Obongzip 오봉집 Korean Restaurant @ Tanjong Pagar in Singapore

Compared to blogs, I admit vlogs have a lot more allure, with the ability to capture attention immediately. Even I would refer to vlogs on new restaurants, before making a decision to check them out.

One such restaurant was Obongzip 오봉집, a Korean restaurant that hailed from South Korea, which has over 300 outlets and opened its first branch in Singapore late last year.

Needless to say in food-craze Singapore, the queue was long when we arrived at about 6.30pm. Putting in an on-site reservation (time-slots were unavailable online), we were only brought into the restaurant at about 8.20pm! 

There were just the greatest Kon, Alex (the small eater) and I; hence, the Obongzip Special platter would be the best option since it comprised the three signature dishes of Obongzip; fire grilled spicy octopus, bossam pork and spicy buckwheat noodles. 

Complimentary water, with serviettes hidden under the table. 

That's the way things should be for ALL restaurants in Singapore! 

Together with the platter was a sizeable bowl of seaweed soup and a range of side dishes! Served on birthdays, there were large pieces of seaweed said to be beneficial for health and the only thing needed improvement was that it should have been served piping hot, instead of lukewarm.

Rest of the side dishes didn't generate much surprises; not lousy for sure, just not breathtaking enough for us to shout wow! So, let's now dive into the main dishes! 

Fire-grilled Spicy Octopus - selecting mild instead of hot a

nd extra hot, the spiciness was just right for us and complemented perfectly with the grilled aroma of the octopus, combination of which was so delicious; the words that came out were "wow, wow"! I would gladly eat this one dish for dinner! Yum yum! 

Pork Belly Bossam - now, this was one dish I see often on menus in Korean restaurants but the seemingly boiled pork honestly always don't look and feel that appetising. So, this was my first time (I think) eatingh bossam.

Turned out this was even better than the fire grilled spicy octopus! I was absolutely blown away when I paired the pork belly with the accompanying kimchi. By itself, the pork belly was tender (and fatty) with your usual pork flavour.

Main star was the kimchi, which was unlike any kimchi I have had before; with a crunchy texture and a spiciness that wasn't tongue numbing yet had that undeniably tempting sweetness! So unforgettable was this dish; I will be returning back to Obongzip very soon, with my dearest mom of course! 

Spicy Buckwheat Noodles - called makguksu, this dish was your typical "buckwheat noodles tossed in a sweet, tangy and spicy house sauce", mixed professionally by the staff on duty.

Being a fan of buckwheat noodles, this was a unique version that I would define as refreshing! Flavorsome would be the first word that came to my mind and I so love the addition of nuts; nuttiness with extra crunch! 

Grilled Tteok - looking like a puffy golden pillow, many diners would immediately whip out their phones when this dessert is served to their table.

A spectacle no less; with the eyes almost popping out from our sockets when the sticky mochi stretching so high up! Another thought that was going through our minds; it would be hard for us to finish this dessert! 

With a crispy shell that held so much Korean rice cake inside, it's a carbohydrate-heavy meal that would further stuff our already stuffed tummy. And I heard from Alex that he was full, before this dessert was  even served.

On its own, there wasn't much taste for the grilled tteok and we benefited greatly from the saucer of sweet sauce (malt sugar we believe) where we happily dipped the pieces of tteok in before putting them into our mouth. While this was worth a try, especially when you have a larger group, the mochi lost their melty elasticity when it cooled, and it could be very jelak.   

=====

Before and after! Will definitely be back for the Obongzip Special platter! And kudos to the Greatest Kon for gallantly cleaning up the grilled tteok! It was too much for Alex and I; former of whom just took one piece, I believe.

Address

77 Tanjong Pagar Rd, 

Singapore 088498

Map

As above.

Instagram Page

https://www.instagram.com/obongzip_sg/

Pricing

Obongzip Special - S$108.00

Grilled Tteok - S$28.00

(Subject to Service Charge and GST)

Candied Sweet Potato Cubes (蜘蛛絲地瓜) @ Hanxi Night Market in Taichung [Taiwan]

To be totally honest, I don't really look at signboards whenever I visit the night markets in Taiwan. It's the smell of the food that captivates me, with the visual appearance catching my attention. 

There wasn't any smell emitting from this stall but the look of that box filled with glistening golden nuggets definitely drew my attention. It's only then that I looked at the sign board and noted those nuggets were in fact sweet potatoes; one of the best carbohydrate choices around! 

We got a box at NT$100 after much deliberation. While sweet potatoes were a good source of carbohydrates, the shiny glace covering them was a result of sugar, similar to the tanghulu; not exactly healthy.... Oh well, too great a temptation, it was.

Did I regret my choice? Hell no as they were irresistibly delicious! Coated with a crunchy layer of sugar with soft insides, it's a guarantee that every piece of sweet potato was sweetened, and boy were they addictive, and sinfully so! Even Alex, a non-sweet potato lover, likes them! 

=====

I did regret something. 

Not having it again before leaving the city! 

Address

Section 1, Hanxi E Rd, 

Hanxi Night Market, East District,

Taichung City, Taiwan 

Map

As above.

Pricing

One Serving - NT$100

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)

Golden Lotus Oriental Organic Spa @ Da Nang City in Vietnam

In my few trips (numbering five) to Vietnam, my consensus when it comes to massages would be "Thailand is still better". However, the aforementioned statement changed after my last trip to Danang! 

While I was aware of Golden Lotus Oriental Organic Spa on my first trip, given its insane reviews; I didn't manage to step in. Staying near its original branch in my recent trip (May 2025), and with my mom, who is more of a massage enthusiast, we went, TWICE.

Removing shoes and placing them tidily in compartmentalized shoe boxes for assurance, although there was a notice, in English and Korean, that the spa will not be responsible for any loss! 

Brought to a nice waiting area, with pods for individual groups, where we would be pampered with some drinks and snacks, and hand towels! 

Take a look at the menu (pasted at the end of the page) and indicate your "wishes" in the order list which came in numerous languages, including English and Chinese. 

Honestly, Thailand massages should also consider having the "order list" as it allows non-native speakers to indicate the strength of the massage required, parts of the body to focus the massage on (mine is always shoulder and back) etc. 

A key would also be passed after completion.

More on the key later.

Choosing your oil for those signing up for aromatherapy massages.

For me, it would always be lavender for relaxation. 

You see it right; a changing room! 

A communal one, separated by sex.

Choose your size and changed into a clean attire more suited for massages, without having to be totally naked! For me, that's easy; being short has its advantages as "small" would likely be the size.

Key given would be for your designated locker in the changing room! As a typical Singaporean, there's always innate fear that things might still get stolen! But this spa has a review score of 4.9 from over 12,000 reviewers! So it should be safe. Anyway, I don't have much valuables...

Feet washing time! 

Brought up to the higher level for my body massage.

Sharing also the floor directory for the five-floor spa. 

Massage room for me; the best massage I had so far in Vietnam; good strength with concentration on acupoints that eased my sore parts, and came with hot compress too! Don't take my words for it as my mom would be a better barometer.

Back to the changing room (also known as the locker room). You can actually choose to shower if you wish, with provisions of towels and and hair dryer! 

Massages in Vietnam involved a lot of eating, and not just tea drinking in other countries like Thailand and Malaysia! And it's not cheap stuff also; we have sliced mangoes and candied lotus seeds at Golden Lotus! 

Mom was so in love with the massages here at Golden Lotus that we returned twice! She had tried Vietnamese massages in Hoi An, which weren't to her satisfaction. Hence, I am glad to know she was happy, given her lifelong obsession with massages.

Pod we were seated and time to leave! 

Upon payment, we were given a pack of candied coconut ribbons for free! Here for relaxation yet I feel like I would gain a kilo or two after my massage. 

=====

Address

63 Hà Bổng, An Hải, Sơn Trà, 

Đà Nẵng 550000, Vietnam

Map

As above.

Spa Menu

As above.

Pricing

Do note there's a service charge of 70,000 dong  per person added to our bill.