Um Yong Baek, the Singaporean outpost of the Busan eatery Um Yong Baek Dwaejigukbap, has captured hearts since opening in Boon Tat Street in 2022. The joint now has another outlet along Telok Ayer Street, serving the same gukbap (pork soup with rice) for lunch and Jeju-style pork barbecue for dinner. Three years on, and the two outlets are still packed out each day. In fact, most recently, the brand was even recognised by South Korea as one among seven outstanding Korean restaurants around the world.
Recently, Um Yong Baek launched Joong San, a second Korean barbecue concept just opposite its original Boon Tat Street branch. The new restaurant serves up Korean signatures for lunch and beef barbecue for dinner. Visit for specialties like mung bean pancakes and sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew) served with nangphoong bapsang – accompaniments like rice, bean sprouts and seasoned laver to go with the hearty stew. Another unique item on the menu is the soon memilguksu or perilla buckwheat noodles, with bouncy noodles layered with perilla oil and powder for a nutty, savoury taste.
While Um Yong Baek does serve beef on the menu, its main specialty is its three-way-aged pork. It's the other way around at Joong San. During dinner time, you'll find cuts like teuk-sang useol (beef tongue), kkakduk deungshim (cubed ribeye steak), anshim (tenderloin), jjak galbi (thick-cut shortribs) and more, while pork is available in the form of the yeontan bulgogi (charcoal grilled sliced pork). But the most popular order here are the Andong-style marinated galbi, which has a distinct garlicky flavour. And if you want variety, go for the sogogi modeum (assorted beef platter) instead.
What sets Joong San and Um Yong Baek apart from the other Korean restaurants around the vicinity are its banchan or sides. While Um Yong Baek serves salad and a trio of pickled vegetables including garlic shoots, sliced green peppers and morning glory, Joong San offers something less commonly seen – truffle mustard seeds, cheekily presented in a caviar tin.
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Another must-try at Joong San is the beef yukhoe (beef sashimi). Despite looking intimidating at first glance, this delicacy is meant to have a pleasantly sweet and subtle taste, paired with raw egg yolk for an even more velvety texture. Joong San's version also comes with condiments like marinated mushrooms with wasabi, ojingeojeot (fermented squid salad), crisped laver and coriander leaves to create your own ssam (wrap).
Joong San is open from Monday to Saturday, 11.30am to 10.30pm at 28 Stanley St, Singapore 068737.
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