initiative was top notch. I wasn't just reporting on my own table experience. I was also observing how the staff interacted and served the various tables in this mid sized joint. Well done!

I ordered the Budae Jiggae and Seafood Pancake. The Army Stew was loaded with ingredients that were to be expected and it was well balanced. As the stew brewed on, the soup became more and more viscous. The good thing was that it never became overly salty but its amazing flavour just became more intense. For small eaters, this pot can easily feed three. To feast, two to a pot will be just nice.

The Seafood Pancake was crispy on the outside and filled with wonderfully cooked seafood as described in their menu. The accompanying sauce was a must and it blends very well with the layers of goodness that was savoured with each bite.

Their side dishes were also delicious. A true measure of any Korean restaurant is their kimchi, and theirs was well made. If they made it themselves, I'm impressed. It was not too sour but maintained a good kick of spice and pungence.

Although this restaurant is hidden in a little corner of Serangoon, its quality food and ambience will only serve to increase its stature and customer base, and I do hope it will stay around for as long as possible, to keep shining as a true authentic...