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The Best Korean Restaurants in Singapore

17th Oct 2025
Written by:
Stephanie Zheng
Contributor | Urban List, Singapore

Korean food in Singapore has come a long way from the early days of watermelon soju towers and BBQ-all-you-can-eat. These days, it’s a whole scene, with minimalist counter spots slinging makgeolli pairings, seafood joints that feel like they’ve been airlifted from Busan, and chefs doing clever things with jang and jeotgal in tasting menus.

Whether you're after a comforting bowl of doenjang jjigae that tastes like something an ajumma would fuss over, or a stylish spot to impress someone who’s really into banchans and jinjitsangs, we’ve got you. Here are the best Korean restaurants in Singapore we’re loving right now, no grill tongs required.

GOCHU

1 Orchid Club Rd, Golf Driving Range

Image credit: GOCHU | Supplied

Singapore just welcomed a new Korean dining destination that’s all about fire, flavour, and finesse. Named after gochu (고추, chili pepper), a symbol of Korean taste, GOCHU delivers an immersive culinary experience tucked within the tranquil greenery of Orchid Golf Club. The restaurant’s signature Deep-Fried Chili Peppers are a must-try: crispy green chilies stuffed with seasoned pork, tofu, and vegetables, capturing the bustling taste of Korea’s traditional markets in a single bite. BBQ lovers will rejoice at the Pork Ribs BBQ, slow-cooked to juiciness and finished over aromatic oakwood at your table for a deep, smoky flavour that’s as fun to eat as it is to watch being prepared. GOCHU’s noodle offerings are equally impressive, with rich Black Soybean Noodles and hand-crafted buckwheat noodles bringing authentic Korean homestyle comfort to Singapore.

The dining space itself is part of the experience. GOCHU’s cave concept features natural stone walls and glass panels that frame lush greenery, while the smokeless grill system ensures you savour the aroma without the fuss. To round out the meal, Korean-inspired highballs like the earthy Ginseng Highball or sweet-tart Bokbunja Highball bring a refreshing touch. At GOCHU, every dish is a careful balance of authenticity, artistry, and oakwood-fired flavour, and the space is a rare Korean culinary escape right in the city.

Nae:um

161 Telok Ayer Street

Image credit: NAE:UM | Supplied

Michelin one-starred NAE:UM has reopened its doors with a refreshed identity, and Chef-founder Louis Han is calling it “NAE:UM 2.0.” After four years, nine episodic menus and over 120 creations, the restaurant is leaving behind its short-form storytelling and unveiling a more cohesive “storybook” menu titled Moments. Rooted in Korean heritage yet shaped by Han’s global influences, the eight-course tasting menu ($268++) and abbreviated five-course lunch option ($198++) present layered narratives of memory and place. Highlights include a chilled tomato dongchimi shot paired with raw seafood, buckwheat noodles with grilled morel mandu, five-day dry-aged turbot finished with a maeuntang butter sauce, Iberico ribeye glazed with galbi, and Hansang—a comforting spread of cast-iron rice with seasonal banchan and mushroom gomtang. The signature dessert, daechu, brings back his charcoal jujube in a new truffle-dusted, multi-layered form.

Drinks are equally thoughtful. Head Sommelier Ocean Kang curates both wine and Korean rice wine programmes, with full ($188++) or half ($108++) alcohol pairings, a $108++ zero-proof option, and artisanal Korean labels like Hana Makgeolli from Brooklyn and Cheongmyeongju by master fermenter Han Yeong Seok.

The reimagined space, designed by Tsukurto, channels the hanok’s balance of tradition and modernity with travertine walls, origami-inspired lighting, sliding doors, and warm oak tables. Even the uniforms—white jackets for the kitchen and simplified hanbok-style tops for service—nod to Korean roots. NAE:UM 2.0 is sharper, more grounded, and more personal than ever: a complete vision of contemporary Korean dining in Singapore.

Na Oh

2 Bulim Link, Singapore 649674

Image credit: Na Oh | Supplied

A fine-dining Korean restaurant... inside a Hyundai innovation centre? Trust us, Na Oh is not your average carpark discovery. This sleek 40-seater is the brainchild of three-Michelin-starred chef Corey Lee (yes, that Corey Lee), who teamed up with the South Korean automotive giant to create a space that’s part culinary showcase, part cultural flex. Since opening in mid-2024, it’s quietly become one of the city’s most coveted tables, and with good reason.

Menus here change with the seasons, and autumn 2025 brings both fresh surprises and returning favourites. Among the highlights: Gungjung Japchae, a court-style noodle dish tossed with marinated beef, vegetables and a sesame-forward dressing; Half-Dried Yellow Croaker Sotbap, where house-cured croaker is cooked with barley rice in a traditional pot; and new banchan like soy-braised lotus root with ginkgo nuts, pear-laced dongchimi, and mushrooms glistening with perilla oil. Popular signatures are back too, including the charcoal-grilled pork bulgogi with belly and cheek cuts, long-simmered seolleongtang beef soup, and the autumnal dessert duo of gotgam and walnut tartlet with goguma sikhye. All produce is harvested daily from HMGICS’ on-site Smart Farm, and every dish carries the unmistakable depth of traditional Korean jang.

Chef Lee flies in to train the team with each menu refresh, while Head Chef Younghoon Kim steers the ship day-to-day. A destination restaurant in every sense, Na Oh makes the trip to Jurong more than worth it, even if you’re not there to pick up a car.

Seoul Restaurant
1 Cuscaden Road, #03-02 Conrad Singapore Orchard, Singapore 249715

Image credit: Seoul Restaurant | Supplied

Tucked inside the Conrad Orchard, Seoul Restaurant has been quietly dishing out authentic Korean flavours since forever. It’s family-run, polished without being stiff, well-oil operation and serves up everything from bulgogi to gejang (raw marinated crab).

Skip the basic spread and head straight for the premium buffet at $119. You’ll get free-flow samgyetang, saucy yangnyeom gejang, buttery wagyu-grade cuts, and even seasonal specials (just ask the staff what’s sizzling that day). For the sheer quality you’re getting at that price point, this one’s an absolute repeat offender on my personal hit list.

If you're craving a Korean meal that feels like a luxe weekend in Seoul without the red-eye flight, this is it, refined, indulgent, and unapologetically extra. Bonus: You can head right down to Manhattan, one of the best bars in Singapore, for a post-food tipple.

GU:UM

29 Keong Saik Road

GU:UM
Image credit: GU:UM | John Heng

GU:UM, which means to grill or to cook over fire, is a brand-new Korean-touched contemporary grill restaurant by NAE:UM Group. Serving Korean flavours with a cosmopolitan twist, the Keong Saik Road venue is housed within a heritage shophouse and was inspired by Chef Louis Han’s Korean heritage as well as his fond memories of nostalgic barbecue gatherings.

A departure from the typical Korean grill experience, at GU:UM the dishes are prepared and cooked at an open kitchen before being served to your table. Seasonal and sustainable ingredients are sourced from around the world, with prime cuts of red meat and poultry seasoned with a selection of house-made marinades, or you can choose to have them ‘ssaeng’ or unmarinated to savour the natural flavours. You can pick from prime cuts such as the Tajima Wagyu Ribeye MBS 8, USDA Prime New York Striploin, and Iberico Pluma.

Pohang Seafood

182 Jalan Jurong Kechil, #01-52
Aperia Mall, 12 Kallang Ave, #02-10

Image credit: Pohang Seafood & Butchery | Facebook

Seafood lovers, this one's for you. Pohang Seafod and Butchery has two no-frills spots in Singapore serving up legit Korean-style sashimi sets, think fresh flatfish, fatty salmon, crunchy ocean bites, and enough banchan to carpet your table.

The vibes for both restaurants are simple, with echo-chamber acoustics and zero pretense. But the food slaps, especially the sashimi wrapped in perilla leaf with spicy gochujang, and the stews hotpot that lands at the end like a warm edible mic drop. Personally, I go often for the ganjang gejang, which is less salty than many I've had in Singapore, with no less flavour. 

Pro tip: bring three hungry mates and split a sashimi set. You’ll leave stuffed, slightly tipsy (on food), and totally smug.

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Fish & Bones

81 Clemenceau Avenue, #01-13, Singapore 239917

Image credit: Fish & Bones | Instagram

Fish & Bones is the cool kid on the block for Korean-inspired seafood with a twist. The interiors are sleek but chill, and the menu brings fresh sashimi, grilled fish, and creative dishes that’ll have you feeling like you discovered a hidden gem. 

Did you know Koreans often eat raw fish (or hoe) with a spicy dipping sauce called cho-gochujang? It’s sweet, tangy, and packs a punch, and this is where you want to try it, along with some grilled fish dishes that are all about bold flavours and clean freshness.

Perfect for those nights when you want something familiar but with a splash of adventurousness.

Anju

62 Tras Street, Singapore 079001

Image credit: ANJU | Instagram

Anju means “food for drinking,” and this spot knows how to do both well. From charcoal-grilled dishes to delicate seafood plates, everything is made for sharing over a round (or three) of makgeolli or soju. In Korea, anju dishes are crafted to enhance your drinking experience, often salty, spicy, or fried, like pajeon (green onion pancake) or tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes). Perfect for sharing and sipping your night away.

The vibe is modern and intimate and ideal for those nights when you want serious flavour without the loud BBQ crowds.

Meta

9 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238959

Image credit: Meta | Instagram

If you want your Korean food fancy and takes itself seriously, Meta’s your place. 

Helmed by Busan-born Chef Sun Kim, Meta serves up contemporary Korean cuisine that’s anything but traditional, but in the best way possible. Think bold, punchy flavours wrapped in fine-dining finesse, all plated with minimalist precision. The open-concept dining room puts you right in the thick of the action, giving off serious chef’s table energy.

The signature dish is a standout steamed Jeju abalone on gochujang-spiked seaweed risotto, layered with creamy grains, tender abalone, and just enough crunch from lily bulbs to keep things interesting. The seafood-driven set menu changes with the seasons, but don't worry, there’s still plenty to love if you're more ribeye than raw fish.

Meta’s set menus start at $248 for Friday and Saturday lunch, while dinner ranges from $278 for a six-course (Tuesday to Thursday only) to $328 for the full eight-course experience, so it’s the spot for celebrations or whenever you’re feeling like treating yourself to something special.

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Main image credit: Na-Oh | Supplied

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