What are the first things you think about when someone mentions Korean food? Chances are, your mind will wander to popular dishes like bibimbap, tteokbokki and gimbap. So Seoul Po Cha, however, takes Korean dining to the next level with a range of premium dishes that are much more uncommon in Singapore.
So Seoul Po Cha is located along Tras Street, which is a 3-minute walk away from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station.
Though its storefront appears unassuming, stepping into the space reveals elegant gold accents and an inviting atmosphere.
The restaurant offers plenty of seats for diners to choose from, as well as a bar area with an assortment of Korean alcohol and drinks!
What I tried at So Seoul Po Cha
One of So Seoul Po Cha’s signature dishes is the SS Special (S$58), a platter consisting of pieces of fried chicken, a corn dog, tteokbokki, squid, dumplings, corn cheese, potatoes, sweet potatoes, egg, salad and pickled radish.
This hefty dish is perfect for those who love Korean fried snacks, as it consists of all sorts of crispy delights for you to share with your friends and family.
The Korean fried chicken in the middle of the platter was super juicy and fresh with a crisp golden brown skin. I’d recommend dipping it into the gochujang sauce it is served on top of, as it adds a kick of savoury flavour to the dish.
Beneath the fried chicken were pieces of chewy tteokbokki, each covered in the addictive gochujang sauce. Tteokbokki lovers will love the bouncy texture of these rice cakes, especially when paired with the salty and savoury gochujang.
The next signature dish at So Seoul Po Cha is the SS Special Soup (S$68), containing Korean flower crab, clams, beef, fish cakes and assorted vegetables.
Each ingredient was cooked and served in an exquisite soup, which was laden with a rich seafood aroma.
The Korean flower crab was the star of the stew — the generous amount of thick and tender crab flesh had been marinated well in the seafood stew, allowing for its flavours to shine even more.
The beef slices were super soft with an almost melt-in-the-mouth texture. Like the crab, the refreshing seafood stew could be tasted in every mouthful of meat.
For a chewier treat, we dug into the skewered fish cakes. Each piece delighted us with their soft and addictively bouncy textures.
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If you are a lover of raw seafood, So Seoul Po Cha’s Soy Marinated Crab (S$48) is a must-try dish. The stunning Korean flower crab was the centrepiece of the platter, surrounded by rice balls and seaweed to pair.
What made the crab outstanding was its freshness. Each mouthful was soft and pulpy, with a nice briny flavour from the marination and a rich umami-ness.
The raw crab went nicely with the rice balls and seaweed too, which helped to balance out its more gelatinous texture.
The Spicy Seafood Tofu Soup (S$25) is another one of So Seoul Po Cha’s popular dishes, generously packed with assorted seafood and tofu.
Just look at how packed this dish is! The liberal amount of seafood within the Spicy Seafood Tofu Soup was commendable, with every bite being well-substantiated with various textures from the soft tofu, chewy seafood and slightly crisp vegetables. The soup itself had a light spicy kick to it, which perfectly accentuated the variety of ingredients within.
I couldn’t get enough of So Seoul Po Cha’s Wagyu Tartare (S$28), a dish consisting of raw marinated Wagyu beef topped with an egg yolk and paired with pickled radish, lettuce and seaweed crisps.
The Wagyu Tartare was soft and slightly mushy with a sweet, umami flavour permeating throughout. I loved how the marinated flavours shone through with every bite, and the egg yolk on top helped to make the dish even more creamy!
We ended our meal with So Seoul Po Cha’s Truffle Prawns (S$28), served within a classy black stone bowl. The dish consisted of pieces of cut truffle prawns and garlic, topped with shaved truffle.
As with all the dishes we tried at So Seoul Po Cha, the Truffle Prawns were incredibly fresh with a strong truffle aroma wafting through with each bite. The pieces of soft garlic were fragrant and added to the addictively savoury flavours of the prawns.
Final thoughts
So Seoul Po Cha is truly a haven for those who love lesser known Korean dishes, especially those featuring raw seafood and meat. This was my first time trying tartare from a non-Western establishment, and I was amazed at how incredible the Korean version of this dish was.
With its stunning, classy ambience and premium, high-quality dishes, So Seoul Po Cha is the perfect spot to get together with your loved ones for a delicious Korean meal.
Expected damage: S$18 – S$70 per pax
*This post was brought to you in partnership with So Seoul Po Cha.
Price: $ $
So Seoul Po Cha
49 Tras Street, Singapore 078988
So Seoul Po Cha
49 Tras Street, Singapore 078988