Pizza Maru @ Northpoint City – Korea’s Largest Pizza Chain Makes Debut With Their Popular Pizzas And Korean Fried Chicken

The world's largest Korean pizza chain, Pizza Maru arrives at our shores, offering an impressive selection of their popular Korean pizzas, fried chicken and more. With 530 franchises sprouting around the country, as well as existing branches in the United States, Hong Kong and China, Pizza Maru launches its first Singapore outlet at Northpoint City, the latest shopping-residential development in Yishun where crowds have been steadily thronging the area.

Their immense popularity is due to the patented well-being pizza doughs, healthy ingredients and special flavours. Their green-tea wellbeing pizza dough, which is fermented for more than 48 hours with micro-algae chlorella, as well as 12 kinds of natural grains including rye, black rice, barley and oats, making each slice of their pizza a delightfully nutrient-packed one. The quality over at the Singapore franchise is maintained as authentic and consistent as possible with flour and most of the ingredients directly imported from Korea as well.

Real BBQ Chicago 4.5/5

Under the Chicago Pizza category, we had the Real BBQ Chicago ($26.80/regular 9”) which features a special thick puffy pizza crust made using fibre-rich, antioxidant-packed black rice dough and stuffed with cream cheese mousse. The pizza is further layered with double mozzarella cheese, string cheese before topping with chicken chunks, roasted onion, mushrooms, tomato, potato, honey, and sprinkled with almond flakes, icing sugar and BBQ sauce. The black rice dough boasts a pillowy soft texture with an addictive chewy bite to it and a cream cheese surprise within. The copious amounts of different cheeses present in the pizza resulted in a pizza slice with so much cheese stretch when a piece is pulled out. While the generous amount of tender and juicy chicken chunks, together with the multiple complements added to the pizza contributed a great medley of rich flavours and textures that elevated the dish to a sublime calibre. Their Black Rice dough pizzas are definitely something not be missed if you’re dining at Pizza Maru.

Mango Ocean 4.2/5

The Mango Ocean ($19.80/regular 9”; $23.80/large 12”) is under the Premium Pizza category which features a pizza crust made using green tea dough. The pizza is layered with mozzarella cheese, before being topped with fresh seafood including the juicy shrimps, scallops, squids, and other complements of mushrooms, mango, broccoli, black olive, pilaf and spicy buldak sauce. The green tea dough boasts a soft chewy texture with very subtle hints of the green tea flavour which was overwhelmed by the generous blanket of mozzarella cheese and spicy buldak sauce. We were told that the green tea dough used focuses more on the well-being benefits it provides rather than the prominence of the green tea taste itself. Although mango is not a usual choice for pizzas, the freshness and juiciness of the sweet mango cubes added complement the assortment of savoury seafood well, rendering an execution excellence with a perfect sweet-savoury balance and additional spicy notes from the spicy buldak sauce.

Supa Hot Dak Ganjeong 4/5

The highlight of Pizza Maru does not just end with their selection of pizzas. They are also lauded for their Korean fried chicken as well. The Supa Hot Dak Gangjeong ($16.80/6pcs; $29.80/12pcs) features juicy chicken and an extremely crispy skin with a robust spicy flavour from the coating of the hot sauce. It comes with a choice of level 1 or 2 spiciness. So if you’re up for a heat challenge, go for the level 2. (Note: Picture is not representative and only displays a sampling portion of the dish.)

Honey Butter Coat 4.2/5

For the non-spicy version, go for their Honey Butter Coat ($16.80/6pcs; $29.80/12pcs) which features the consistently well-executed crunchy juicy chicken with generous amounts of fragrant honey butter powder, constituting a sweet-savoury combination that works perfectly. (Note: Picture is not representative and only displays a sampling portion of the dish.)

Onion Tartar 4.2/5

The Onion Tartar ($16.80/6pcs; $29.80/12pcs) features its undeniably crispy juicy chicken. It comes with dollops of aromatic onion tartar sauce and onion strips on top which provides an additional crunch. (Note: Picture is not representative and only displays a sampling portion of the dish.)

Spam Tower 4/5

A deconstructed approach to the usual bibimbap rice bowls, the Spam Tower ($12.80) comes in a bibimbap tower of chicken spam slice, generous amounts of fried kimchi, bell pepper, onion, cabbage, mushroom, egg and seaweed on a bed of fragrant rice, before being sprinkled with heaps of potato crisps, parmesan cheese and drizzled with siracha sauce. The crispy potato crisps complement the tenderness of the chicken spam, softness of the well-seasoned fried kimchi and crunchiness of the other complements perfectly, as sharp spicy accents of the siracha sauce kick in between the medley of ingredients. The Spam Tower embodies the korean style with finesse, blending the well-thought interplay of flavour and textural variations within the dish immaculately.

Nok Cha Latte 4.2/5

The Nok Cha Latte ($6.90) comes in a glass of milky matcha latte perfumed with a rich matcha taste which has a good bitter-sweet balance that I really enjoyed. The two dango balls on a stick sitting atop the drink has a soft chewy mochi-like texture, albeit rather tasteless.

Nok Cha Waffle Ice Cream 4/5

The Nok Cha Waffle Ice Cream ($11.90) features matcha flavoured waffles with a fluffy interior and slightly crispy exterior. A distinct matcha taste with a bitter undertone, the waffles also came with azuki beans and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. However, a choice of the matcha flavoured ice cream would be a better option to further accentuate the green tea flavour of the dessert.

The latest entrant from Korea, Pizza Maru is set to take Singapore by storm with their award-winning pizzas and fried chicken. With the first outlet already seeing long lines of diners at meal times, there are plans going well under way to launch more outlets somewhere with a more central location this year. Note: Pizza Maru is pork-free, lard-free and is currently applying for Halal certification.

Words and photos by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Pizza Maru
Northpoint City (South Wing)
1 Northpoint Drive
#B1-192/193
Singapore 768019
Tel: +65 62544307
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Nearest MRT: Yishun (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 930pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Yishun MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

K.COOK Korean BBQ & Steamboat Buffet @ Westgate - Quality Meats With Affordable Price Tag

Ever since its first outlet in town, K.COOK BBQ has been known for its quality meats that come with an affordable price tag. Its second outlet in Westgate has even more to offer - you can now enjoy both Korean barbeque and steamboat at the same time at K.COOK BBQ & Steamboat Buffet.

Meat & Seafood

Greens, Fruit and Salad

A fixture commonly found in authentic Korean BBQ restaurants, drop-down vacuums hovering on top of each table are installed. I have been to a few Korean BBQ and K Cook stands out in terms of its offering and presentation. There are 2 big chillers of seafood and meats, a wide range of fresh greens, mushrooms, even noodles are available for you to create your own version of army stew. Create your own Banchan with its assorted salads fruits.

The way the meats are being handled impresses me. Organised and kept in 2 big chillers instead of being displayed out openly, they do look a whole lot more appetising than some of the restaurants which I have been to. What I really appreciate is the fact that the thin slices of meats for steamboat are neatly stacked in tray, like how they will be served in a Shabu Shabu restaurant. So even if you or your friends ain't big on barbeque, this is worth the trip. There are pork belly, pork collar, pork skirt meat, beef short ribs and even ribeye! Seafood such as prawns, squids and clams are offered as well.

Steamboat

For steamboat, you can choose up to 2 soup base, in which I had Korean Soybean Paste and Spicy Seafood. Other options include Chicken, Pork and Beef soups.

Bossam

The hot food section is quite decent with a mix of Korean and international dishes such as pasta, fried rice etc. My favourite is the Bossam, a Korean style pork belly. It may look rubbery at first glance but it actually has a surprising melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Jajangmyeon

If you still have some room for Korean small dishes, you can try to DIY your own Jajangmyeon (black bean noodles).

K.COOK BBQ & Steamboat Buffet surpasses my expectations with its range of ingredients and their quality. If you have more to spare, simply top for its Premium Buffet, in which you get a free flow of premium meats such as Sirloin, Short Ribs Boneless and Tiger Prawns.

Price
Lunch: $19.90++ (Mon to Fri), $29.90++ (Sat, Sun, Eve of PH, & PH)
Dinner: $29.90++ (Mon to Thu), $31.90++ (Sat, Sun, Eve of PH, & PH)

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


K.COOK Korean BBQ & Steamboat Buffet
Westgate
3 Gateway Drive
#B1-02
Singapore 608532
Tel: +65 63526680
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 3pm, 530pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 1130am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Sea & Blue @ Marina Bay Sands - Feast Of More Than 100 Dishes

If you are a fan of Korean food, you would have probably already heard of Sea & Blue, a continental and korean buffet restaurant at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Other than an extensive curation of popular Korean dishes and desserts, there are over 100 food selections ranging from fresh seafood, roasts, western highlights, Japanese fare to our local favourites.

A rather unique choice of name which extends to its theme and interiors. As you walk in, you will notice the ship that docks on the oceanic ceiling. I thought I would only see this kind of thematic restaurant in a theme park! There are a total of ten hot and cold stations at Sea & Blue, coupled with live cooking and carving stations– Korean, Barbecue, Deep-Fried, Hot Dishes & Noodles, Seafood, Salads + Fruit, Pizza & Pasta, Wine & Beer, Beverages, and Dessert Bar

Korean
I head straight to the Korean section. I was delighted to see assorted Pajeon (pancake) freshly pan fried on the spot. It's so difficult to get individual portion when dining at Korean restaurants. I got to satisfy my cravings for Japchae and Kimchi Fried Rice too! I had fun building my own Bimbimbap bowl with the array of toppings available such as beansprouts, seaweed, omelette and topped it up with spicy bulgogi available at the side as one of the Korean staples. If you would like yours to be more professionally done, simply ask the Korean chef stationed within to help you with it. Other DIY items includes Guksu (hot noodles).

Barbecue
This is where the fun begins especially if you are dining with a big group of friends and families. Within the Korean section, you will find the must-have Korean barbecue. Indulge in its top-grade Pork Belly or Short Ribs in either a spicy gojuchang (red chilli paste) marinade or unseasoned. The way to enjoy the sizzling meats in a Korean manner is to cradle the meat with crisp fresh lettuce, wrap it with some cucumber sticks and some other crunchy vegetables before stuffing in the goodness. You can get all that fresh greens just right opposite at the salads & fruits section.

Salads & Fruits
I have never seen a salad counter that looks so pristine, yet exuberant and inviting, almost like a walk-in chiller with the cold air rising. Around the counter is the fruits section, where I got a Watermelon cooler topped with fruits to go with my BBQ meat.

Seafood & Sushi
Being an underwater themed restaurant, it does deliver good quality seafood. You get to choose and have your Canadian Oysters shucked on the spot. Also available are the Cold Prawns, chilled Scallops on the half shell and Snowcrab Legs on ice. My favourite is still the sashimi which I had along with really delicious salmon aburi rolls and unagi roll as well as Gimbap (Korean rice rolls). The sushi here are notable, unlike those boring and stale maki sitting at some other buffet counters. The chef creates bites size sushi that allow you to enjoy more.

Hot Dishes & Noodles
Apart from sushi, roasts are the stars here as well. On the carving board, the slab of Oven Roasted Ribeye Striploin is the mainstayer, with one other daily special. Further to its right, another trying to grab my attention the Suckling Pig. What took me by surprise is the grilled Salmon - the skin was evenly crisp all over and the meat was pink, extremely moist and tender. It is easily one of the best I ever had. I like the Kurobuta Pork as well, which even comes with charred pineapples. There are also local dishes such as chilli crabs, salted egg prawns and roast duck.

Dessert Bar
Similar to most buffets, petite cakes and pralines are available. What I find more enticing are the Tarts, Bingsoo, Gyeongdan (Korean rice cake) filled with red bean paste and Yakbab (Korean glutinous rice balls with honey and dried fruits). The Bingsoo is really light and fluffy, just right after a heavy meal. I kind of miss the Sour Cherry Tart and regret not trying its Apple Tart. Milk. Soft-Serve is also available if you ain't a pastry person.

Sea & Blue has much room to move around which makes buffet dining here quite enjoyable. It can seat up to 350 pax with several private rooms and a function room complete with AV equipment for bigger events.

Prices at Sea & Blue are between $42++ to $64++ for adults during lunch, and $58++ to $68++ for dinner. Children dine at $22++ to $26++ at lunch and $26++ at dinner.

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Sea & Blue 
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Avenue
Canal Level, B2-01/01A
Singapore 018972
Tel: +65 66887165
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Bayfront (CC Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Lunch
Daily: 1130am - 3pm
Dinner
Mon-Thu: 530pm, 10pm
Fri-Sun, PH: 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bayfront MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to Hermes at Level 1. Take the lift beside it to level 2. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Chicken Up @ Jurong East - Voted The Best Korean Fried Chicken

I actually did not know that Chicken Up has been around since 2010. What surprises me more is that there is a Chicken Up outlet at Jurong East MRT station itself. It is actually located on the ground floor of the station.

Watermelon Soju 4.5/5

Something that I have always wanted to try at Chicken Up after seeing numerous photo of it on social media platforms is their Watermelon Soju. The cocktail blend of soju and watermelon juice makes it a very easy and happy drink to enjoy with friends and families.

Ganjang (Soya) Chicken Wings 4.5/5

One of Chicken Up's bestseller is their Ganjang Chicken Wings ($12). It was even declared as the best korean fried chicken conducted in a blind taste with 8 different brands. This is my first time having it and I can understand why. The freshly deep fried chicken wings which are dipped in Chicken Up's special soya sauce blend, is very crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside.

Bulgogi Fries 3.5/5

I was told that the Bulgogi Fries ($18) is very popular with the diners. The shoestring fries is topped with thin slices of beef marinated in soy sauce and drizzled over with white garlic sauce and garnished with springs of coriander.

UFO Toppoki 4.2/5

New on the menu is the UFO Toppoki ($35.10) which comprises of rice cake, fish cake and deep fried breaded squid in a spicy chilli paste sauce (gochujang). I have tried many gochujang before but this version is really spicy, it sets my tongue burning. The dish got its name because it is served in an UFO pan. On the side includes other stuff such as caramelized kimchi, cheese, corn cheese, kimchi fried rice, steamed egg and some grinded padano cheese as garnish.

For those that has a big appetite, Chicken Up has a All Day Ala Carte Buffet for both lunch and dinner. It comes with unlimited serving of mega half chicken (spicy, crispy, yangnyum, spicy yangnyum, ganjang), wings/popcorn (ganjang, yangnyum, spicy yangnyum) and side dishes such as fries (kimchi, bulgogi, truffle), topoki, jabchae and fried dumpling.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Chicken Up
Jurong East MRT Station
10 Jurong East Street 12
#01-01
Singaopore 609690
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11am - 10pm
Fri-Sun: 11am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the escalator to level 1. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Patbingsoo Korean Dining House @ Plaza Singapura - More Than Just Bingsoo

Patbingsoo Korean Dining House at basement two of Plaza Singapura is brought to you by the same folk behind the popular Seorae Korean Charcoal BBQ Restaurant. Don't be mistaken by the name of the restaurant. Besides the diverse variety of bingsoo, Patbingsoo Korean Dining House brings the latest street food trends of South Korea to Singapore.

Fried Samgyeopsal 3.5/5

An addictive snack is the Fried Samgyeopsal ($6.90). Have you guess what is it? It is actually deep fried pork belly paired with honey mustard sauce. It was like having bacon.

House Special Ramyeon 4/5

A favoruite among the crowd at Patbingsoo Korean Dining House is the House Special Ramyeon ($11.90). The warm and hearty pot comes with noodles, spam, kimchi, and nori in special spicy soup. I felt that the soup can be spicier or maybe an option to select the different spicy levels. For an additional cost, diner has the option to add extra topping of kimchi french fries, french fries, cheese, ramyeon and steamed rice.

Cheese Kimchi Fried Rice 3.5/5

The Cheese Kimchi Fried Rice ($9.90) is infused with kimchi and top with lots of mozzarella. It even comes with a fried egg and nori. While the rice was delectable and fragrant, I felt it lacked the robustness of the kimchi flavour. Even the cheese was hardly traceable.

Tteok Carbonara 3/5

How about going Italian with the Tteok Carbonara ($12.90). The sauteed tteok together with bacon and corn kernel is buried in a thick creamy cheese sauce. Unfortunately the sauce was a bit on the salty side and the tteok did not really go well with the creamy sauce.

Dynamite Spam 4.2/5

A very unpleasant looking dish is the Dynamite Spam ($11.90) which surprisingly tasted really good. The server will torch on the special dynamite sauce made up of gochujang and mayonnaise sauce at table side, and then sliced into pieces to pair with the nori riceballs.

Rolling Cheese Pork Ribs 4.2/5

The highlight at Patbingsoo Korean Dining House is the Rolling Cheese Pork Ribs ($38.90) which comes with 4 huge tender pork ribs, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, fries, chips, corn, pineapple and mayo sauce. The server will melt the cheese at table side and then rolled it around the pork ribs for a lifted enjoyment. The rest of the cheese is then tossed with the french fries for a cheesy finish.

Gimpo Bingsoo 3/5

After all the savoury stuff, do save some space for dessert, especially their different bingsoo. The Gimpo Bingsoo ($11.90) is a tiramisu inspired bingsoo infused with green tea. It comes with rum and green tea ice cream. I did not quite enjoy it, the combination and balance was a bit weird.

Sinsa Patbingsoo 4/5

The Sinsa Patbingsoo ($14.90) comes with a whole rock melon that is cut out with a special equipment to maintain the dome shape of the entire fruit. Inside the dome, it comes vanilla ice cream topped with red bean, nata de coco and cornflakes for the extra crunch.

Apgujeong Bingsoo 4.2/5

Among the three bingsoo desserts, the Apgujeong Bingsoo ($13.90) is my favourite. The vanilla ice cream is excellently complemented by the cheese, cheese sauce, cheese cake and cheese wafer. To sweetened the whole experience, drizzled the condensed milk over the bingsoo.

Noted: This is an invited tasting.


Patbingsoo Korean Dining House
Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
#B2-47
Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 91813038
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut (CC Line, NE Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1130am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 1130am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. Take Exit C or D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

ICG Chicken & Burger @ Balestier Food Centre - Korean Fried Chicken In Hawker Centre

Newly opened at Balestier Food Centre is ICG Chicken & Burger selling Korean fried chicken. It is quite interesting to note the new trend of international cuisine moving into our hawker scene. The stall sells a variety of fried chicken in different sauces as well as chicken burgers. Its all about chicken here.

Creamy Yangpa Onion Chicken 3.8/5

Marinated for 12 hours and deep fried to crispy, the Creamy Yangpa Onion Chicken ($10/$16) is further topped with fresh onions and a sweet creamy onion sauce. The creamy sauce complements the succulent chicken excellent. This is indeed quite delectable.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken 3/5

The other Korean fried chicken we tried is the Sweet and Spicy Chicken ($8.90/$14). The sauce is on the sweet side instead. I could not really taste the spiciness. Unlike the creamy yangpa onion chicken, the sauce did not go as well with the fried chicken.

Super Tongsal Chicken Burger 3.5/5

Besides the boneless fried chicken, we also tried its Super Tongsal Chicken Burger ($5.50). We all agreed that it tasted quite like MacDonald's chicken burger. It even look similar isn't it? The chicken patty is actually quite good, crispy and juicy.

ICG Chicken & Burger
Balestier Food Centre
Stall 16
411 Balestier Road
Singapore 329930
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Toa Payoh (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 11am - 930pm
Sat-Sun: 11am - 10pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Toa Payoh MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Toa Payoh Bus Interchange (Stop ID 52009). Take bus number 145. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes [Map]