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A new Korean restaurant is turning up the heat in Tanjong Pagar, and we mean quite literally. Obongzip, a popular restaurant chain with a legacy of 38 years and over 300 outlets in South Korea, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong, just opened its first Singapore outpost in our city's very own 'Korea Town'. And its claim to fame? Fiery stir-fried octopus that's sure to send your taste buds into overdrive.
The restaurant is located along one of the busiest stretches of shophouses in Tanjong Pagar, in the company of other well-known joints like Obba Jjajang, Sin Manbok, Super Star K, Seoul Noodle Shop and others. Reservations are highly recommended as the 50-seater can get pretty packed during lunch hours. Thankfully, getting a slot these days is slightly easier than in the initial weeks after its official opening in December.
While the menu at Obongzip is quite varied, the restaurant is mainly known for its fire-grilled spicy octopus (nakji) and pork belly bossam. We order the $55 portion of octopus, which comfortably serves two people. There's also an $82.50 portion that serves three diners. The octopus arrives whole, doused in a crimson red sauce along with some crunchy stir-fried cabbage. The staff cuts it up into bite-sized chunks by the table, and we're immediately hit with waves of that smoky, spicy aroma. We opt for the Mild flavour, which already carries a decent amount of heat. But if you're game, there are two more spice levels – hot and extra hot.
The octopus itself isn't incredibly tender, but it isn't overcooked either. In fact, we love this mid-way point where each chunk still retains some bounce and chew, allowing you to really savour the sauce. The set also comes with a spread of banchan (side dishes), including fish cake, blanched spinach, edamame, bean sprouts, kimchi, Korean chilli peppers, garlic and even miyeok guk (seaweed soup). This helps to break up the intense flavour of the sauce, which gets repetitive and one-dimensional over time. But to truly enjoy the dish, nothing beats a shot of clean, refreshing soju, which will immediately wash away all the spice and greasiness and refresh you for the next bite.
Pro-tip: Those dining during weekday lunches can also enjoy a bowl of seaweed rice on the house to craft your own bibimbap (mixed rice bowl). Simply spoon on some of that signature red sauce, a few pieces of octopus, and top it up with some bean sprouts, spinach and a dash of sesame oil for the perfect bite.
We also make sure to try the pork belly bossam – another signature dish at Obongzip. It's served in sets for two or three at $52 and $65 respectively, but you can also order a single-person set ($25) to share with the group if you plan on sampling a variety of dishes. Each slice was melty, tender and clean without any gameiness, meant to be enjoyed with the house-made kimchi that boasts a deep, rich, fermented flavour. It's a timeless pairing and also another one that goes exceptionally well with soju.
If you order the Obongzip Special ($108), you'll get to try both the spicy octopus stir-fry, bossam and the restaurant's popular makguksu (buckwheat noodles). The makguksu is also available on its own for $20. And the first thing you'll notice when it's served is that it's very, very red. The sauce rivals that of the fire-grilled octopus, except it's much tangier and sweeter, with a final dusting of peanut crumbs for a nuttier flavour to counteract the rich sauce. Fresh vegetables like lettuce, purple cabbage and white cabbage are lined along the plate, providing some crunch, but overall, the sauce leans overwhelmingly sweet and gets cloying after a couple of bites.
Second to the octopus, we also love the giant grilled tteok (rice cake), served as dessert. $28 gets you an extra-large serving that arrives at the table as a whole piece. There's something undeniably satisfying about watching the puffed-up parcel slowly deflate as the staff snips away at it. You're left with around 10 decent-sized chunks, which comfortably feed up to four or five decently full folks, especially given how indulgent it is. Each slice is exceptionally crisp on the outside and warm and chewy in the middle, with a thick dusting of roasted soybean powder on top and an accompanying honey dip.
Time Out's rating: 4/5
Overall, a fuss-free spot for when you're in town and craving Korean, but aren't keen on the usual greasy grill-ups or heavy bowls of jjajangmyeon. You'd be hard-pressed to find another restaurant in Singapore specialising in spicy octopus stir-fry, and Obongzip's version of the dish is impressive enough and comparable to some of the ones we've tried in Korea. Plus points go to nailing that smoky aroma that gives the dish its addictive quality and makes it the perfect accompaniment for soju. The prices, while not cheap, aren't astronomical either, starting from $25 for an individual set and $55 for a set of spicy octopus for sharing among two. Definitely worth a try if you're in the area.
Obongzip is open daily from 11.30am to midnight at 77 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088498.
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