8 Korean BBQ Restaurant, Central Clarke Quay

The weather had been nice and cooling the past few weeks, ideal for a nice cozy meal of BBQ meat. We were craving pretty badly for BBQ meat during lunch one day and decided to check out the newly opened Eight Korean BBQ Restaurant in Central. It was situated on the second floor of the easily accessible Central, which was close enough for me that I did not really mind braving the rain for it.

The restaurant was dimly-lit, with large television screens dotting the sides showing MVs of Kpop. We browsed through the menu and quickly decided on the 4 colours set.The 4 colours set meant we could choose 4 types of marinated pork which also came with a large seafood stew and the usual set dishes. We chose miso, wine, garlic, and smoked pork.

The seafood stew was large! It was tasty but not anywhere as good as the usual stews that I am used to at Togi. The soup base in 8 Korean BBQ Restaurant was milder, less robust, and without the sweetness of fresh seafood.

The BBQ pork belly was another thing altogether. They were marvelous. The waitress set out the thick slices of pork belly on the grill and doled out large portions of kimchi and beansprouts beside them. She proceeded to grill the pork for us patiently, flipping them around and making sure that they were grilled evenly to crispy juicy slices.

Once the pork belly was ready, she cut them into smaller slices and arranged them neatly into 4 neat piles. The kimchi and beansprouts were also nicely heated up by that time. I have to say, the kimchi at 8 Korean BBQ was delicious. It was the most yummy, fragrant, and crunchy kimchi I've ever tasted. The pork belly was fantastic too. Slices of thick juicy cuts, extremely well-marinated, and grilled to perfection. I am particularly fond of the garlic flavour because it was the tastiest and most fragrant marination of the 4 types we ordered.

The pork belly cuts were as good as those at Ju Shing Jung. However, the marination was definitely better at 8 Korean BBQ Restaurant. The flavour was fully absorbed in all slices and the meat was incredibly tasty. Service was excellent and the waitress made a good effort to ensure that our slices of pork belly were evenly grilled. They also came to our table to check on us often. I would be back!

#02-79 The Central