Kkongdon Korean BBQ

Average, Overpriced Dining Experience

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 5
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 5
Value for Money: 4
Spent about SGD $35 per person.





Operating under the umbrealla of the JP Pepperdine Group, Kkongdon Korean BBQ is their foray into the Korean barbecue market, with the promise to provide high quality Korean barbecue at reasonable prices. Sadly, I don't find this to be so.

Ambience at Kkongdon Korean BBQ is rather good. Decor is minimal, as the custom built barbecue tables with attached exhaust vents take center stage. The salad bar is inconspicuous, located in a small corner, and I felt more could be done to highlight it. Furniture is functional, and I like that they use a novel induction cooking / grilling method, which makes cleaning easier. However, some of the table legs coverings are missing, exposing the sharp edges, which could cause injury to diners.

I found the service at Kkongdon Korean BBQ to be quick and efficient, but brusque. Staff seem to be in a rush to take orders. However, while they were very helpful in setting up the table professionally, clearing tables is done rather slowly.

Food at Kkongdon Korean BBQ revolves mainly around marinated cuts of beef, chicken or pork, and the typical Korean side dishes / salad bar, known as Banchan. Because Kkongdon Korean BBQ offers only sets instead of a buffet, portions are a fixed size. While sufficient, I find it difficult to justify paying around SGD $25 - $35 per person for a fixed set meal at Kkongdon Korean BBQ, when the same price could get you a buffet at other Korean barbecue restaurants.

Quality of food at Kkongdon Korean BBQ is rather average as well. I like that the salad bar and banchan uses fresh vegetables, but the pickled items, especially the kimchi, are rather limp, and not that great. The meat quality is slightly better, but could be more well marinated. Overall, I probably wouldn't recommend Kkongdon Korean BBQ, as the experience was below average for me.





The tables, while large, can end up quite cramped due to the many dishes taking up space. This is more a problem with tableware then the actual table itself, as smaller serving plates, or combined serving plates could be used instead.

Table Layout

Cooking

Set menus are rotated on a monthly basis, and requires a minimum of 2 diners to order.

Set E Dinner August 2013

The Korean Rice Cakes With Oysters had a slightly bland and thin sauce, though the rice cakes were nicely cooked, with a slight bite. The oysters were fresh, but really too tiny.

Korean Rice Cakes With Oysters

The Kimchi was bleow average in taste and quality, not too good at all. The Bean Sprouts were fresh, and had a satisfying crunch. The White Rice served with the meal was below average, and didn't add much to the overall experience.

Kimchi

Bean Sprouts

I like that the pure beef flavour comes through in the Beef Ribeye. More American style than Korean, the Beef Ribeye isn't marinated, allowing the natural taste to shine. This was good!

Beef Ribeye

The Pork Belly with Sweet Sauce Marinade had a slightly sweet taste from the marinade, and I liked that it was quite meaty, with very little fat, which should appeal to the health conscious.

Pork Belly Sweet Sauce Marinade