[FOOD REVIEW] Song Gye Ok Reinvents K-BBQ With Rare Cuts of Grilled Chicken

The popular Korean restaurant chain Song Gye Ok specialising in grilled chicken barbecue has landed in Singapore. While beef and pork cuts usually come to mind when people think of K-BBQ, Song Gye Ok highlights lesser used parts of the chicken,  including the thigh, neck and even the heart. 

Its locations in Seoul have drawn long queues and a celebrity following that includes public figures such as Song Kang, Sandara Park, and more. Song Gye Ok invited The Seoul Story to sample some of their popular dinner dishes – and we buckled in for a culinary adventure.

SGO Signature Grill Platter ($98)

The restaurant’s specialty course is good for two to three people and includes six rare chicken cuts: boneless neck fillet, gizzard, heart, breast softbone, thigh, and tenders.

A chef grilled the cuts in front of us and recommended different sauces that best complemented each bite.

The chicken wasn’t gamey at all and had a smoky flavour from the charcoal grill. Surprisingly, our favourite cut was the heart. It was delicious and chewy, a delectable bite when dipped into the sweet, spicy and salty specialty soy sauce. 

The other more exotic cuts were also enjoyable. The gizzard was tougher but crispy, the thin-cut soft bone had an interesting crunch, and the neck was more lean with crispy skin. 

The chicken tenders and thigh are good choices for the less adventurous eaters. The tenders were soft, and the juicy meat and crispy skin of the thigh made that one of our favourite cuts. 

The meal was accompanied by a variety of banchan or side dishes including white cabbage kimchi and pickled celery. 

K-food lovers can tell the quality of the restaurant from the kimchi. Song Gye Ok’s is pretty unique – it’s white and is sprinkled with parmesan cheese, a stark contrast from the classic bright red kimchi that’s massaged with chilli flakes. Their kimchi was sour with a slightly salty end note from the cheese, which helped cut through the savoury grilled meat. 

Sharable dishes

The chicken is obviously the star of the show, but the Bibim Noodles ($28) were a close second place. Song Gye Ok’s mixed noodle dish combines soft, chewy noodles with minced chicken and fresh vegetables in a bright gochujang (fermented red chilli paste) sauce. It was cold, slightly tangy, and cut through the grease of the fattier chicken parts. 

The Uiseong Garlic Fried Rice ($20) was pretty unique compared to other Korean fried rice dishes we’ve had. Vampires beware – they source the garlic directly from Uiseong county which specially cultivates the bulb vegetable. That means its flavour is strong, but pairs nicely with the Korean chilli pepper, egg yolk and cheese incorporated into the dish. 

The Signature Doenjang Stew ($24) features a rich fermented soybean broth with tofu and vegetables. The jjigae is rich in umami, comforting and moreish – ideal for a rainy day. 

We polished off the meal with an Earl Grey Highball ($14). The tea-infused gin is combined with sparkling water and lemon – a refreshing, sour drink that isn’t too heavy on the alcohol. 

The service was top-notch with friendly, informative and attentive staff who refilled our side dishes even before we asked!

The vibey atmosphere and Instagrammable interior was a bonus. The Telok Ayer branch transported us to Seoul with its traditional Korean hanok-inspired decor. Warm, dim lighting, paired with the courses of grilled meat provided an intimate dinner experience, best for catching up with friends over drinks. 

Thank you Song Gye Ok for the media invite! 

Follow their Instagram or click here to view their full menu.

Visit Song Gye Ok: 

Written and photographed by: Nicole 

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