Chunz, Dhoby Ghaut: Loaded Korean corn dogs with cheese, crispy ramen & potato cubes

The viral Korean corn dog trend has hit our shores and its Instagram-worthy cheese pull shots have got me drooling. That’s why I dropped by the newly opened Chunz, which is located at GR.iD, to check it out.

GR.iD, also known as the former PoMo Mall, is located along Selegie Road and is a mere 5-minute walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT. You can find Chunz outside, along the stretch of shops that include Gotcha Fresh Tea.

You might be pleased to know that Chunz is a no pork, no lard establishment and the team is currently working on getting its halal certification!

Given how small the space was, I was surprised as to how brightly lit and colourful it was. Cute illustrations of Korean corn dogs lined the walls, and I even spotted a photo op corner.

Do note that Chunz’s dine-in seats are limited— there is only one row of high tables lining the wall, so you might have to order to-go if all seats are already taken.

What I tried

The first thing I ordered was the Cheddar (S$5.90 for a la carte, S$8.90 for combo), which was a corn dog stuffed with a gourmet black pepper sausage and wrapped in cheddar cheese.

I added the Popo Fluff Potato topping for S$1 and got the Cheese Sauce (S$1) as well.

To my delight, I watched through the glass panel as my corn dog was prepared fresh upon order. 

A thick black pepper sausage was wrapped in cheese and coated with a yeast dough batter, before being covered with my topping of choice (in this case, potato cubes). Finally, it was covered with a thick coating of panko crumbs before being dunked into hot oil.

Be prepared for things to get messy, because this corn dog was huge! Each bite was a real mouthful and I ended up snacking on the crispy potato cubes first before diving into the centre of the corn dog.

You’ve got all the textures in a single bite: crunchiness from the deep-fried potato cubes and batter, chewiness from the melted cheddar cheese, and juicy meatiness from the black pepper sausage. The drizzled nacho cheese added a salty touch, while the cheddar was mildly sweet.

I also tried Chunz’s The OG (S$7.90 for combo, S$4.90 for a la carte)— the original corn dog with a gourmet black pepper sausage. I paid an extra S$1 for the Curly Crunch Noodle topping, as well as S$1 for Spicy Korean Sauce. 

I found out that you can actually add on other sauces for free, such as Mayonnaise, Korean BBQ, Ketchup and Chilli, and I went ahead and asked for Mayonnaise for this corn dog.

There was an audible crunch when I bit into the corn dog— a sure indication as to how crispy it really was. The fried ramen bits were addictive and it reminded me of my favourite childhood snack, MAMEE Monster. 

I liked how the spicy Korean sauce and mayonnaise sauce complemented each other. The spicy Korean sauce was savoury, smokey and rich, with a good spice that kicked in even after I was done with my bite, while the mayonnaise was tart and creamy.

The last corn dog on my list was the Mozza Mania (S$9.50 for combo, S$6.50 for a la carte). It was a plain corn dog with a thick block of mozzarella cheese in the centre. 

I readied myself for the Insta-worthy cheese pull and proceeded to tear the corn dog open with my bare hands.

Yes, the cheese pull was as glorious as it looks! The soft, gooey cheese stretched on for a good ruler’s width before finally snapping off.

However, to my disappointment, this corn dog fell short in terms of flavour. Even though the crust provided a nice crunch, it didn’t have much of a taste. Plus, the mozzarella was quite mild and because it had melted during the deep-frying process, the centre of the corn dog had become hollow and the corn dog started sliding off the stick. 

If you’re getting this corn dog, my advice would be to get a sauce to go with it— strong and flavourful sauces like Chunz’s Korean BBQ or ketchup would do well.

If you’re ordering the combo, you can pick between four drinks: Merry Berry, Passion Clio, Pink Grapefruit Lychee and Mystery. I wasn’t feeling adventurous enough to go for the mystery drink, so I picked the Passion Clio and Pink Grapefruit Lychee.

Both drinks were refreshing with a tinge of zesty sourness. I appreciated how it helped to quench our thirst, because the deep-fried corn dogs had started to become slightly dry after some time.

Final thoughts

This was one of the rare viral food trends which left me feeling oddly disappointed. I was only impressed with the potato cubes and ramen toppings, and towards the end of the meal, the chewy starchiness from the corn dog batter left my dining companion and I feeling jelak. We ended up not finishing the corn dogs and left to get a much-needed drink elsewhere.

Was this just pure hype? Probably. Would I eat this again? Maybe for the potato cube topping, and only when I’m in the mood to clock some wasted calories.

Expected damage: S$4.90 – S$10 per pax

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