Big Mama is not a stranger to many Korean food lovers. Opened by a former tutor, she set up this restaurant after cooking for groups of Korean students in Singapore for years. Even though it is located in a more remote corner of Tiong Bahru (which is quite a distance from Tiong Bahru market), it is pretty crowded during meal time. The girls celebrated my birthday there a few weeks back!

One of Big Mama’s specialty is Samgyupsal Suyuk ($25 small. $40 big) which is a Korean dish of steamed pork belly. Pork belly is known to be high in fat and thus rather than grilling it, most Koreans steam it in order to consume less fat.

Big Mama uses a special method of steaming the pork belly. The tender meat is not that oily as all extra fat is removed during the cooking, whilst maintaining its exquisite taste. It is one of must-have dishes in celebrations and parties in Korea.

Suyuk is usually eaten with Samjang, Kimchi and salted shrimp. One can also eat it with cucumber slices dipped in black bean sauce, with bean sprouts in spicy sauce or even in the refreshing Manel Nangchae (garlic) sauce. Bigmama’s Suyuk offers various tastes including spiciness, freshness, sweet and sour taste all at the same time!

The star of our dinner with Dakgalbi ($15 per max, min 2 pax). Originating from the city of Chuncheon in Gangwon Province, Dakgalbi is also commonly known as Chuncheon Dakgalbi. This mouth-watering dish is served by marinating chicken chunks in a special homemade chilli sauce and then stir-frying them with rice cake and assorted vegetables on a piping hot grill. The staff will quickly tossed around to cook this dish at tableside on portable cookers. Love the homemade chilli sauce which makes this dish so yummy!

I was actually craving for beancurd stew, hence I requested the girls to bring me to a Korean restaurant. Seafood Soft Bean Curd Soup & Rice ($14) (Doenjang Jjigae, or Soybean Paste Stew) is a staple in Korean traditional meals. The quality of doenjang jjigae is dependent upon the soybean paste and the richness of the base broth. The earthy flavor of soybean paste is fused with hearty seafood. The stew is perfected by robust yet soft tofu.

Here’s a photo of us and sharing 2 cakes. Thanks ladies for the treat!

Big Mama

Address: 2 Kim Tian Road
Tel: 6270 7704
Opening hours: 11:30am to 2.30pm; 5.30pm to 11pm. Closed on two Mondays a month

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