Korean barbecue in Singapore has officially gone feral in 2025. We’re no longer satisfied with thin pork belly and soju towers — we now demand 1++ Hanwoo, 100-day dry-aged galbi, and charcoal so hot it feels illegal. These are the ten temples where locals willingly stand in the rain, sell their concert tickets, or drop $300 per person without blinking. All prices below are 2025 dinner rates for two adults after ++, unless stated otherwise.
1. Wang Dae Bak 왕대박 – Cross Street
$220–350 for two
The one that started the war in 2012 and still wins it every night. Their signature wang galbi (king ribs) is marinated for exactly 72 hours in a sauce that contains 28 ingredients including nashi pear aged in oak barrels. The charcoal is binchotan flown in from Kishu, and they change the grill every single round without you asking. The lettuce is still wrapped in cold towels, and the banchan spread remains the gold standard — 18 side dishes that never repeat. Queue starts forming at 5:15 p.m. even on Tuesdays.
2. Guiga 구이가 – Tanjong Pagar
280–480 for two
The 2024 opening that dethroned everyone with actual 1++ Hanwoo from Gangwon-do. They installed a $180,000 custom ventilation system just so they can serve 100-day dry-aged galbi that smells like blue cheese and wagyu had a baby. The flower pork (iberico collar cut into rose shapes) melts before it hits the grill. They only take 48 diners per night across two seatings, and the waitlist on Quandoo currently stretches into October.
3. Seorae 쇠래 – Plaza Singapura & Jewel
180–320 for two
The Korean chain that finally brought real charcoal to the masses. Their signature galmaegisal (pork skirt meat) is only 200 g per pig, and they fly it in daily from Jeju. The grill is a downward-sloping volcanic stone plate that drains fat away so everything stays crispy even after ten rounds. The cheese ring add-on went viral in 2025 because it’s literally a moat of molten raclette around your meat.
4. I’m Kim Korean BBQ – School of the Arts (SOTA) rooftop
250–400 for two
The prettiest KBBQ in Singapore, hidden on the rooftop of SOTA with a direct view of the National Museum. They serve Yangcheon-gun 1++ Hanwoo aged 35 days and cut tableside by a butcher in full whites. The truffle rice cooked in a stone pot with raw wagyu yolk is the reason people propose here. Book the 8:30 p.m. seating in 2025 if you want the city lights to look like a K-drama.
5. 8 Korean BBQ – Clarke Quay (the pork palace)
160–280 for two
The place that made the 8 Colours Set famous: eight different cuts of pork belly marinated eight ways, from wine to ginseng to curry. Their aged pork is stored in a Himalayan salt room for 14 days, and the herb pork literally tastes like Christmas. They upgraded to smokeless grills in 2025 but still give you the option of charcoal if you ask nicely.
6. Super Star K – Tanjong Pagar Plaza
140–140–240 for two
The heartland hero that refuses to die despite every fancy joint opening nearby. Uncle still cuts the pork belly by hand to exactly 3 mm thickness, and the charcoal is so hot the meat caramelises in 12 seconds. Their army stew is loaded with three types of sausage, baked beans, and enough cheese to clog an artery in one spoonful. Cash only, no reservations, pure chaos.
7. Todamgol 토담골 – Mosque Street
200–200–350 for two
The 30-year-old institution that moved to a bigger shophouse in 2025 and still hasn’t lost its soul. Their haemul pajeon is the size of a car tyre and comes out bubbling with fresh seafood. The pork skin grilled until it balloons like a football remains the most addictive texture on earth. They still wrap your leftovers in foil swans like it’s 1998.
8. Don Dae Bak 돈대박 – Chinatown Point
180–180–300 for two
The pork specialist that introduced deonjang pork trotters to Singapore. Their grilled pork jowl is so fatty it looks like otoro, and the makgeolli comes in actual brass kettles that keep it ice-cold. They added a private room in 2025 with its own karaoke machine — perfect for when you’re too drunk to care about the bill.
9. Bornga 본가 – Suntec City & VivoCity
190–190–320 for two
The chain from Seoul celebrity chef Jong Won Paik. Their woo samgyup (thinly sliced beef brisket) is dipped in sesame oil and grilled for exactly seven seconds per side. The cold noodles in icy beef broth remain the best hangover cure in the country. They introduced a $188++ lunch set in 2025 that’s basically robbery in reverse.
10. Captain Kim Korean BBQ – Tanjong Pagar (the late-night legend)
150–150–260 for two (open until 6 a.m.)
The only proper 24-hour KBBQ in Singapore. Their spicy pork bulgogi is cooked with enough gochujang to wake the dead, and the cheese tteokbokki comes bubbling in a cast-iron pan at 3 a.m. The ventilation is so strong you can wear white and leave smelling like nothing happened.
The 2025 Korean BBQ Battlefield Table (Dinner for two after ++)
| Restaurant | Price Range | Meat Highlight | Ventilation | Queue/Booking Hell | Vibe & Banchan Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wang Dae Bak | 220–220–350 | 72-hour wang galbi | 10/10 | 9/10 | OG king, 18 banchan |
| Guiga | 280–280–480 | 100-day dry-aged Hanwoo | 10/10 | 11/10 | Luxury temple, 15 |
| Seorae | 180–180–320 | Galmaegisal + cheese ring | 9/10 | 8/10 | Chain done right, 14 |
| I’m Kim | 250–250–400 | 35-day Hanwoo + rooftop | 10/10 | 10/10 | K-drama romance, 16 |
| 8 Korean BBQ | 160–160–280 | 8 Colours aged pork set | 9/10 | 8/10 | Pork heaven, 12 |
| Super Star K | 140–140–240 | Hand-cut 3 mm pork belly | 6/10 | Queue or die | Heartland chaos, 20 |
| Todamgol | 200–200–350 | Ballooning pork skin | 8/10 | 7/10 | Old-school soul, 22 |
| Don Dae Bak | 180–180–300 | Deonjang pork trotters | 9/10 | 7/10 | Drunk karaoke, 15 |
| Bornga | 190–190–320 | Woo samgyup + cold noodles | 9/10 | 6/10 | Celebrity chef, 14 |
| Captain Kim | 150–150–260 | 3 a.m. spicy bulgogi | 10/10 | Walk-in only | After-club, 12 |
Total damage if you attempt all ten in one month: roughly $2,400 and a permanent addiction to pork fat.
Welcome to the church of charcoal and soju. See you in the queue.
