Generally, I do enjoy Korean food, especially its grilled selection. But there were two dishes, that I tried before and told myself then, I would never order again. One was spicy tofu soup and the other is bean paste stew.
In view of the above, SBCD Korean Tofu House had never been a point of interest whenever I am at Millenia Walk. However, two persons, one of whom is the Great Kon, declared their utmost love for the soontofu and I thought maybe it would be worth a try, given that the branch is just a short train ride from Marina Bay Sands. In addition, I am less averse to spicy tofu soup now after trying the one from Pa Bul Lo Korean Charcoal BBQ. Place was almost at full capacity when our group of three persons arrived a little past 6.00 pm. To be honest, there are many Korean restaurants in Singapore and to command a full-house on a Wednesday is quite a feat amidst the fierce competition.
Apparently, the tofu is made fresh from their kitchen daily! According to the website, the soybeans are specially imported from Paju, South Korea, an area known for its quality produce. Whatever the case, let's review the menu, also known as the placemat for each diner. There were options for starter, main and soontofu and I guess it's a no brainer to go with the combo (choice of main plus soontofu), which comes with hot stone rice and side dishes!
Corn Tea - with options for hot / iced, this is free flow at a charge of S$1.00 per person. But we all know how hard it is to get the service staff to fill up, particularly during the peak dining hours. And it didn't help that each metal cup was so tiny!
Fret not, over here at SBCD Korean Tofu House, they will prepare flasks of corn tea and put it on your table for you to self-serviced! We had two as one was for hot and, another for cold corn tea. p.s. the corn flavor was stronger for the hot version even though it did taste more like barley tea in the beginning.
Side Dishes - I have eaten at enough Korean restaurants and this would be the first time I am seeing a fish being included! It's not huge but definitely bigger than your typical shishamo in Japanese restaurants.
I love the pickled cucumber which had an appetizing, vinegarish-sweet taste. Favorite side dish was the fermented squid that had a sharp, wasabi-like seasoning peppered with white sesame seeds! You can actually purchase the squid at just S$20.00 for 500 grams.
The deep fried yellow fish was surprisingly meaty and would likely meet the expectations of my mom. One issue; it was served cold. Maybe a few seconds of frying in the boiling oil might enhance its palatability.
Unagi - all three of us got combos and the mains all fall within the chef's recommendation range. I managed to steal a bite from the mains of my cousin and Alex. First up would be the grilled unagi.
Maybe I am too accustomed to Japanese style grilled unagi (fav is Man Man); the garlic marination for this unagi was simply not my cup of tea and it didn't help that the skin was soggy. Grilled Teriyaki Chicken - I had the intention to order this too but since Alex is pickier than I am; it's better for me to order another main since there's a high chance Alex wouldn't be able to finish his food and I could just take over!
Wrong move as he just passed me one piece and devoured the rest! Juicy with a smoky, teriyaki marination and grilled to a lightly charred finish; this was delicious!
La Galbi Combo - among the mains, this was the most expensive! Both my cousin and Alex got the combo too but I didn't try their soontofu; hence, my review was focused on their mains of unagi and grilled teriyaki chicken instead.
Usually, I would have baulked at the sight of so much rice but when it comes to soontofu, the rice would be essential for the perfect enjoyment! While the beef short ribs were well marinated and I loved chewing the sinfully oily fats, the meat was too tough. Sigh, I shall have gone for the spicy baby octopus....
Star of the show - the soontofu! There were various options like seafood, oyster, intestine and I decided to go with assorted which had beef, clam, crab, shrimp and squid. Spicy level consisted of mild, standard, spicy and crazy hot. Needless to say, I went with mild!
Most spicy tofu soup I had before were watery and bland and the one from SBCD Korean Tofu House was rich and chockablock full of delicious savouriness (said to contain "a 10-ingredient secret recipe")! While the tofu provided some 'texture', I didn't mind it as it was just so incredibly silky smooth and soft. As mentioned previously, please add the rice to the soup! There were tons of ingredients within the soup; I didn't quite like the beef though and guess I would just go for the seafood in my next visit. In terms of spiciness, mild was good for me but I should challenge for the standard in the future; an elevated spiciness can sometimes enhance the palatability.
Burp with satisfaction! Be prepared to step out with a bulging stomach! It was a lot to digest for the combos, especially for Alex who aimed for the main and literally ignored his soup which was the unconventional ham and cheese. I didn't help as I prefer a more authentic soontofu!
I was paying at the counter when I saw this mini fridge. Well, it tasted like a less sweetened version of yakult original.
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Address
Singapore 039586
(above Promenade MRT Station)
Map
As above.
Tanjong Pagar Centre and Alexandra Retail Centre
As above.
Pricing
Unagi Combo - S$35.90
Teriyaki Chicken Combo - S$27.90
Corn Tea - S$1.00 per person
(Subject to GST and Service Charge)
