Fan of Hallyu (Korean Wave)?
Then you should crash-land your way to Hongdae Oppa, a first-of-its-kind unique dining concept designed for young and fun-loving foodies.
The Korean casual eatery is located at basement 2 of Plaza Singapura. Just make your way down by the escalator and find the colourful pastel restaurant.
Korean wave lovers should know that “Hongdae” is a neighbourhood known for its youthful ambience, creativity, and offbeat eateries serving fried chicken and Korean stews.
You would feel some of that vibes here, as Hongdae Oppa Korean Dining House serves a broad selection of Urban K-Food including its signature Sizzlers (Bokkeumbap), Korean Fried Chicken, Hot Stone Jjigae, Tteokbokki, Ramyeon and side dishes.
These and many more Korean street food offerings are inspired by the founder’s extensive visits to the Hongdae Food Street and Night Market in Korea.
What makes them unique is how they are crafted to appeal to the local palate. Here’s more:
Bokkeumbap Sizzlers ($12.90)
Start off with a hot plate sizzler to delight your palate with a variety of flavours and textures.
This Korean stir-fry rice dish is served with 80 grams of meats (you have pork, chicken and beef options), fried chicken skin, sweet corn kernels, onions, scallions, fried egg, and of course, rice.
You can choose between the non-spicy egg fried rice, or the spicy with kimchi.
What I enjoyed was that the Sizzlers were serving literally sizzling hot to the table, and the friendly staff will help add the sauces and mix the ingredients up (or you can do it your own).
The dish may look simple, but there was a lot going on with varied textures and flavours; plus the sliced beef was really quite satisfyingly tender.
Tip: Come during lunch (from 11am – 2pm) and enjoy the meal with a free drink at $12.90.
Thick-Cut Pork Belly Rice ($14.90)
Another option for the Bokkeumbap is the Thick-Cut Pork Belly Rice Sizzler.
Feature a hefty 120 grams of thick-cut European pork, cooked until skin is crisp golden brown while the meat remains tender and juicy.
Flanking the star of the show are slivers of nori, onion, sweet corn kernels, chopped spring onion, and topped with a fried egg.
This may remind you of sio bak but Korean style, along with sizzling on the piping hot plate. Good for a quick-fix meal that is filling and nutritious.
Tip: Top up $2 for additional 100 grams of oozy cheese.
Fried Chix – Original ($10.90 for 4 pieces, $19.90 for 8 pieces, $36.90 for whole chicken of 16 pieces)
Hongdae Oppa’s Chix features 100% fresh chicken, with each part marinated for 12 hours for maximum flavour.
You cannot go wrong with the Original, seasoning the chicken using an original recipe before deep-frying it to crunchy perfection.
What I liked was that the $10.90 portion was indeed quite sizable, with 4 pieces that are good for two to share. So even if you have ordered other dishes, I would recommend just getting some of the Korean Fried Chicken.
Fried Chix – Gochujang ($10.90 for 4 pieces, $19.90 for 8 pieces, $36.90 for whole chicken of 16 pieces)
Move up the spice meter and order the Gochujang version which packs a punch with its house-made gochujang sauce.
But it’s not all spice. Taste how it balances savoury, sweet and spicy for that extra slight kick.
Other than Gochujang, the other flavours available include Spicy and Soy Garlic. Also look out for other seasonal flavours in time to come.
Tip: Get 4 pieces of Chix with 2 Hite Beer at $22.90 for the full chimaek experience.
Messy Oppa Tteokbokki ($11.90)
These classic mini sausage-like rice cakes are fun and exciting to eat for their chewiness and slighty spiciness.
Cooked along with fish cakes and a hard-boiled egg, the tteok is soaked up in a rich and flavourful house-made gochujang sauce.
The highlight is that the rice cakes are topped with a ‘mountain’ of potato crisp, which would add that crunch upon mixing.
Tteok Carbonara ($11.90)
If you’ve been a fan of Korean street food, here’s something that fuses traditional and modern.
Instead of the deep-red gochujang sauce, a seasoned savoury cream sauce embraces these little chewy rice cakes mixed topped with bacon, sweet corn kernels, and similarly the potato crisps.
Oppa! Ramyeon ($13.90)
Calm down your noodle cravings with this Korean-style ramyeon, a signature dish served with springy noodles in a house-made spicy soup.
Joining the party are minced pork, slices of luncheon meat, onion, zucchini, fresh enoki mushrooms, seaweed, seasoned meat, and topped with an egg.
Counting calories? Go for the skinny noodle option with only 10 kcal.
I personally prefer the usual ramyeon for that al dente bite. But the plainer skinny noodles (sometimes called “miracle noodles” or “konjac noodles”) gels with the rich soup quite well.
Dual Odeng aka Eomuk Jjigae ($24.90)
Order this when you’re dining with a bunch. Large enough for sharing, this 2-in-1 Eomuk Jjigae features assorted Korean fish cakes (some skewered, others are sliced ones) in a dual pot – one side for mild seafood broth, the other side for a spicy one.
Pork Kimchi Jjigae ($12.90)
This comforting stew is made with the iconic Korean cabbage kimchi, made hearty with pork belly, soft slices of tofu, shredded white onions, and fresh enoki mushrooms.
Warm your soul with this spicy jjigae, best paired with steamed white rice.
Cheesy Steamed Egg ($7.90)
This must-try Korean side is a savoury egg custard made cheesy with strings of stretchy mozzarella.
Served in a ttukbaegi to the brim with soft and fluffy steamed eggs, it is made flavourful and even prettier with bits of carrots and chopped spring onion.
Ambiance is fun and casual so it’s perfectly fine to bring in the whole gang for hours of dining pleasure. Yes, they have Hite Bear and soju. Fizz and fruit teas are available if you wanna skip the booze.
Enjoy the K-Urban meals from sweet to savoury, made even more memorable with its fun atmosphere.
Not to mention the splash of colours on your plate and in the chic interiors, all at affordable pricing.
Hongdae Oppa
68 Orchard Road #B2-47 Plaza Singapura Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 9181 3038
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10pm Last Order 9.30pm (Sun – Thurs), 11:30am – 10:30pm Last Order 10pm (Fri – Sat, Eve PH, PH)
https://www.facebook.com/hongdaeoppasg
* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Hongdae Oppa.