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7 Cheap Korean Food Joints For K-BBQ, Ginseng Chicken Soup & Korean Fried Chicken On A Budget In Singapore

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7 Cheap Korean Food Joints For K-BBQ, Ginseng Chicken Soup & Korean Fried Chicken On A Budget In Singapore
Thanks to the popularity of K-BBQ joints in Tanjong Pagar – Singapore’s de facto Korea Town – food from the Republic is somewhat unfairly regarded as pricey here in the Lion City. But there are places to get cheap Korean food in Singapore – and we’re not talking about the food court stuff.
After all, we’ve amassed quite a sizable population of South Korean expatriates here, with more than 21,000 said to call Singapore home according to their Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2023.
This makes Singapore the 18th largest Korean diaspora community – not bad, considering our diminutive size.
It stands to reason that a good portion of these expats would be looking for (and selling) homely Korean food that’s well-portioned, comforting and tasty enough for a weekday meal.
Read on for a list of cheap Korean food joints in Singapore where you can get nourishing staples like samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) and soondubujigae (spicy soft tofu soup) without leaving a Korea-sized hole in your wallet.
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Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu
7 Cheap Korean Food Joints For K-BBQ, Ginseng Chicken Soup & Korean Fried Chicken On A Budget In Singapore - Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu
This is the budget-friendly kopitiam version of Korean chef Nam Kyoung Soo’s SBCD Korean Tofu House.
Here, you’ll pay roughly a quarter of the price for a trimmed-down version of the restaurant chain’s signature soondubujigae for around $6 to $8, depending on whether you opt to have it with thinly sliced pork belly, beef, veggies or mandu (dumplings).
The set comes with a packet of seaweed and kimchi, though you can also get other side dishes like deep-fried mandu to share. While we’ve listed the outlet near Ang Mo Kio Central, there’s another outpost out in Punggol too.

Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu
Location: 721 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, Singapore 560721
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am – 9pm
Tel: N/A
Website: https://www.facebook.com/soontofusg/

Jin Kimchi Express
7 Cheap Korean Food Joints For K-BBQ, Ginseng Chicken Soup & Korean Fried Chicken On A Budget In Singapore - Jin Kimchi Express
You might’ve noticed the Jin Kimchi Express brand name plastered across newer hawker centres and kopitiams in Fernvale, Punggol and Tampines.
This budding empire is, in fact, run by a Korean-born 27-year-old who decided to turn his mother’s kimchi recipe into a hawker chain centred around affordability.
Their kimchi stew, seafood pancake and galbi sets can be had for under $10, and you can even get their kimchi by the jar for some low-calorie snacking at home.

Jin Kimchi Express
Location: Fernvale Community Centre, 21 Sengkang West Avenue, #03-22/35/36/37/38, Singapore 797650
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am – 2:30pm, 5pm – 8:30pm
Tel: N/A
Website: https://jin-kimchi.com/

Jeong's Jjajang
7 Cheap Korean Food Joints For K-BBQ, Ginseng Chicken Soup & Korean Fried Chicken On A Budget In Singapore - Jeong's Jjajang
Having upgraded from its previous coffeeshop digs, Jeong’s Jjajang now operates a cosy restaurant centrally located on Killiney Road.
The Chinese-Korean joint continues to be headed up by a Korean chef with still-affordable prices of around $15 per item. Get its signature jjajangmyeon (noodles tossed in a thick, savoury black bean sauce) or the seafood-laden jjamppong (spicy noodle soup) for a fiery kick.
If you’re willing to splurge, get the tangsuyuk (deep-fried pork served with a jelly-like sweet and sour sauce) to share with your makan kakis.

Jeong's Jjajang
Location: 75 Killiney Road, Singapore 29529
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun, 11:30am to 3pm, 5:30pm – 10pm
Tel: +65 9832 1525
Website: https://www.facebook.com/jeongs.jjajang/

Wang Family Kitchen
7 Cheap Korean Food Joints For K-BBQ, Ginseng Chicken Soup & Korean Fried Chicken On A Budget In Singapore - Wang Family Kitchen
Credit: Google image YulongWang, 2024
Wang Family Kitchen, as its name suggests, is owned and operated by a Korean family – meaning that all the food you’ll get at the quiet restaurant on the ground floor of Hillview Community Club is equal parts comforting and delicious.
The eatery serves up just one thing: A set meal featuring bite-sized portions of home-style dishes like omelette, mashed potatoes and fried chicken at $18.90 nett, allowing you to try a whole range of K-cuisine without feeling bloated. The menu rotates daily too!

Wang Family Kitchen
Location: Hillview Community Club, 1 Hillview Rise, #01-04, Singapore 667970
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun, 11:30am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 9pm
Tel: N/A
Website: https://www.facebook.com/wangfamilykitchen/

Gagahoho Ox Bone Soup
7 Cheap Korean Food Joints For K-BBQ, Ginseng Chicken Soup & Korean Fried Chicken On A Budget In Singapore - Gagahoho Ox Bone Soup
Tucked in the quiet Burlington Square mall is Gagahoho Ox Bone Soup, a family-style joint specialising in – what do you know – ox bone soup, though you can also get a broth with sliced beef or samgyetang for under $20.
The soups here are cooked sans MSG and low on salt by default (you can season it on your own to your liking), making it easier for people watching their sodium. Don’t forget to snack on their tasty homemade kimchi.

Gagahoho Ox Bone Soup
Location: Burlington Square, 175 Bencoolen Street, #01-57A, Singapore 189649
Opening Hours: Tues – Sat, noon to 10:15pm; Sun, noon to 9:30pm
Tel: N/A
Website: https://www.facebook.com/kagahohosg/

Kim Dae Mun Korean Food
7 Cheap Korean Food Joints For K-BBQ, Ginseng Chicken Soup & Korean Fried Chicken On A Budget In Singapore - Kim Dae Mun
Credit: Google image Mei Yi Yeap, 2023
Having operated on the first floor of Concorde Hotel since 2009, the Korean-owned Kim Dae Mun Korean Food commands snaking queues during the peak hours of lunch and dinner for its cheap hotplate meals in the heart of Orchard.
Those looking to snag a hotplate of its classic Korean eats, which go for about $10 on average, are advised to pop by during quieter periods. There’s everything from bibimbap (mixed rice with veggies and meat) to grilled saba fish, kimbap and mandu, so rope in your friends for this one.

Kim Dae Mun Korean Food
Location: Concorde Shopping Mall, 100 Orchard Road, #01-03D, Singapore 238840
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun, 11am – 8pm
Tel: N/A
Website: https://www.facebook.com/KimDaeMun/

Chelabela
7 Cheap Korean Food Joints For K-BBQ, Ginseng Chicken Soup & Korean Fried Chicken On A Budget In Singapore - Chelabela
Like Jin Kimchi Express, Chelabela earned its fame for its young Korean owner, who runs the stall with her father at a quiet kopitiam in Ang Mo Kio after making a move from its original home in Marsiling.
Given its humble setting, the K-food is cheaply priced given the authenticity, with dishes ranging from soondubujigae ($6), tteokbokki (Korean spicy rice cake; from $5), BBQ pork ($6) and army stew for sharing ($18). The stall also makes its own cabbage and radish kimchi, so make sure to save some room for those.

Chelabela
Location: Blk 603 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, Singapore 560603
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun, 11am – 2:30pm, 4:30pm – 7pm
Tel: N/A
Website: https://www.instagram.com/chelabela.kfood

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