REPLYK1988 (응팔식당) Korean BBQ Restaurant @ 200 Jalan Besar (Near Berseh Hawker Centre) [Singapore]

The Great Kon's love for food is notorious among his peers and a friend of his recently recommended a new Korean BBQ restaurant near his workplace that's said to be so amazing; he had already been there countless times! 

Singapore is saturated with Korean BBQ restaurants and to be able to gain such a loyal foothold in such a short period of time is almost unachievable given the little red dot's extremely competitive food and beverage industry. 

But a continual full five-star rating by 52 reviewers on Google was sufficient to pique our curiosity. Hence, the Kon and I specially made a trip down one Monday evening to REPLYK1988 (응팔식당) Korean BBQ Restaurant, near Berseh Hawker Centre.

Restaurant wasn't as big as Wang Dae Bak, and pretty empty when we arrived at 6.30 pm. Diners started streaming in after us and it's not hard to realize that some were Koreans; a sure sign of authenticity. Furthermore, all the staff members appeared to be Korean too!

Cutleries kept in a paper bag - a name for a company is important and REPLYK1988 sounds like a weird one. Turned out it was with reference to a popular Korean drama, originally set in the 1980s, by the name of "Reply 1988". Maybe I should check out the drama.

Hite Draft Beer - it's happy hour between 12-7.30pm on weekdays and you can secure a pint of the above Korean draft beer at just S$8.90 (original price: S$12).

A cheer to kickstart the working week! The extra cold beer was so shiok in the hot and humid weather and this particular brand didn't have that strong bitterness that I dislike in most beers. 

Side Dishes - six in total and not counting the garlic in oil, which was more for our grilled meat later. Everything was good, with special mention to the not overly creamy, yet addictive pasta coleslaw and that irresistible pickled stem vegetable! 

In preparation for our grilled meat, a bowl of fresh lettuce and a smaller one containing spring onions drenched with some kind of sauce. That's why I enjoy Korean BBQ so much; it's a balance of both sinfulness and healthiness.   

Set E (Beef and Pork Set for 2 Persons) - this consisted of three types of meat; namely, black pork belly, ribeye steak and marinated LA beef rib!

Don't be too quick to take the meat from the tray and place them on the hot grill. Over here at REPLYK1988, the staff shall assist to help you with the "grilling" process and for a person who always overcooks his meat' this was very much welcome.

The staff member doesn't anyhow just put the meat on the griddle. To ensure the temperature was just right, he took our a bloody surface thermometer! I don't think I have seen such level of service in other Korean BBQ restaurants.

Barbecuing the black pork belly and cutting them up into smaller pieces. Such dedication was definitely time consuming and I wonder if things would change should the business become better in the future. 

Grilled perfectly, this was screaming of juiciness, without the toughness and burnt surfaces if the pork belly were to be cooked using my hands and misguided intuition. 

To ensure the meat wouldn't be burnt further on the grille, the dining establishment even furnished a metal rack tray to put those already cooked meat on it; a small little touch that didn't escape the eyes from both of us. 

An healthy indulgence! 

A benefit of ordering the set was the complimentary mini size soup; options of being soy bean paste soup or spicy kimchi soup. I am okay with either so Kon made the decision for a boiling hot bowl of spicy kimchi soup.

The soup wasn't insanely sourish and spicy and this kind was well-loved by the Great Kon. I was expecting just soup and kimchi, with maybe tofu but there were pieces of tender pork belly too! 

Next up would be the ribeye steak; again, the staff would do the job of grilling for you. Lightly seasoned, this was a splendid example of a steak I hope to achieve using my Ninja Foodie Grill.

Look at that desirable pinkish middle! 

Taste wise; omfg amazing! 

Lastly, the marinated LA beef rib. Another great meat grilled by the staff; in rank of preference though, my heart went to the ribeye steak, followed by the black pork belly, and then marinated LA beef rib.

Cheese Steamed Egg - complimentary from the boss and I actually didn't want to accept as the last time I had Korean steamed egg (at Ajumma's Korean Restaurant); it was a big disappointment and this came from a person who absolutely loves eggs! 

Thankfully, this was way better; custardy smooth with a richer flavor due to the cheese. While I am still not a fan of Korean style steamed egg, this didn't stop us from almost cleaning up the bowl.

Seafood Pancake - an unconventional Korean seafood pancake with its thin, crispy base and two large, lightly grilled prawns garnishing the top. Even though I would have preferred a thicker base that would have been more substantial, the accompanying sauce with its sweet, spicy and sour amalgamation, was the deal breaker. 

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The restaurant deserves its 5-star rating! Aside from the fantastic service of having someone grilling the meat for us, the food wasn't overly flavored / seasoned / marinated and in the case of the meat; we got to enjoy their natural yet delicious juices. 

And you know what's another best thing dining at REPLYK1988 (응팔식당) ? There was hardly any BBQ stench sticking onto us after our meal! Of course, it helped that a 'professional' did the barbecuing with a good exhaust but another reason is that some of the meats were 90% pre-grilled in the kitchen, using the above device! 

Address

200 Jalan Besar, 

Singapore 208886

(Near Berseh Hawker Centre)

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

Mondays to Saturdays - 1.00 pm to Midnight

Sundays - Closed

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/replyk1988/

Menu

Visit https://www.facebook.com/replyk1988/menu/

Pricing

Hite Draft Beer - S$8.90 a pint

Set E (Beef and Pork Set for 2 Persons) - S$64.00

Seafood Pancake - S$17.90

(Subject to Service Charge)

Additional Information

For weekdays (Monday to Thursdays) spending of more than S$100, a representative the group can try their luck with the capsule machine! 

The capsule I got.

Opened up the capsule and unraveled the slip of paper. I couldn't quite make out the handwriting but the boss mentioned a word that I understood;  Ttakbokgi (Korean rice cakes). We just had to keep this slip of paper and in our next visit, we would give a small serving of Tteokbokki, for free! 

Ocean View with Balcony - Stateroom 626, Deck 8 (8626) for Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas #royalcaribbeancruise

My first cruise was over twenty years ago and there were a few things that I still remember; the room that was a tight squeeze for 4 persons and the ridiculously tiny washroom! Would it be the same for my most recent, and second cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas? 

Narrow yet brightly lit corridor outside the staterooms (as they are called on the cruise). Despite the brightness, it was still rather eerie when I returned from a late night jog at close to midnight. 

Entering the stateroom via the keycard. 

Room

At almost 19 square metes, this stateroom (ocean view with balcony) didn't feel claustrophobic at all; wasn't as wide although it was compensated by its depth. It was a huge departure from my first cruise and aside from a queen sized bed, there's a dressing table and even a sofa bed! 

One of the questions on my mind before I embarked was whether I can connect my laptop to the TV using my own HDMI cable. Answer: I couldn't reach the port behind the TV and I am so worried the device will topple if I attempt to push it out. 

Note: no smoking allowed! Welcome leaflet on your bed; the stateroom attendant would also place a daily planner for the next day every time they service your room. No complaint about the bed; I slept well despite my companion's snores. 

A long sofa that could also function as a bed if you happen to have another person joining you. I always feel it's not worth for the 3rd person as he/she would be paying the same price. No matter what, a sofa bed is definitely not as comfortable as a proper one. 

One-person dressing table; two things to note here. 

Firstly, there are direct USB ports for you to charge your digital gadgets. For power, it's the type A, 2-pin sockets used commonly in USA; hence, do bring along a travel adaptor!    

Given the pandemic, a bottle of hand sanitizer and three packets of face masks were placed on the table. There's also a sticker on the table with the extension of the onboard medical centre to call should we experience any unwell symptoms. Frankly, the cruise operator would be more scared than us as many of the crew members were unvaccinated then. 

Two complimentary bottles of plain water throughout your trip. It will not be replenished unless you are willing to pay for them. To save money, we filled up the electric kettle using the tap water in the washroom and boiled them.

Need ice? Ask your stateroom attendant!

p.s. I only noticed this tiny sign on my last day! 

Dryer available for those who need. 

A mini-fridge to keep all your snacks that require refrigeration! For me, the first thing I need to put in would be my bottle of Brown Brothers Cienna; it tastes best when chilled. 

Two wardrobes on each side of the bed, each with their own configurations. One had an in-room safe which wasn't large enough to keep my laptop, which means I had to lug it when I went out of the room, unless my travel mate were to decide to stay in. 

To make it easier, we took the wardrobe nearest to the side of the bed that we would be sleeping at. Above was mine and I was happy to be able to keep my cabin-size luggage in it! 

Washroom

The very important room; the washroom. For my first cruise, I recall it was horrendously tight and everything was within reach once I stretched out my arms. Would it be the same case here? 

Thankfully not at all; it's way more spacious with the shower area separated from the toilet. Granted some of you would still grumble about the size but to me, this is a good enough size for me to do my 'dirty' business. 

Wash area with the little sink. Not sure what that spittoon looking thing is for; figured it's some sort of a dustbin. There's even a toilet brush right behind if you decide to clean up after your number two. By the way, don't expect hotel bathroom amenities like toothbrush, shower caps etc. 

There's a hair and body wash dispenser in the shower though. 

Hot and cold shower with grab bar and a shelf for your other stuff. 

Anyone has any idea what the bar is for? You can't sit on it unless you have a real tiny butt. I can't figure it out but would put one leg on it to better clean the hard to reach area at the back of my legs; where the biceps femoris is. 

Balcony

Going towards the balcony! Don't be worried about the sunlight as the blackout curtains did a great job in blocking the sunlight from disturbing our sleep! 

Adding on a balcony means paying more for the fare. Hence, you would have to determine if it's really necessary. Some people prefer the occasional fresh air within reach from the room, whereas some opt to sunbath with privacy. 

One of the reasons why I prefer a stateroom with balcony was the convenience to take time-lapsed videos using my DJI OSMO Pocket 2. p.s. the structure ahead of us was Singapore Cruise Centre as the photos were taken on day one, before the cruise ship departed. 

At about 5 square meters, the balcony housed two deck chairs. As you can see, the separation from your next door neighbors was just a metal sheet on both sides. Not sure why it wasn't sealed all the way at the bottom... Bet a baby can crawl through. 

I didn't bump into any of our next door neighbors even though, interestingly, I managed to strike a conversation with a kid in the stateroom on our left. Not so much a conversation; he was hollering "where am I" and my response was "I am here", and this went on a few minutes on two days. 

Stateroom 8626 had an obstructed view but it wasn't that big a problem for me. If privacy is an issue for you, you can choose the room with unobstructed view on the booking website, at a slightly higher premium. 

Sun tanning is not something I enjoy doing at this age but the balcony was a relaxing place for me to play Homescapes, especially with a light breeze on a sunny day. If I am not that hyperactive a person, I might have just dozed off. 

Lastly, always remember to keep a look out for your emergency escape route. As we are not on land, the assembly station would be at a deck on the lower levels, where the lifeboats are. 

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For the summary of my 4 nights' ocean getaway cruise on board Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, please click here.