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Overall verdict: 7.5/10

Dian Xiao Er | 店小二 @ Serangoon NEX

23 Serangoon Central,

#02-09/10, NEX

Singapore 556083

Tel: (+65) 6634 4828

Reservations: http://www.dianxiaoer.com.sg/outlets

Website: http://www.dianxiaoer.com.sg/

For those who worship everything Korean or have been to South Korea should have heard of Yoogane. They are one of the most popular and best Chicken Galbi restaurants in Korea, owning more than 130 outlets located over the region. The Singapore folks were lucky enough to obtain a franchise license from them in order to bring the joy of eating chicken galbi to our shores!

After opening for more than a month, there is still quite a hype about the place and we would suggest visiting during non peak hours or before 6pm on weekdays to beat the massive queue!

Once the receptionist ushered us to our table, we saw two nicely folded aprons sitting on the table. The aprons were specially prepared for diners to avoid having the sauces staining our clothes while the staffs prepare and cook the dish in front of us. Very thoughtful indeed!

Probably the staffs were too busy with the crowd, no one had informed us that there was a freeflow salad bar at the back of the restaurant. Unfortunately, we only realised this on our way out to pay the bill. So if you are intending to visit, be sure to look out for the salad bar and grab some peppers, kimchi or radish with their pink dressing to complement your mains.

We faced some issues when it came to ordering as there were only two of us. The signature chicken galbi dish needed a minimum of 2 persons to order, so we requested if we could have a single portion in order to try other mains for variety but were turned down. The owner who stepped forward to serve us then explained that this is the Korean culture where they usually share the same food and eat together. With much reluctance and disappointment, we ordered Seafood with Chicken Galbi (S$48.90 for 2 pax).

The squid was set aside on a plate as to add in later in the cooking process due to the shorter cooking time needed.

The high cylinder kind of wall was placed outside of the pan, to prevent the hot sauce flying all over the table in the process of cooking.

We further requested if we could get hands on the cooking process, the staff nicely told us again that it is the Korean culture that we should be happily served and waited just like how Koreans can't pour drinks for themselves.

About 15 minutes or so, the dish was almost done as you can see the juices of the seafood oozing out! 

Thereafter, you could add in your preferred carbohydrates be it rice, rice cake or the recommended Korean instant noodles which came with a complementary homemade sauce specially imported from Korea.

A very nice pan of goodies indeed, the limelight was the unique sauce and seasoning that has been imported from the main restaurant in Korea. Also, the seafood was fresher than expected and chicken was well marinated as well. However, we felt that the chicken galbi was slightly overcooked but still it was juicy and decent. We loved the balance in spiciness and flavours of the sauce that was infused into the ingredients, making the dish highly enjoyable and addictive.

The restaurant should notice that staff is another key player to maintain the quality apart from the original ingredients. Therefore, proper training is needed especially in the control of cooking time. The staffs were friendly and approachable though everyone seemed to be perpetually busy. I would definitely come back for their Marinated Chicken Galbi Fried Rice on a bed of cheese, how could a cheese lover skip it yeah?

Spotting a casual dining ambience, Yoogane surely found the right fit among the younger generation in the heart of Bugis Junction.

District 10 opens its fourth branch at The Star Vista with the concept of a bar with different themes at each outlet, we came to this one which allows diners to chill out and enjoy tapas at the bar table. However,we are here today in anticipation of their newly introduced brunch menu available only on weekends!

When it comes to daytime on weekends, it becomes so family-oriented unlike the usual perception we've had prior to this visit. There are inflatable bouncer at the outdoor dining area, tiny chairs and tables for children to have some fun themselves in the midst of the chitchat sessions of mummies and daddies. Attentively, there is also a kid's menu with animals on it provided with colour pencils for them to play!

Spanish Omelette with Bell Peppers, Mushrooms & Chorizo | $14++

We appreciated the generous amount of food they served here, with a big patch of omelette as main and together with sides of half a grilled tomato, hash brown and plenty of rocket salad. The crunchy bell peppers mixed in the omelette complemented well with the soft mushroom, flavoursome chorizo and eggs. A simple dish well executed.

While the serving was similarly generous for this dish, the major drawback was the hollandaise sauce on the poached eggs was not thick and creamy enough, perhaps due to the imbalanced proportion of egg yolk and butter. The muffin was toasted to perfection together with smoked salmon and sautéed spinach that sat on top, which completed the dish.

Pandan-Coconut Pancake with Gula Melaka Syrup | $9++

We thought that this dish had the best mixture of ingredients out of others, it was a fusion of Southeast Asian and Western cuisine. We loved the fact that the pancake was actually made from pandan and coconut, as well as drizzled with gula melaka syrup replacing maple syrup or honey on top made the dish addictive! The drawback of it would be texture of the pancake tasted like 'kueh' which lacked fluffiness, though some might like the way they did.

Pizza Margarita with Tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella | $19++

This was not part of the brunch menu but you could order from their main menu. We loved this simple yet delicious thin crust pizza as it was the highlight of the whole tasting. A harmonious combination of tomato sauce and cheese spread was nicely complemented by the soft and chewy buffalo mozzarella that was evenly placed on top of each slice of the pizza. We unknowingly finished the pizza slice by slice! 

We find that there are always different types of juices out there which try too hard to blend many different types of fruits which may not always turn out tasting pleasant. This particular rendition with peach, green apple, mango and strawberry turned out surprisingly smooth and good! After drinking this antioxidant-rich juice, it certainly made our calories count!

We loved the fact that the lime juice tasted fresh unlike those pseudo, artificial tasting versions. Also,there was a good balance in sweetness and sourness which made it very enjoyable even for those with a low tolerance for acidity. It was a very refreshing drink on a Sunday morning and definitely a cooler to help remove the heat in the hot weather!

Apart from their tapas, now diners could enjoy their new affordable brunch mains at a relaxed ambience surrounded by laughter!

Overall Verdict: 7.5/10

District 10 Bar Tapas Restaurant

The Star Vista

1 Vista Exchange Green #01-42/K3

http://www.district10.com.sg/

P.S: A special thank you to Joy for the invitation and hosting the tasting session!