SINGAPORE – The Korean wave in Singapore’s dining scene is going strong, with at least five new restaurants opening since July and more in the works.
Newcomer menus are no longer dominated by Korean barbecue and fried chicken but exploring regional cuisines beyond the familiar dishes popularised by K-dramas.
New restaurants specialise in dishes already popular in South Korea such as pork bone stews, Jeju pork tonkatsu and Korean tapas.
Katsu by Kyu made its debut at OUE Downtown Gallery on July 1, specialising in Jeju pork tonkatsu, followed by Kimpson’s Table at Far East Square on Aug 6, serving home-style Korean fare.
Jomaru Korean Hot Pot brought gamjatang (pork bone stew) to Tanjong Pagar on Aug 26, while Sansok, which serves traditional hansang set meals, launched at Hougang Mall on Sept 4.
Seoul-based restaurant chain Ojeje made its overseas debut at Raffles City on Oct 2, specialising in tonkatsu and handmade udon. Korean tapas bar Jjan is slated to open at 45 Craig Road on Nov 12, offering traditional Korean alcoholic drinks paired with contemporary Korean dishes.
Ojeje founder Kim Ji-hoon, 33, who is based in Seoul, sees opportunities for yet more specialised Korean restaurants in Singapore.
“Singapore has a very diverse and mature dining culture, and diners here are increasingly familiar with Korean food beyond the most internationally recognised categories. That creates room for more specialised concepts to introduce a deeper side of Korean dining,” he says.
He also regards Singapore as a testing ground for Korean restaurant concepts seeking an international audience.
South Korean restaurateur Luke Yi, 51, founder and chief executive of Initia Group, is among those betting on Singaporeans’ growing appetite for Korean specialities.
Founder and chief executive Luke Yi of Initia Group at Katsu by Kyu.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
“Outside Korea, people think of Korean food as barbecue and fried chicken, and I am on a mission to change that,” says Yi. “I want to introduce different varieties of Korean cuisine to diners and give them a more balanced view of Korean food culture.”
Apart from Katsu by Kyu, Initia Group has opened two other Korean concepts in 2026: Whuchu at UE Square in June, serving farm-to-table ssambap lunches and Korean barbecue with Jeju pork dry-aged in a Himalayan salt room for dinner, and Sam Sam Sam at Velocity @ Novena Square in May, specialising in Korean ginseng chicken soup.
South Korean chef Patrick Kim, 36, who co-owns Kimpson’s Table, credits travel to South Korea, social media and Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars (2024 to present) with exposing Singaporeans to less familiar Korean fare.
But competition is getting tougher. Bae Seo-hyun, 50, who co-owns Jomaru Korean Hot Pot with her husband, says Korean restaurants are no longer concentrated in Tanjong Pagar.
Bae, who came to Singapore in 2003, started with a Korean foodcourt stall at West Mall in 2005 and expanded to four outlets before closing them in 2012 to concentrate on barbecue restaurants.
The couple opened Super Star K at 75 Tanjong Pagar Road in 2011, expanding to three outlets before selling two because of manpower issues.
She observes: “In the past, diners would head to Tanjong Pagar for Korean food, but now, you can find Korean food in foodcourts and malls, making it harder for established operators to retain customers.”
Although Super Star K remained profitable, business had stagnated. The couple converted their remaining outlet into Jomaru Korean Hot Pot to stand out in a more crowded market.
Yi, who became a Singapore permanent resident in 2008, does not believe the market here has hit saturation point. But he thinks the days of Korean restaurants offering sprawling menus of more than 80 dishes are over.
“We must have a winning item,” he says. His strategy is to develop restaurants specialising in particular dishes and fresh ingredients, so diners immediately associate a restaurant with its speciality.
He plans to launch two more concepts at United Square in November: Memir, specialising in freshly made buckwheat noodles, and Wootang, focusing on beef bone broth.
Other plans include a Korean doughnut bakery and an upmarket Korean barbecue restaurant in Telok Ayer with eight private rooms for corporate diners.
He expects demand for premium casual dining to grow as consumers tighten their belts selectively, opting to pay only for quality ingredients and distinctive experiences.
Here are six new specialist Korean restaurants worth checking out.
Katsu by Kyu: Showcasing prized Jeju pork
Where: 01-09 and 01-10 OUE Downtown Gallery, 6A Shenton Way
Open: 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm daily
Tel: 8986-3100 (WhatsApp only)
Info: www.katsubykyu.sg and @katsubykyu.sg on Instagram
When Singapore approved imports of chilled and frozen pork from South Korea’s Jeju Island in October 2025, restaurateur Luke Yi, 51, saw an opportunity to showcase the prized meat.
Yi, founder and chief executive of Initia Group, which operates Korean concepts such as Drim and Modu, invested $500,000 in Katsu by Kyu at OUE Downtown Gallery. The restaurant specialises in Korean tonkatsu, a South Korean take on Japanese-style breaded pork cutlets.
The 1,200 sq ft restaurant seats 44 diners. Yi kept costs down by retaining much of the previous tenant’s fittings, estimating that a complete overhaul would have cost twice as much.
Warm wood tones and rustic accents evoke the countryside, offering office workers a brief escape from the business district.
Katsu By Kyu’s interior features warm wood accents meant to evoke the countryside.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Yi places emphasis on hospitality. The restaurant provides printed menus, serves complimentary water and roasted barley tea, and provides individually wrapped wet wipes that are four times thicker than standard ones.
The star attraction is the Jeju Tenderloin ($35++), made with about 180g of chilled Jeju pork that has undergone 240 hours, or 10 days, of wet-ageing.
Jeju Tenderloin at Katsu by Kyu.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Yi says Jeju pork costs 20% to 30% more than frozen Iberico pork, depending on the cut, but is prized for its fat, which has a distinctive nutty aroma and flavour.
The meat is coated in rice and wheat flour batter, followed by house-made breadcrumbs combining panko and freshly shredded bread. After frying in canola oil, the cutlet is finished over charcoal with imported Korean rice straw for a smoky aroma.
The pork is finished over charcoal and Korean rice straw.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
It is served as three thick pieces, each cut in half, with free-flow rice, shredded cabbage, miso soup and pickles.
Diners can pair the pork with five condiments: tonkatsu sauce, ssamjang, wasabi, mustard and Maldon sea salt.
Half-polished rice imported from South Korea is milled fresh in-house daily and cooked in traditional Korean cast-iron pots.
Yi with the rice-milling machine, which is used for milling the rice in-house daily.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Another speciality is the 3 Ways Cold Flat Udon ($18++), featuring custom-made wheat noodles about 5cm by 20cm, served chilled with three house-made dipping sauces: soya-based broth, creamy roasted sesame sauce and pickled chilli sauce.
Yi likens the dish to enjoying potato chips with different dips. The broad, flat noodles pick up more sauce, allowing diners to enjoy the contrasting flavours.
3 Ways Cold Flat Udon at Katsu by Kyu.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Katsu by Kyu draws 150 to 200 diners on weekdays and 200 to 250 on weekends, with average spending of $50 a person.
Yi is looking to open a second outlet in Orchard in early 2027 and hopes to expand to as many as five outlets, including in heartland malls.
Kimpson’s Table: Home-style Korean fare
Where: 01-01 Far East Square, 134 Amoy Street
Open: 11am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 9pm, Mondays to Fridays; noon to 8pm, Saturdays. Closed on Sundays and public holidays
Info: @kimpsonstable.sg on Instagram
When South Korean chef Patrick Kim, 36, started his home-based food business in January 2025, about 90% of his customers were fellow South Koreans, with orders spreading through word of mouth.
Since opening Kimpson’s Table at Far East Square, Singaporeans have come to account for 80% of diners at his 64-seat restaurant, which specialises in lighter Korean home-style cooking.
For Kim, who has lived in Singapore since 2016, owning a restaurant has been a dream since his days in culinary school.
Co-owner and head chef Patrick Kim of Kimpson’s Table at Far East Square.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
He worked his way up from cook to head chef at Han Pan Korean Restaurant and the now defunct Ziggle Kitchen before investing $5,000 in his home-based business with partner Son Tae-ho, 39.
Kim prepared banchan at home and mains in a rented cloud kitchen, selling $55 meal kits for two to three people. He recovered his initial investment in the first month and turned a profit the following month.
Co-owner and head chef Patrick Kim developed the chicken-centric recipes for Kimpson’s Table.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Following a successful Chef X pop-up from January to March, the partners invested $500,000 of their combined savings to open their first restaurant, focusing on affordability and value.
The Samgyetang ($18+) features half a fresh spring chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, red dates and garlic. The chicken is simmered for two hours, with additional chicken bones and vegetables cooked in the broth for another two hours.
Kim adds Chinese ginseng root, which costs about $100 a kilogram, for its earthy, herbaceous flavour.
Samgyetang at Kimpson’s Table at Far East Square.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
He also recommends the Chicken Kalguksu Noodle Dry ($15+), his take on a Korean noodle dish more commonly served in soup. Custom-made chewy wheat noodles are topped with chicken breast and a spicy sauce containing gochujang, gochugaru, soya sauce and Korean apple vinegar.
The six-main menu is inspired by recipes from Kim’s grandmother and mother. He has put his own spin on it by reducing sugar and spice, refraining from using any added monosodium glutamate in his cooking, and serving individual portions of banchan for hygiene.
Kim is searching for a second location and hopes to eventually have four outlets in Singapore.
Chicken Kalguksu Noodle Dry.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Jomaru Korean Hot Pot: Trading BBQ for pork bone stew
Where: 75 Tanjong Pagar Road
Open: 11.30am to 2am daily
Tel: 6224-0504
Info: @jomaru_sg on Instagram
After 15 years of running Korean barbecue restaurant Super Star K at 75 Tanjong Pagar Road, South Korean restaurateurs Bae Seo-hyun, 50, and her husband, chef Jung Chung-yong, 51, decided to change concepts.
Facing growing competition, they converted their 56-seat restaurant into Jomaru Korean Hot Pot, specialising in gamjatang, a traditional Korean pork bone stew still relatively unfamiliar to Singapore diners.
Bae Seo-hyun, co-owner of the Jomaru outlet in Singapore, pivoted to selling gamjatang as she felt the Korean barbecue scene is saturated.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Between them, they made seven trips to South Korea from early 2025, sampling gamjatang from more than 20 brands before settling on Jomaru, a chain established in 1989 with more than 200 outlets there.
The couple invested $100,000, including the franchise fee, to convert their 1,500 sq ft restaurant. Jung and another chef underwent two weeks of training in Bucheon, South Korea, to learn Jomaru’s six signature dishes.
The Gamjatang (Spicy Pork Bone Hot Pot, $56.80++ for medium, $68.80++ for large) features Spanish pork neck and spine simmered for about three hours until tender.
Gamjatang with an assortment of side dishes at Jomaru.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
The spicy broth is flavoured with perilla seed powder and served with potatoes, Korean perilla leaves, enoki mushrooms and napa cabbage imported from South Korea. Servers cut the cabbage tableside, while sujebi, similar to mee hoon kueh, adds a chewy bite.
Diners at Jomaru can opt to have servers cut the napa cabbage into smaller pieces tableside.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
The Singapore outlet also offers its own dishes, including Potato-Cheese Pancake ($28++), resembling a rosti filled with melted cheese.
For groups of three to four, the Hot Pot Combo Set ($108.80++) includes a medium Gamjatang, a small Soy Braised Pork Bone, a Potato-Cheese Pancake and a choice of Watermelon or Pineapple Sorbet, imported from South Korea and served in hollowed-out fruit shells.
Potato-Cheese Pancake at Jomaru.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
While Singaporeans made up about 90% of Super Star K’s customers, South Koreans now account for about half of Jomaru’s diners, with locals making up 30% and other nationalities 20%.
Bae says delivery orders have risen 50% since the switch, while regulars are dining in more frequently because gamjatang is easier to enjoy regularly than barbecue.
She is considering up to five outlets in Singapore, including one in Bukit Timah.
Jomaru’s Hot Pot Combo Set includes a medium Gamjatang, a small Soy Braised Pork Bone, one Potato Cheese Pancake and one choice of fruit sorbet.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Ojeje: Seoul chain makes Singapore debut
Where: B1-12 Raffles City, 252 North Bridge Road
Open: 11.30am to 10pm daily
Tel: 8979-0923
Info: ojeje.sg and @ojeje.sg on Instagram
For two years after Ojeje opened its first restaurant in Seoul in 2020, an average of 60 to 80 groups queued daily for its tonkatsu and udon.
The restaurant has since expanded to six outlets in Seoul. Founder Kim Ji-hoon, 33, has brought the chain to Singapore for its first overseas venture at Raffles City.
Founder Kim Ji-hoon at Ojeje.
PHOTO: OJEJE
The 76-seat restaurant puts its own spin on tonkatsu and udon, emphasising carefully aged pork and freshly made noodles. Kim spent about 10 months testing dishes in Singapore and brought in three South Korean chefs to train the local team.
For its tonkatsu, Ojeje uses airflown chilled pork, choosing cuts for quality rather than country of origin. Each undergoes controlled wet-ageing, with chefs assessing its texture, smell and condition to determine when it is ready. The ageing period varies from cut to cut to achieve consistent tenderness and flavour.
The Pork Tenderloin Katsu ($28++) is coated in premium Japanese breadcrumbs sourced from Yokohama and fried until light and crisp outside, while remaining tender and moist inside. Kim recommends tasting it first with salt, then wasabi or tonkatsu sauce.
Pork Tenderloin Katsu at Ojeje.
PHOTO: OJEJE
The Carbonara Udon ($22++), exclusive to Singapore, combines freshly made udon with a creamy sauce of eggs, butter and cheese.
The noodles are made in-house daily using premium flour and water purified and softened to improve the dough’s elasticity. The dough is pressed in an udon machine and rested for about a day before being cut.
Carbonara Udon at Ojeje.
PHOTO: OJEJE
Ojeje serves about 250 diners on weekdays and 450 on weekends, with locals accounting for 80% of customers.
Kim hopes to open more outlets in Singapore and is considering expansion to New York.
Sansok: Homestyle Korean meals in the heartland
Where: 03-09A Hougang Mall, 90 Hougang Avenue 10
Open: 11.30am to 10pm daily
Tel: 8980-3520
Info: @sansok.sg on Instagram
Instead of setting up shop in the city centre, South Korean chef Yohan Min, 29, chose Hougang Mall for his first Sansok restaurant in Singapore.
The decision appears to have paid off. Despite its third-storey location in a mall brimming with a plethora of dining options, the 64-seat restaurant is drawing crowds with its affordable Korean home-style set meals.
Min, who appeared briefly in the first season of Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, wanted Sansok to be part of people’s everyday lives, not just somewhere to visit on special occasions.
“Hougang gives us an opportunity to serve residents, families and people working or shopping in the neighbourhood,” he says.
Sansok specialises in hansang, a complete Korean meal of rice, soup, banchan and a main dish.
Min sees it as an opportunity to introduce another side of Korean dining.
While barbecue and fried chicken are familiar to many Singaporeans, the everyday Korean table offers greater variety.
“We want customers to feel that they can come in for a comforting, balanced meal without having to spend a great deal,” he says.
The concept draws on Min’s memories of watching his mother cook at the construction-site cafeteria run by his parents. Her cooking also inspired Dosigotgan, his banchan business with more than 50 outlets in South Korea.
Each set comes with sotbap, rice freshly cooked in individual pots, soup and four banchan at lunch or six at dinner. Diners can help themselves to refills at the banchan station.
“Rice is central to a Korean meal, so we wanted to give it the attention it deserves,” says Min. “Cooking individual portions allows us to focus on the texture and freshness of the rice, rather than treating it as just an accompaniment.”
The surprise bestseller is the Charcoal-Grilled Salt-Cured Mackerel ($14.90++), which Min initially worried might not appeal to Singapore diners.
Norwegian mackerel is brined and salt-cured for a day before being grilled over charcoal until the skin is crisp, though the flesh remains moist. It comes with a mustard-soya dipping sauce.
Charcoal-Grilled Salt-cured Mackerel.
PHOTO: SANSOK
The Charcoal-Grilled Tteokgalbi & King Oyster Mushroom ($19.90++) features beef patties that are made with minced sirloin and chuck eye roll, marinated for at least a day with fresh fruit and aromatics. The meat is kneaded to hold its shape before grilling, while marinated king oyster mushrooms are grilled separately.
Singaporeans account for about 80% of Sansok’s customers. Min plans to have more outlets, but is concentrating on maintaining standards at Hougang Mall for now.
Charcoal-Grilled Tteokgalbi & King Oyster Mushroom.
PHOTO: SANSOK
Jjan: Korean tapas and traditional rice wines
Where: 45 Craig Road
Open: From Nov 12, 2026
During visits to Singapore in 2025, South Korean restaurateur Lee Hae-dong, 24, noticed the abundance of Japanese izakayas but few equivalents offering the dining and drinking culture of contemporary Seoul.
He decided to open Jjan, a 41-seat Korean tapas bar scheduled to open on Nov 12, pairing traditional Korean alcoholic drinks with modern interpretations of Korean dishes.
Lee, who operates three restaurants in South Korea, invested about $500,000 in interiors and furniture alone. Decorative ceilings and wooden columns inspired by traditional Korean houses were specially sourced and shipped here.
Heading the kitchen is executive chef Yoo Gwang-soo, 39, formerly sous chef at two-Michelin-starred Saint Pierre.
Executive chef of Jjan, Yoo Gwang-soo.
PHOTO: JJAN
His Yukhoe ($34++), a Korean raw beef dish, features Australian wagyu skirt steak sliced into fine strips and tossed with fermented squid, Asian pear, spring onion and fermented rice salt. It is topped with grated cured egg yolk, perilla leaves and perilla seed powder, and served with sous vide egg yolk gel and crisp fried seaweed.
Lee recommends pairing it with Suamju ($18++ a glass), a 14% alcohol traditional Korean clear rice wine brewed in Gyeonggi Province. He says its fruity, floral aromas and refreshing acidity complement the beef.
Yukhoe paired with Suamju Yakju, a clear filtered Korean rice wine.
PHOTO: JJAN
The Dwaeji-gukbap ($22++) is a pork and rice soup made with pork leg bones simmered for 48 hours. Cured Jeju pork collar and jowl are cooked sous vide, sliced and added to the broth.
Jjan will offer up to 40 traditional Korean alcoholic drinks, including makgeolli, yakju, cheongju and distilled spirits, all served by the glass.
Dwaeji-gukbap (pork and rice soup) at Jjan.
PHOTO: JJAN
While he plans to open other iterations of Jjan, his priority for now is making his upcoming establishment one where local diners can discover traditional Korean cuisine in a trendy rendition through light bites and the diversity of Korean rice wines beyond the familiar sweet makgeolli.
Dining and Cooking