Okkudak + Ssaldak Tasting Session
182 Telok Ayer Street
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 11:30am - 2:30pm, 5:30pm - 1am
Sat - Sun: 4pm - 2am
https://www.facebook.com/ofcsingapore
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Attended with representatives from HungryGoWhere, Fundamentally Flawed, and Chubby Botak Koala.
Yummy Oven Baked & Fried Chicken, At A Price
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 8
Value for Money: 6
Budget about SGD $45 ++ per person.
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Okkudak and Ssaldak are 2 distinct and separate Korean chicken franchises, both of which have over 200 outlets spread across South Korea. Okkudak specialises in oven baked chicken / roast chicken, while Ssaldak specialises in fried chicken. For their 1st foray into Singapore, the Okkudak and Ssaldak concepts have been combined under the Okkudak Oven Baked Chicken brand, with the 1st outlet opening its doors in Telok Ayer in October 2014.
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| Okkudak Oven Baked Chicken Signage & Ssaldak Fried Chicken Signage |
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| Okkudak Exterior |
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| Okkudak Interior |
Ambience at Okkudak is clean and modern. I like that they have different areas for seating, the ground floor has an open seating area, as well as a partioned seating area, while the upper floor is used for overflow capacity or private events. Colour themes of red, green, white, and brown permeate the place, while decor pieces are quirky, with most featuring chickens. Table are spacious and solid, but I find the chairs to be of varying comfort; the booths are particularly hard. Rather odd as well, the television plays Japanese shows instead of Korean shows.
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| Okkudak Bar |
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| Okkudak Upper Alcove |
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| Okkudak Private Booths |
Service at Okkudak is good. Staff are friendly, offering greetings / goodbyes, and are able to carry a conversation well. Staff profile is mainly Singaporean, but the Korean owners of Okkudak, who are present as well, are able to converse in simple English. I find staff to be knowlegable when questioned on general items in the menu, and they are able to make good recommendations. They're also able to provide instructions on how best to consume a dish, and well check back regularly throughout the meal to see if you need further assistance.
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| Chicken Clock |
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| Korean Poems |
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| Bicycle On Wall |
Food at Okkudak, as befits the Okkudak + Ssaldak concept, revolves around their signature oven baked chicken, and fried chicken. The owners assure us the recipes and taste is authentic, similar to what you'll get in South Korea, and is also evident from the many Koreans who dine here. In general, I personally feel their chicken dishes tastes great, though several side dishes were somewhat odd. Portions are served in either whole, or half size, and are meant for communal dining, I recommend at least 4 or more people. The prices at Okkudak are quite high though, budget about SGD $45 per person for a meal here.
Love the refreshing tangy taste of the Citron Tea (SGD $4.50), which is available either warm or cold. Well balanced, you can still taste the layers of sour and sweet, without either being too strong or overpowering. Pretty good!
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| Citron Tea (SGD $4.50) |
The Beer Hoegaarden Tower (SGD $70) is sufficient for 10 glasses, and arrives in just the cutest tower I've ever seen!
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| Beer Hoegaarden Tower (SGD $70) |
Of the 2 complimentary side dishes we tried, we didn't quite like the Prawn Crackers. While it still crackles when bit, it wasn't as crisp, or as flavourful as we wanted. The Kkakdugi / Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish fared much better, the refreshing and tangy cubes are juicy, bursting in the mouth to cleanse the palate.
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| Prawn Crackers |
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| Kkakdugi / Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish |
The Fried Original (SGD $33 Whole / $18 Half) chicken is battered with a special house recipe batter made from rice flour. This results in the savoury skin shattering easily with a loud, satisfiying crunch. The meat is tender, moist, and flavourful, and it isn't oily! While slightly pricey, it's among the better fried chicken we've tasted!
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| Fried Original (SGD $33 Whole / $18 Half) |
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| Fried Original |
At first glance, the Roasted Wings (SGD $34 Whole / $19 Half) looked dry to me... until I bit into it and realised how wrong I was. The chicken meat is tender and very juicy, with a nice savoury flavour from the skin. This oven baked delight is totally delicious, and the meat comes off the bone easily. Again, slightly pricey, but it's even better than the fried chicken here, you simply must try this oven baked chicken!
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| Roasted Wings (SGD $34 Whole / $19 Half) |
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| Roasted Wings |
The Sauced Wings (SGD $36 Whole / $21 Half) are fried chicken wings, coated in a midly spicy, sweet and savoury sauce, which is imported from South Korea. Sticky and messy, I like that the chicken skin retains its crispy texture, while the sauce, which is evenly coated on the chicken, lends a depth of flavour. Spice levels seemed to be toned down here, the mildly spicy version only has a slight tinge of heat!
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| Sauced Wings (SGD $36 Whole / $21 Half) |
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| Sauced Wings |
Despite the confusing name, the Welsh Onion Chicken (SGD $38 Whole / $22 Half) was easily the best dish of the evening! Similar in style to Pa Dak, a soy garlic and spring onion chicken dish in South Korea, the Welsh Onion Chicken features fresh strips of spring onion, in a light refreshing sauce. The chicken meat is savoury, tender, and chunky, releasing its juices when bit. Paired together, the spring onion lends a floral, earthy essence to the moist, baked chicken. Highly recommended!
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| Welsh Onion Chicken (SGD $38 Whole / $22 Half) |
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| Welsh Onion Chicken |
The Assorted Fish Cake Soup (SGD $30) features a variety of fish cakes, of which some were tasty, some were decent, and some were missable. The soup / broth is light, and flavourful with the taste of fish and vegetable stock. Overall though, poor value for money, and not that tasty too.
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| Assorted Fish Cake Soup (SGD $30) |
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| Assorted Fish Cake Soup |
Personally, I feel the Top Shell Salad (SGD $30) was the least value for money, plus, it's an acquired taste, making this dish the most disappointing item I had. The huge platter consists mostly of rice vermicelli noodles, and pickled slices of cucumber and carrot, with several pieces of top shell scattered around. But the thick sauce is sweet, instead of savoury or spicy, making the overall taste rather odd.
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| Top Shell Salad (SGD $30) |
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| Top Shell Salad |
The Yoghurt Salad Chicken (SGD $40 Whole / $23 Half) features fresh, crunchy lettuce, and strips of that excellent fried chicken coated in a midly spicy sauce, over a sauce base of yoghurt. Not bad overall, though slightly pricey as with all dishes here. A scoop of vanilla ice cream tops off the dish, and when mixed in with the vegetables, creates a unique acquired taste. You can also choose to order this without the ice cream, which I recommend, also because the salad is slightly more healthy this way.
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| Yoghurt Salad Chicken (SGD $40 Whole / $23 Half) |
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| Yoghurt Salad Chicken |
Overall, the Okkudak and Ssaldak brands have some really great tasting oven baked chicken and fried chicken. The main problem I have is their higher than normal pricing. Still, if you're willing to spend slightly more, you can be assured of getting a good meal at Okkudak, so long as you stick to the chicken!
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CONVERSATION