Authentic Korean food places in Singapore for under $15

Like you, we’ve been binge-watching Korean dramas whilst lamenting at our halted travel plans to Seoul. If you’re craving some Korean cuisine, there are no better choices than the ones prepared by authentic Koreans in Singapore. And the best part? It doesn’t have to be expensive.

Check out these authentic Korean food places in Singapore for under S$15.

1. Pink Candy (Beauty World Centre)

The unmistakably authentic greeting by lady boss Helena Kim lets you know that your food is about to be prepared by skilful hands. Fun fact: Pink Candy was previously a restaurant located at Beauty World Centre, before it shifted to become a hawker stall on the same level.

You now get to pair your meal with a modest rooftop view, which becomes especially romantic when the sun starts to sets.

According to reviews online, the main dishes to go for are the Ginseng Chicken with rice ($8.90, small), Cold Noodle ($7.90) and Squid and Pork Belly Bulgogi with rice ($13.90). If you’re with a buddy, consider their Army Stew ($22.90) for two which comes packed with tofu, luncheon meat, sausage, rice cakes and more.

For a lip-smacking side, try their Fried Chicken ($13.90, nine pieces) in original, soy sauce or spicy flavour.

Address:
Pink Candy
Beauty World Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, #04-60, Singapore 588177
Opening hours: 10.30am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 9pm (daily, closed on Tues)
Telephone: +65 9170 2365
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2. Kim Dae Mun (Concorde Hotel)

When it comes to affordable yet tasty Korean cuisine, Kim Dae Mun at Concorde Hotel is a crowd favourite. Often packed with office workers and students around the vicinity, the eatery is a family business founded by current owner Kim Hyeon Ju’s father.

For meat lovers, we suggest going for their filling and delicious portions of Spicy Pork ($9) or Tender Sliced Beef ($10.50), where each hotplate comes with a bowl of rice, soup and a side of either fried anchovies, kimchi or cucumber.

Another highly raved about item is their soups like the kimchi ($8) and beef ($8) options, which are known to be satisfyingly flavourful and filled with ingredients.

Address:
Kim Dae Mun
Concorde Hotel
100 Orchard Road, #01-03D, Singapore 238840
Opening hours: 11am – 8.30pm (Tues – Sun, closed on Mon)
Telephone: +65 6737 6857
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3. Korean Cuisine (Marsiling)

It might be easy to just stumble past the hawker stall as it does not have a name. But, you can identify it with its “Korean Cuisine” menu and friendly Korean ahjussi (uncle in Korean) Suh Chin Won. Back during circuit breaker, his stall attracted long lines of support after his daughter, who is a Nanyang Technological University graduate, posted about their business on Facebook’s Hawkers United group.

Compared to your typical Korean food stall, their menu is much more extensive. You’ll have a tough time picking from their soups (kimchi, beef, tofu, seafood), hotplates (beef, chicken, pork, saba fish), ramen, bibimbap (Korean mixed rice) and rice cakes. Sadly, the budae chigae (army stew) is not available.

The prices of the dishes range from S$4 to S$7.80, so even if you go a little crazy when ordering, your wallet won’t feel the pinch.

Address:
Korean Cuisine
Blk 136
Marsiling Road, #01-2188, Singapore 730136
Opening hours: 10am – 2pm, 5pm – 7pm (daily, but timings may differ)
Telephone: +65 9689 4007

4. Waker Chicken

Foodies of Toa Payoh should be no strangers to Waker Chicken, located at Johnson Eatery. The fried chicken stall is manned by a Korean couple, and often attracts quite a crowd during peak hours. You can also find hearty items on the menu like Sun Tofu Soup with rice ($6.50), Jja Jang Myun ($7), Army Stew for two pax ($18), and more.

But of course, the star is still their fried chicken, which comes in original crispy, sweet-spicy, soy sauce and honey butter flavours. Depending on your pick, it’s $13 to $14 for seven pieces and $25 to $27 for 14 pieces, which is great for sharing. If you prefer to skip the bones, they serve up tenders or fillets too for $6 (four pieces) or $11 (eight pieces).

Out of all the flavours, the honey butter chicken seems to be the most popular among customers. It is known to be addictive and tasty, and best eaten on the spot when freshly served.

Address:
Waker Chicken
Johnson Eatery
125 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, #01-523, Singapore 310125
Opening hours: 6pm – 10.30pm (Mon – Fri, closed on Tues), 1pm – 10.30pm (Sat – Sun)
Telephone: +65 9777 4879

Time to grab some chingus (friends in Korean) for some authentic yet affordable Korean cuisine.