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Big Mama Korean Restaurant @ Kim Tian Road : Great Food & Service!

Big Mama Kim Tian Road Tiong Bahru's Spicy Pork Belly

Big Mama Korean Restaurant located at the corner of Kim Tian Road (Address : 2 Kim Tian Road, Singapore 169244) has been making waves since inception. Kate and I have already visited this hugely popular restaurant twice and we would most likely visit again soon…

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Inside Big Mama Korean Restaurant @ 2 Kim Tian Road Tiong Bahru

Recommended Dishes at Big Mama Korean Restaurant

If it is your first time visiting Big Mama, no worries. There are several recommendations including the Dakgalbi (Spicy Grilled Chicken – $18 per serving (previously $15) , minimum 2 servings) and Suyuk (Boiled Pork – $25) and you will definitely not go wrong with these recommendations. Even if you’re a newbie to Korean food like Kate and I, the friendly staff will show you the “ropes”.

On our first visit, we were pleasantly surprised that the staff took time to explain the different ways to savour the Suyuk. She made 3 different versions of the dish for us as she explained whether the dips were spicy or not (not spicy one). Unfortunately, we did not take many photos on our first visit. Hence, we made sure we did on our 2nd!

Our favourite side dishes at Big Mama Korean Restaurant : Sesame Lotus and Fried Noodles

These 6 side dishes (ignore the reddish looking one at the extreme right – it’s actually a dip for the soup) are complimentary (AND REFILLABLE!!!! Did we put enough exclamations??). Our favourite, like most customers is the lotus root. In this dish, there are long beans and lotus root. The white sauce is peanuty and sesame-ey while the vege are crunchy and fresh. Really gets your appetite going!

The Dakgalbi ($18 per person, min 2 pax order) is definitely our favourite dish! Considering that we do not usually order the same dish twice, this dish must have caught our attention, having ordered it on both our visits. You will have a choice of having the dish prepared right in front of you or for the staff to prepare it first before bringing it to you. Well, the cool thing is that you can see how it’s done right before your very eyes. The not so cool thing? Well…smell that lingers on your shirt…Oh, on that note, please dress comfortably and not to the nines. Because of the preparation methods, the smell is actually quite strong. Yummy but strong.

You know when you watch Korean shows and towards the end of the meal, they will pour in some rice and fry it? This can be done with Dakgalbi. Again, no worries if you’re a newbie. The friendly staff will approach you to ask if you would like to have fried rice. A bowl of rice ($3 per bowl *Update* It is $5 now :() will be added and fried together with generous amounts of grounded sesame seeds, seaweed and seasoning. Something not to be missed!

Update

On a recent visit, we had the pork belly ($40) version of the Dakgalbi and it was just as good! However, it can get a little (too) spicy…

As with the Dakgalbi, you can also leave some meat/sauce behind and have an order of korean fried rice mixed into it for $5…

Previously, the lady would fry the rice at the table, next to the guests. However, this time, she took our pan away and fried it closer to the counter. Could be because of complaints of the smoke from the fried rice? Which was why we could only manage to take this short video…

The result…another meal ready to go!

Fried Rice after half eaten Spicy Pork Belly

Last but not least, do not be mistaken by the red colour and think that this is “kimchi”. If you taste the Dakgalbi and the kimchi side dish. You will notice the difference. Another korean food lesson for us. The kimchi is spicy though. Beware…:)

Remember the reddish dip above? It goes with the fish cake in this fish cake hot pot also known as Emuk Jeongol. We’re really glad that we were recommended this dish because it is a nice mild yet delicious soup that balances the strong tastes of the Dakgalbi. The servings of fish cake is really GENEROUS. We were thinking to ourselves “there’s still more fish cake?!” after eating so many pieces! There were 5 of us and we still left 1 piece standing. The texture of the fish cake is not the “do-ing” kind that we usually eat with our mee pok. It is chewy yet not jelat. Great dish.

Remember that the side dishes are refillable!!!

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How to get to Big Mama Korean Restaurant at Kim Tian Road

Big Mama Korean Restaurant is located at 2 Kim Tian Road. Although it says “2”, it is actually the first restaurant along this street. There is a bus stop along Tiong Bahru road which you can take buses 5,16,33,63,123 and 195. It is also within walking distance from Tiong Bahru MRT.

Location of Big Mama Korean Restaurant – Close to the intersection of Tiong Bahru and Kim Tian Road

REMEMBER : To avoid disappointment, you MUST make reservations by calling 6270 7704. For dinners, there are 2 time slots, 6 to 8pm and 8 to 11pm (last order at 10pm). If you are in the 6 to 8pm time slot, you must leave at 8pm for the next wave of customers. Well, good food ought to be shared right?

Overall Comment : Food is definitely good and service was great on our first visit. During our 2nd visit, the staff seemed to be quite busy as the restaurant is almost always full. Oh, the smokey thingy as well. Otherwise, MUST GO!

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Big Mama Korean Restaurant Kim Tian Singapore

Did we mention that the side dishes at Big Mama Korean Restaurant, are refillable?

Yummy things to eat at Marine Parade Food Center Katong!

Updated on September 11, 2021December 11, 2013Food Marine Parade Food Centre Singapore Singapore Food

What to eat at Marine Parade Food Centre?

Marine Parade Food Centre is one of the highly rated hawker centres in Singapore and many will ask “What to eat at Marine Parade Food Centre ah?”. So during our recent staycation at Village Hotel Katong, we decided to check out the food centre and tell you what are some of the recommended stalls here…

Recommended foods at Marine Parade Food Centre

Xing Long Cooked Food

Netizens have been recommending this stall for its otah,fried potato balls, curry chicken, lemon chicken among others. This time, we tried the stir fried chicken, potato balls,otah and because we saw many going for the fried fish, we had it as well. Our choices was also fuelled by Uncle’s incessant “来” (meaning “come” – what else?)

The total damage? $6.30!! The most we’ve ever paid for economical rice!!

$6.30 economic rice at Xing Long Cooked Food

Truth be told, we’re just too greedy and wanted to try all the recommended dishes here. Therefore the price became quite ridiculous (it’s actually a 4-meat rice). This is because even in the potato balls, there’s some beef rolled into it. To be fair, the food was not bad. The otah otah had a firm texture (not the soft slimy kind) while the fish bits stood out from the curry flavour (unlike some with curry and no fish). The stir fried chicken has some kind of satay sauce fried into it which tasted quite unique. There was nothing too special about the potato balls and fried fish though. Fish was fresh and there was a slight crisp on the outside. But that was it.

So for $6.30? It’s definitely on the high side.

Hup Lee Fried Bee Hoon Nasi Lemak

The special thing about Hup Lee is that usually you’ll find $2 nasi lemak but this stall offers the same ingredients with Bee Hoon instead. Definitely an excellent price for a hearty breakfast meal.

Neptune Dim Sum

We did not manage to (or have the stomach to) try out this stall. However, many netizens have recommended the dim sum here. Have you tried it? Do let us know in the comments section below!

Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow

Another recommended stall at Marine Parade Food Centre. We were contemplating whether to go for this or give the hokkien mee a few stalls down a try. We decided to go for the latter. But according to the queues (and the look of Uncle Apollo), it seems that this is must-try as well.

Seremban Beef Noodles

We’ve tried the beef noodles during our last visit here and thought that the taste was indeed good. It reminded us of the same traditional (dry version) of the beef noodles we had when we were young. Nowadays, the dried version of the gravy seems to be either too sweet or too salty. Seremban got it just right. There’s just one gripe that we have and we would just like to remind our readers to request the Aunty to cook the beef just a tad bit more (ensure that the colour changes!) If you know what we mean…

Hokkien Fried Noodles

There are usually 2 versions of the Hokkien Fried Noodles. The dry and sticky version with all the taste infused into the noodles or this, the slightly wet version. Of course, we prefer the dry version. So it was with some prejudice that we tried this version at Marine Parade Food Centre. We also noticed that the uncle did not really “fry” the noodles but more of “stirring” the noodles into the soup. As a result, as expected, the noodles did not turn out as good as other versions we’ve tried. For the slightly wet version, Tiong Bahru and Clementi still tastes better. But as a consolation, as you work towards the end of the plate, you’ll taste the gravy and its quite sweet and delicious. Perhaps frying a little longer (and harder) would have made the difference.

Katong Chicken Curry Puffs

Again, many have raved about the chicken curry puff at Marine Parade Food Centre. And it did not disappoint. The outer layer was puffy and crispy (bits dropped off as we went in for our first bite). The puff was still piping hot – an indication of fresh ingredients and regular crowd. Last but most importantly, the curry inside oozed out as you bite into it. This is in stark contrast to the usual “dry on the inside” versions that you would have.

So a thumbs up for the Katong Chicken Curry Puff!

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For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in Katong right here!

To enjoy these foods, why not do a staycation at Village Hotel Katong as well? Do try out the foods at Marine Parade Food Centre and let us know what you think thereafter!

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Updated on November 28, 2020March 15, 2013Asia Chomp Chomp Food Centre Singapore Food

Chomp Chomp Food Centre : A Trendy Hawker Venue

Chomp Chomp Food Centre has been one of the hawker centres that we have always wanted to visit since time immemorial! (Cheem ah “time immemorial”, teens can consider using it in essays…) Well, for several reasons…

Firstly, if you take a look at the location of Chomp Chomp Food Centre (at 20 Kensington Park Rd) below

You’ll realise that the Serangoon Garden area is a nice little enclave that has amenities (banking, food, supermarket etc.) for the community that lives there. Quaint. Much akin to Holland Village.

Secondly, it is also a nice hangout area for teens and young adults. The al fresco setting, cheap hawker food and the unpretentious vibe, makes Chomp Chomp a great place to meet up with friends.

Last but not least, the food! We’ve tried the Hokkien Mee, BBQ Chicken Wings and Pizza from the first row of stalls…stalls 1,2 and 5 to be precise. Here’s the low down…

What’s there to eat at Chomp Chomp Food Centre

Legend has it that one of the best Hokkien Mee in Singapore is at Chomp Chomp Food Centre. We have yet to try it. Well, it means that the hokkien mee above is not it. Anyone knows which is the one that we should try?

This hokkien mee from stall 1 looks the part. Well arranged with lime at the side, bright red chili and even the thin white noodles that we prefer. However, it lacked the taste. The flavour of the stock was not infused into the noodles and it was the first thing we noticed right off the cuff. The chili was also too spicy! We take chili padi quite often and this chili is definitely not for the faint of heart (or tongue for that matter).

Dear reader, if you stay in the vicinity, please point us to the legendary hokkien mee!

Though not one of the best we’ve eaten, the BBQ wings at stall 2 is worth a try. The meat is still moist with some juices and the chili complimented the taste quite well. At $1.2 per piece, it is in line with the general prices of BBQ chicken wings.

The other main reason for our visit to Chomp Chomp Food Centre this time round is because of stall 5’s pizza. Friends have shared with us that the pizzas are only going for $3.90 each and there is also a variety of tastes to choose from. We chose the Tom Yam as well as the BBQ chicken and nope they did not disappoint.

The crust was thin and crispy while the Tom Yam flavour was mild but intriguing. No worries, no “hot” and “sudden” punch here. The prawn was also quite fresh. As for the BBQ chicken, there was a chunky piece of meat on each slice. Yum. Do give it a try and support the entrepreneurs who started this idea!

How to get to Chomp Chomp Food Centre

If you are driving, head to Serangoon Gardens. It is located at 20 Kensington Park Road. If you are going by public, buses 73, 136, 315 and 317 serves the area.

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If you have a great stall to recommend at Chomp Chomp Food Centre, do tell us in the comments section below! Enjoy your next makan at Chomp Chomp Food Centre, we will be sure to visit it again soon!