Hello Peeps! As promised I am penning down all my favourite authentic Korean eateries in Singapore here on the blog just so you can also get your K-food cravings satisfied while we wait for the situation to get better and a travel bubble between Singapore and South Korea. For this particular article, I am writing about O.Bba Jjajang (오빠 짜장) a popular Korean-Chinese Restaurant (중국집) in Singapore.
While many of us are familiar with the time-tested Korean noodles places in Singapore such as Dong Fang Hong (동방홍) or Hwang-sil (황실), in recent years, more Jjajangmyun brands have sprung up in Singapore and I am very sure O.Bba Jjajjang is no stranger to any K-foodie in Singapore.
O.Bba Jjajang is one of the popular restaurants often frequented by my Korean friends. Oddly enough, I have never visited the restaurant prior to this. I have only ordered O.bba Jjajang delivery but I love every bit of it. As I decided to write down all my favourite Korean eateries in Singapore, I visited the Tanjong Pagar outlet on a weekend.
Though O.Bba Jjajang is primarily a Korean-Chinese restaurant, you can find Haemul Pajeon 해물 파전 (Seafood Leek Pancake) on the menu which is quite uncommon in South Korea. However, I’ve heard great things about their pancake so we ordered one. It turned out to be a popular dish among my family members! We love the savoury flavours, soft interior and crispy outside. Every bite was a delight.
Are you Team Black or Team Red? When you are visiting a Korean-Chinese Restaurant with friends in Korea, this is the question you’ll always get – “Are you a fan of Jjajjangmyun or Jjamppong?” (짜장이냐 짬뽕이냐), alongside with the question: “Are you Team Dip or Team Pour?” (찍먹? 부먹? I’ll come back to this later).
Team Red would always order the Jjamppong Noodles 짬뽕 (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup). The portion is huge. The soup looks fiery red, but it wasn’t too spicy. I feel a slight numbness on my tongue, which was quite pleasant. You can find fresh mussels, prawns and squid in the soup, which added a delicate briny flavour to the dish.
Now here comes another fun part about dining at a Korean-Chinese restaurant. Whenever the Tangsuyuk 탕수육 (Sweet & Sour Pork) is served, the next question asked at the dining table would be “How do you eat Tangsuyuk? Jjingmok (찍먹) or bumok (부먹)?”
Bumok 부먹 is an abbreviation from ‘부어서 먹어’ meaning ‘eat after pouring the sauce’, while Jjingmok 찍먹 is from ‘찍어서 먹어’ meaning ‘eat after dipping the sauce’. Personally, I prefer Jjingmok as it retains the crispiness of the meat. However, if you like a stronger flavour, try bumok. But that’d mean the batter coating will be soaked up in the sauce and lose its crispy texture.
Of course, we ordered Tangsuyuk at O.Bba’s. I can never imagine eating Jjajangmyun without Tangsuyuk. O.Bba Jjajang’s Tangsuyuk is served with a few pieces of fried lotus roots (love it!). Each piece is coated in a light and fluffy batter, and deep-fried until golden. I like that they’re crispy but not too greasy. According to the restaurant, they change their oil daily just so the Tangsuyuk taste fresh and the colour remains a beautiful light-golden! It pairs really well with the tangy-sweet & sour sauce.
For those who know me personally, you know that I am a #TeamBlack. I will always go for Jjajangmyun whenever I visit a Korean-Chinese restaurant. The Jjajang noodles at O.Bba’s were served with some julienned cucumber as toppings that added a slight crunchiness to the dish. The springy and chewy yellow noodles are handmade daily and upon order, and is covered in the classic black sauce.
The flavourful black sauce pairs really well with the smooth and bouncy noodles. Personally, I think the black sauce at O.Bba Jjajang is one of the best in Singapore. With every bite, there is sweetness from the caramelised onions and the savoury taste from the Chunjang (춘장), the black bean sauce. Though it has lesser pork bits, the delectable sauce makes up for it.
I like to eat my Jjajangmyun with Danmuji (단무지), the yellow pickled radish. I reckon it is one of the most important side dishes for Jjajangmyun. Its tangy-sweet flavour along with the refreshingly crunch texture makes a perfect pairing with the chewy noodles. It also thought to aid digestion too!
I also asked for additional Chunjang (춘장), the black bean paste to go with my onions. In Korea, this black sauce is a complimentary condiment for the guests. They don’t serve it automatically here in Singapore probably to cut down food wastage because most Singaporean do not know how to eat it. I always dip raw onions into the sauce and it brings out the natural sweetness of the onion! If you like onion perhaps you can try this pairing the next time when you are at the restaurant.
Contact Details
O.Bba Jjajang (Tanjong Pagar) 오빠짜장 (3호점 탄종파가)
77 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore 088498
Opening Hours: 11:30 am-3 pm, 5:30-11 pm
Close on Tuesdays.
Tel. +65 6221 8254