SINGAPORE: If you ask any Singaporeans to name Korea's most iconic food, I do not doubt that most will say Korean BBQ. It is easy to find Korean BBQ restaurants in Singapore, but there are lesser serving high-quality meat. It is even harder to find one that serves Korean Marinated Raw Crabs, Ganjang Gejang and Yangnyeom Gejang.
Soy Marinated Raw Crab, Ganjang Gejang
Soy Marinated Raw Crab, Ganjang Gejang in Korean, is a Korean traditional dish that takes fresh raw crabs and marinate them with soy, sesame oil, sugar, and finely sliced scallions, minced garlic, ginger, and red chilli. The seasoned crabs are then left to ferment for a few days. Usually, they are eaten with rice as it goes very well with the salty brine.
This is an awesome dish for seafood lovers. For others, you might be overwhelmed by the strong fishy taste.
Spicy Raw Crab, Yangnyeom Gejang
Spicy Raw Crab, Yangnyeom Gejang in Korean, basically marinate some fresh raw crabs with Gochujang, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, chilli and soy. Let the crabs seasoned for a day or two. Topped with lots of toasted sesame seeds, scallions and more chilli before serving. Served with rice to have it as a meal.
Yangnyeom Gejang here is very spicy. After eating 2 pieces, I can feel my lips getting numb! It is definitely addictive as I couldn't stop immediately and wanted more. By the time I had the 5th piece, I have thrown in the towel, being beaten by the heat.
Ganjang Gejang - S$65
Yangnyeom Gejang - S$45
Ganjang Gejang Set (Comes with 2 bowls of rice) - S$98
For a Korean BBQ, a charcoal grill is a must. Suppose I am given a choice to choose between a restaurant using gas grills and a restaurant using charcoal grills. The restaurant with charcoal grills will always win, hands down.
With a charcoal grill, now all you need are good meat. At Go Gi Jip, there is a wide selection. If you are a pork lover, there are Iberico and black pork to choose from. If you are a beef lover, there are many cuts too. The meats can be as it is or marinated. There are also chicken and seafood if red meat is not your thing.
Black Pork Collar (background, left) - S$25
Iberico Pork Jowl (background, middle) - S$25
Black Pork Belly (background, right) - S$25
Beef Rib Finger (foreground) - S$30
There are some alternative protein as well. If you are up to it, you can give beef intestine a try. For us, we went for the Pork Skin (S$18). It is already pre-cooked and served over a bed of onion and scallions. Grill it for a while, and you will get to enjoy these smokey and chewy little wedges of collagen. The only thing you have to be careful of is the oil from the skin splatters, and it can hit you on the face.
A Korean BBQ is never complete without soju. How about a Watermelon favoured Soju served in a large watermelon (S$35)? After drinking all the happy juice, you get to have the fruit too. This helps to cut down the grease, an awesome way to end the day.
The Go Gi Jip is located along Tanjong Pagar Road. The whole area is overflowing with Korean restaurants as well as bars and restaurants of different types. It is practically a war zone on weekends filled with pub crawlers and young trendy crowds. Many are willing to wait more than an hour to get a table in a restaurant. However, in most cases, it is worth the wait.
Address: 72 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088493