With a decidedly unpronounceable name, Ssikkek Korean BBQ Buffet seems authentic enough in that it's staffed by a half dozen Korean tai tai's. There's a pretty decent variety on offer. On the seafood side there's just Shrimp and Squid, but the meat section more than makes up for it with Pork Belly, Bacon, Pork Shoulder, Beef Short Rib, Beef Rib Eye, Sausages and a few more other cuts, all replenishable as long as your stomach has room. Some of them even come pre-marinated.
The one glaring difference between this joint and a more traditional ala-carte one, is the lack of the customary banchan (side dishes). Instead, there's free flow of soup, kimchi stew (delicious), Korean glass noodles and Pancake.
So the drill is simple; Go to the counter in the middle, grab your meat, and bring it back to your table for grilling. Rinse and Repeat times however many times you want. If you get thirsty, the first (500ml) bottle of water per table is free; you have to pay for any additional bottles, though.
I think the no-frills concept works good. Unlike normal BBQ joints where I normally try to order less meat and fill up on the rice and/or banchan (side dishes), I found myself eating easily three or four times the amount of meat. Unfortunately the first two batches were dry and overcooked (due to a lack of grilling skill on my part), but once I got adjusted, the meat is effectively no different from more premium places.
What about the price? Ranging from 14++ Weekday lunch to SGD24++ Dinners, it's unbeatable value for money. You've got to turn up early, though, because the restaurant fills up fast (reservations not accepted), and the queue moves extremely slowly.
Ssikek is on the 4th floor of Tampines 1 shopping mall. The BBQ Buffet concept is a real winner - added bonus for it being fairly near my work place / home. Non-Halal.
i wish they have branch in malaysia..
ReplyDeleteWell, if you've ever been thinking of opening a restaurant, this concept could easily take off BIG in Malaysia too =)
DeleteThey have branch now in Kepong, Malaysia;)
Deletehttp://when2meets2.blogspot.com/2012/08/ssikkek-korean-grill-bbq-buffet-kepong.html
The food there is so good! Such a nice Korean atmosphere. Love the meat as well, tender as hell. Rating 5 STARS
DeleteI'm going back there for the rest of my life.
ooh, i've seen one or two japanese bbq buffet outlets in KL, but not korean so far. looks tasty! :D
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, I haven't actually ever eaten at a Japanese BBQ place. Wonder how similar / different it is from Korean BBQ hmmm ...
Deletethank you for your post!! helps alot ^_^
ReplyDeleteWell, it’s not everyday that you get to try out Korean barbeque with your darling, so it’s pretty much okay to have that ‘OMG FATS OVERLOAD’ feeling. I mean, it’s not going to happen often, right? Having been able to taste the meaty Korean dish once is not going to badly affect your health.
ReplyDeleteDione Drabble