You’ve probably seen the abnormally large blowtorches used at Bulgogi Syo to torch its meat on social media. This grand show of theatricality is only one part of Bulgogi Syo’s unique three-step process of cooking meat, where each cut of meat is first seared, torched, then flambéed tableside on personal hotpans. Specials at Bulgogi Syo include Duroc pork belly, pork baby back ribs and Angus beef tenderloin, which are best accompanied by sides bacon and beansprouts pancakes, or jjampong (seafood stew).

Bulgogi Syo
Address: 200 Victoria Street, 02-49 Bugis Junction, S(188021)

Located along the stretch of Korean barbecue eateries along Tanjong Pagar Road, Charim Korean Bbq went viral after its owner, 28-year-old Korean native Ryu Jiah, shared how she quit her dream job at Apple to open a Korean barbecue restaurant on TikTok. Here, you will find all the meats that make the restaurant worth a visit, including seasoned king beef rib, soy chicken, and salted pork neck. What makes this restaurant special is its DIY sushi rice platter, which comes with eight sushi rice balls to top with whatever meat your heart desires. 

Charim Korean Bbq
Address: 65 Tanjong Pagar Road, S(088486)

With stylish interiors and even better food, Omma deserves to be on your list of Korean barbecue spots to try. Besides delectable cuts like Iberico pork jowl, beef striploin and lumina lamb, you also get the option of choosing your preferred wood for your charcoal barbecue, including lychee, pine, cherry, and apple. If you’re one for Korean fried chicken, Omma also has you covered, with sides like garlic soy chicken, honey shoking chicken, and cheese sprinkle chicken. 

Omma (multiple outlets)
Address: 21 Lorong Mambong, S(277680), +65 6365 3688 

Nanta Bbq has been pleasing customers since 2014 with its version of Korean barbecue. The secret? 40-day dry-aged A5 Wagyu and Kurobuta black pork, grilled over binchōtan for a pure, odourless flavour. Enjoy them grilled on a hot plate following a traditional Korean royal recipe, or indulge in instead in stir-fried chicken topped with melted cheese.

Nanta Bbq
Address: 175 Thomson Road, 01-175/177 Goldhill Centre, S(307624)

Expect quality cuts like Wagyu and kurobuta at this swish joint in Dempsey, which is appointed in chic black and white fittings. The beef hails from the US and Australia, the pork from Spain and Canada, the chicken from Brazil, and the duck breast from France; there’s also abalone, diver’s scallops, and black tiger prawns. Staff will cook the meat over a charcoal wire grill—not the typical electric metal plate—while the Korean chef in the back whips up a mouthwatering assortment of traditional dishes: oyster pancake with lotus root, bibimbap with octopus, salmon, tuna, prawns and flying fish roe, and galbi (beef short rib) stew with chestnuts, ginkgo, dates and Korean ginseng.

Chang Korean Charcoal BBQ Restaurant | 71 Loewen Road, 01-01 S(248847)  | +65 6473 9005 

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Wang Dae Bak has been a longtime crowd favourite since 2011. Hit up either outlet at Cross Street or Amoy Street—the latter is a few doors down from their “Pocha” concept, which offers a similar menu except there’s spicy cheese tteokbokki, okonomiyaki, and fried chicken (honey soya, sweet and spicy, onion sauce) available for dinner and on weekends. Daily, all three shops offer truffle boneless prime rib, pork collar marinated with pears and onions, chestnut Duroc pork collar, and MB5 Australian wagyu oyster blade steak, which boasts similar marbling to A4 wagyu. Spring for a huge crisp half-half pancake of kimchi and seafood, a great pairing for any protein.

Wang Dae Bak BBQ | 98 Amoy Street, S(069918) | wangdaebaksg@gmail.com

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This US-based chain has four outlets, two in Los Angeles and two in Singapore at Clarke Quay Central and Shaw Centre. People come for the signature 8 Colours Set, an octet of thick pork belly slices marinated with ingredients of increasing flavour intensity: original, wine, ginseng, garlic, herbs, curry, miso paste and gochujang (red pepper paste). The pig itself is the Hungarian Mangalitza hog: dubbed the ‘Kobe beef of pork’, it’s fed on a diet of acorns, pumpkin and sugar beet, and boasts double the marbling of its swine counterparts. For dessert, order the photogenic Bibimbap Bingsu, cleverly topped with a whipped cream and peach “egg”. The franchise is run by restaurateur Jamie Lim, who also owns candy chain Sticky and Korean bar Joo.

Eight Korean BBQ | 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #02-79/90 The Central, S(059817) | 8692 1188

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Another concept by South Korean celebrity chef Paik Jong Won (he runs Paik’s Bibim and Paik’s Coffee), the star of this KBBQ chain, first launched in Gangnam in 1993, is woo samgyup: thin beef brisket and flank slices dressed in a light marinade. Initially designed for foreigners, the chef’s creation maintains the raw beef’s ruby hue to avoid misconceptions about stale bulgogi, whose soy sauce seasoning imparts a dark colour to the meat. To eat, dip it in a seasoned soybean paste cooked with seafood, imported from Bornga Korea. Since you’re here, also try Paik’s versions of classic dishes like samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), chadol duenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew with beef brisket) and tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties). There are over 50 global outlets, including two in Singapore at Suntec City and VivoCity.

Bornga | 02-123, VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk, S(098585) | +65 6376 8268 

Guiga’s known for two things: raw crabs (a rare sight on menus around the island) marinated in a soy or spicy sauce, and a K-drama worthy interior of wood partitions and fairy lights popular with the ladies. Most patrons order one of four BBQ sets comprising various combinations of marinated and plain beef and pork cuts (ribs, short ribs, brisket, belly), chicken, or black pork from Korea’s Jeju pigs, which staff will cook over charcoal grills. Other unusual offerings are green mussel soup, jokbal (pig trotters braised in soy sauce and spices), spicy makchang (pork abomasum), and yukhoe (beef tartare). For safer options, there’s the usual pancakes, bibimbap, cold noodles, and kimchi stews.

Guiga Korean BBQ Restaurant | 134 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore, S(088538) | +65 6221 3001

Obba is one of Singapore’s most cherished Korean barbecue joints, known for its premium cuts of meat. Don’t miss out on new, exclusive menu items like the bone-in pork belly accompanied by sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew), or thick cuts of Wagyu beef with intricate marbling. There’s even a block of cheese you can barbecue on your hotplate, making Obba one of the more unique Korean barbecue experiences in Singapore. 

Obba, 63 Tanjong Pagar Road, S(088484), +65 6222 0840

Expect quality aged meat at Go K-BBQ you’re unlikely to find anywhere else in Singapore. Equipped with a dedicated ageing room, the meats are aged for 15 days to develop a more robust flavour and tender texture. The aged black pork belly is a good option, as is the aged marinated beef rib that delivers an umami punch.

Go K-Bbq, 76 Amoy Street, S(069895), +65 6423 0308

South Korean-born Seorae Korean Charcoal Bbq prides itself on its galmaegisal (skirt meat), a rare cut of meat that a fully-grown pig or cow will only grow 250 grams of. Previously reserved for Korean royalty, you can now enjoy it at Seorae’s flagship at Plaza Singapura. Enjoy it three ways: the original marinated with Korean spices, the spicy version, and the garlic version for an allium kick. Don’t forget other must-tries like the ox tongue marinated in black pepper sauce, or the premium black pork belly.

Seorae Korean Charcoal Bbq, 68 Orchard Rd, 02-01 Plaza Singapura, S(238839), +65 9181 2709

‘Hyang Yeon’ is a Korean word that translates to ‘invite people to the place of great food’. It’s a fitting name for this Korean barbecue restaurant at Telok Ayer, which offers authentic Korean fare and a wholesome offering of banchan, vegetables and grains. Premium marinated Duroc pork skirt meat is available here, as well as premium US beef ribeye. If you’re going with friends, get the marinated bone-in beef rib, a whopping 1 kg rack of beef that’s perfect for sharing. 

128 Telok Ayer Street, 01-01, S(068597), +65 6221 6368

Pa Bul Lo is one of the only places in Singapore where you can find the cho bul kui method of barbecuing meats. It involves a chef charcoal-grilling the meat in the kitchen before you do it yourself on the tabletop griddle, adding an extra smoky char. Get your no-nonsense fix of beef and pork barbecue, accompanied by popular sides like bibimbap and kimchi jjigae. 

Pa Bul Lo, 63 Serangoon Garden Way, S(555959), +65 6688 2795

Pujim Bbq is a favourite on Amoy Street, serving up authentic Busan food and quality barbecue meats. Counting premium A4 Wagyu, Iberico Bellota, and Duroc pork among its offerings, you’ll be guaranteed a luxurious barbecue experience. Don’t miss out on other plates like the dongnae pajeon, a seafood and scallion pancake but delivers a deep, savoury flavour.

Pujim Bbq, 82 Amoy St, 01-00, S(069901), +65 6224 1588

A quiet mainstay at Tanjong Pagar, Sin Manbok offers good quality, no-fuss Korean barbecue. Go for the all-you-can-eat buffet lunch, which offers unlimited pork ribs, pork belly, beef brisket and fried chicken, as well as a Korean stew, pancake and tteokbokki to share. The budae jjigae (army stew) is a particularly filling and satisfying offering, and you can’t go wrong with the fried chicken it is famous for.

Sin Manbok, 81 Tanjong Pagar Road, S(088502), +65 6221 7030

You’ll be spoilt for choice at Nami Korean Grill House, which offers an array of premium meats like aged Australian Wagyu, USDA Prime beef and Kurobuta Berkshire pork. It produces intensely flavourful strips of grilled meats that are sure to take you to the streets of Korea. Don’t miss other signatures like a comforting samyetang (ginseng chicken soup) to wash down the Korean barbecue, or sink your teeth into an indulgent soy-marinated crab. 

Nami Korean Grill House by Hanjip, 18 Greenwood Avenue, S(179022), +65 8831 4180

Expect a feast at Don Dae Bak, which offers huge Korean barbecue buffets. Here, you’ll be treated to typical barbecue classics like soy-marinated bulgogi and pork collar, as well as a gochujang-marinated pork belly that delivers a spicy punch. If you’re looking for hotpot instead, Don Dae Bak has you covered, with options such as kimchi jeongol and budae jeongol that are perfect for sharing with friends and family.

35 Kreta Ayer Road, S(089000), +65 6226 1727

Story One Korean Bbq is where you go for luxurious barbecue set menus. Here, Iberico pork jostles shoulders with Japanese Wagyu and LA prime rib, guaranteeing an indulgent meal. Steamed eggs are provided as a welcome side to balance the salty and smoky flavours of the grilled meats; you can even pick one or two stews to accompany your meal. The kimchi jjigae never disappoints, but try the doenjang jjigae (fermented bean paste stew) for a more unusual and umami kick.

Story One Korean Bbq, 60 Peck Seah Street, S(079323), +65 6518 9695

Ju Shing Jung is a Korean barbecue mainstay on Robertson Walk, adored by both native Koreans and locals alike. Besides premium Wagyu beef ribeye and black pork belly, you’ll also see more exciting seafood barbecue options like the seasoned spicy squid or tiger prawns. Each set comes with a choice of soup, pancake, and even the rice wine or soju of the day and an array of side dishes. With this many options, it’s a worthy trip down to Ju Shin Jung. 

Ju Shin Jung, 11 Unity Street, 01-30/31, S(237995), +65 6235 2067

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