Seoul Noodle Shop review – Authentic Korean noodles at Tanjong Pagar

There’s a new Korean restaurant at Tanjong Pagar, and here’s what we think of it.

Seoul Noodle Shop serves no-frills, authentic Korean noodles, as well as other popular Korean mains.

From now till end of September, all guests get to enjoy a free drink, either a cup of Makgeolli or a Yuzu Ade with any noodle order. For their next visit, they can also redeem a free pancake.

Our honest review of Seoul Noodle Shop

If you’re wondering what Seoul Noodle Shop has to offer, it’s a wide range of house-made knife cut noodles, gukbap, and other traditional Korean mains like galbi, dakgalbi, pork bossam, and more.

Most of the dishes average at $18, which is honestly very reasonable for the portion and quality of food. I personally found the flavours here very homely and comforting, and not too overpowering compared to other Korean restaurants I’ve tried in both Korea and Singapore.

Here’s what we had.

Food at Seoul Noodle Shop

If you’re wondering what to eat at Seoul Noodle Shop, here’s what the staff recommends.

Pork Bone Spicy Noodles ($20.5) comes with gloves, a separate bowl, and an apron
so you can chomp down on that bone without making a mess

Firstly, the Pork Bone Spicy Noodles ($20.5) for a strong meaty flavour. It’s topped with pepper and perilla leaves for a pop of earthy notes.

What I first noticed was the flavours. It’s a lot milder and less intense compared to the ones I’ve had in Seoul (shoutout to that one restaurant in Hongdae). I initially thought it was because they wanted to tone it down to accommodate to the average Singaporean’s palate. But after chatting with their Head Chef Lee Won-il, I found out it was for other reasons.

Turns out, in order to cook a healthier meal, Chef Lee omitted the use of a pork broth powder with MSG, which is a commonly used in many Korean meals to amp up the flavour. However, Chef Lee preferred a homelier taste that’s rid of processed ingredients.

If you’d like your soup to have more kick, you’re free to sprinkle in a dash of Ottogi Black Pepper Powder, which is provided for every table.

Busan Shrimp Noodles ($20.5)

Meanwhile, the Busan Shrimp Noodles ($20.5) was a lot lighter in flavour, and topped with a decent amount of fishballs and prawns.

Hand-cut Korean noodles

When I asked him what makes a good bowl of noodle, Chef Lee implied “time”.

The pork broth took 12 hours of cooking. But it’s really the noodles that showcase the chefs’ commitment to the cause.

Firstly, the noodles take 24 hours to mature in the fridge. Fermenting the dough at low temperatures over a longer period of time develops more gluten within the dough, creating a bouncier noodle.

Next, the chefs ensure that the noodles are only cut right before boiling. Cutting the noodles exposes the inside of the dough to air, which dries it out after five minutes. The dried out noodles tend to break down easily while boiling, which results in mushy noodles.

Drinks at Seoul Noodle Shop

There’s no better way to cut all those rich flavours than a cup of refreshing Makgeolli Ade ($18.9).

For a non-alcoholic variation, opt for the Yuzu Aid ($4.8) instead.

Affordable but authentic Gimbap and Mandu

These were the perfect sharing dish and drinking snacks. Bonus points: they’re incredibly reasonably priced.

Kimchi Mandu ($5)

The Mini Gimbap (6 pieces), was only $3, while the (Kimchi Mandu 3 pieces), was only $5.

No-frills Korean snacks — these were simply great. Personally, I loved the extra spice, and the lack of funk from the kimchi. The chefs at Seoul Noodle House made it themselves.

Looking for the best things to eat in Tanjong Pagar? Check out our recommendations on:

Colman Cheung

There are pros and cons when being friends with Colman. You get good food recommendations and the occasional candid shots between taking snaps of the food. But there’s also the mandatory 15-minutes waiting time and the constant whining of how your noodle pull sucks. He’s also a sucker for coffee.