[Media Invite] Dinner at Manbok Korean BBQ Restaurant

279 North Bridge Road, Singapore 088752

Tel: 6557 0939

Website:  http://manbokinc.wix.com/manbok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Manbok-Chinatown-314234135391389/timeline

Opening Hours

 Lunch:    11.30am to 3.00pm (daily)

Dinner:    5.00pm to 11.00pm (daily)

Price

Weekdays Lunch

Adults SGD$15.00 nett / Children SGD$10.00 nett

Weekends & PH Lunch

Adults SGD$18.00 nett / Children SGD$10.00 nett

Weekday Dinner:

Adults: SGD$29.00 ++

Children: SGD$18.00 ++

For a group of 4 adults and more for dinner (seated at same table), there will be free beer.

Manbok Chinatown is located at Chinatown, as the name implies, and thus very convenient to get to.  This is a Korean BBQ Restaurant, and the very affable owner Mr. Tan proudly told us that the name means "a million fortunes" (万富) in Chinese. What a prosperous name!

This was a media invite attended by representatives from Hungrygowhere and some other familiar faces including Ivanteh_RunningMan and Fundamentally_Flawed.  Mr. Tan hosted the dinner, supplying us with valuable information as well as constantly bringing out items fresh out of the pan for us enthusiatically.  In the kitchen there are 2 Korean chefs preparing sumptuous, authentic dishes for the patrons.

Here's some of the dressings and sauces - some spicy, some sweet, and the mysterious "Special Sauce" has been highly recommended.

A neatly-organised section serves all the necessities required for grilling or the soup - seafood, sausages, vegetables, eggs, mushrooms etc.

The array of marinated and non-marinated meat selection was pretty impressive - around 10 types of them colourfully displayed in two rows.

The meats consisted of Chicken Breast, Chicken Legs, Pork Belly, Marinated Pork Collar, Bacon, Spicy Pork Belly, Beef Chuck Tender, Beef Short Ribs, Pork Collar and Beef Short Ribs (non-marinated). My favorite was the Marinated Pork Collar, Spicy Pork Belly and Beef Short Ribs - utterly tender and tasty, thus giving rise to multiple helpings.

Usually there would be 3 types of cooked items as well. For tasting purpose, we got to try more.   It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why these Korean Garlic Chicken Wings made it to the top of our list - crispy, flavourful and simply finger-licking good.

There were also Korean Pancake - the original and kimchi ones.

And Jajiang Noodles ("zha jiang noodles") - springy strands of noodles moistened and flavoured by tasty fried bean paste gravy.

Korean Sushi Rolls made thier way to our palates as well - there were chicken and tuna ones, all very nicely rolled and deliciously-prepared with simple ingredients.

Finally, some Tempura - deep fried battered eggplant and chicken. While the eggplant ones lacked flavour, the chicken ones were good - crackling on the outside, tender on the inside. The suggestion of pairing with the special chilli sauce (on the side of the pan) was brilliant.

For desserts, there were fresh cut fruits and ice-cream (vanilla or chocolate) to cool the tongues down. Bottles of light, sweet Hite Beer made for good companions throughout the tasting session as well.

From the cooked food to the grilled food to the soup, it was all very enjoyable. I really like the BBQ chimney used here - someone the entire dining experience did not leave us smokey or greasy, and the smell that lingered on us was toned down significantly.  Service was excellent and price is reasonable - I will definitely be back for more, whenever the cravings kick in.

Thank you Manbok Chinatown and Mr. Tan for the beautiful tasting session, and thank you Hungrygowhere for the invite!