Kko Kko Nara

Kko Kko Nara
51 Tras Street

68 Tanjong Pagar Road

78 Airport Boulevard
#02-243 Jewel Changi Airport

https://www.kkokkonara.com/


Excellent Korean Fried Chicken In An Intimate Setting

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 6
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $45 per person.


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Among the earliest pioneers of the Korean Fried Chicken craze in Singapore, Kko Kko Nara has been going strong since opening in 2008. Owner Ms Eon Lee, a self-taught chef, spent 6 months perfecting her fried chicken recipes, which has quickly gained Kko Kko Nara a loyal following. Their Korean Fried Chicken is available in 4 distinct flavours; original, soy garlic sauce, sweet & spicy, and hot & spicy. And while the general ambience and service standards are passable, the food at Kko Kko Nara is consistently good!

Ambience at Kko Kko Nara differs depending on which part of the 3 storey shophouse you're seated in. The casual dining areas are bustling, vibrant and noisy, with average ambient lighting and minimal decor. Furniture is spaced closely together. The more intimate dining areas feature quiet private booths, dimly lit ambient lighting, and rather elegant furnishings. I actually find the casual area to be more suitable for normal, quick dining, but the private area to be more suitable for long, relaxing snacks rather than meals.

Service at Kko Kko Nara is decent, as staff are friendly and efficient. However, the language barrier sometimes makes communication difficult, as not all the Korean staff here are able to understand English. Those who do are pretty ok, as they carry out requests quickly. The e-menu has helpful English as well as Korean words, and ordering through the tablet is easy. While day to day / ordinary requests are fine, the problem arises with special requests, as it's hard to get staff to understand with their limited command of English. Example: Asking for a baby high chair is easily understood, asking them to print another copy of the recipt for verification is not easily understood.

Food at Kko Kko Nara is distinctly Korean, as evidenced by all the Korean staff and Korean diners. The menu is extensive, but focused on South Korea cuisine, in particular, Korean Fried Chicken, along with several authentic soups, appetizers, and drinks. Dishes are tasty and packed with flavour, and portions are typically large, designed for sharing / communal dining. In fact, I feel Kko Kko Nara has possibly among the best Korean Fried Chicken in Singapore! Prices are reasonable for the large portions, budget about SGD $45 per person for a meal here.


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The interior tends to be dimly lit, but bustling and vibrant. Despite their 3 story shophouse space, they are often packed during meal times, a testament to their enduring popularity and great tasting food!

Kko Kko Nara Exterior

Kko Kko Nara Interior

Kko Kko Nara Booth Seating

Bar Counter

Fireplace

The Beer Cass Fresh (SGD $8) is a pale golden lager with a small foam head, light taste of malt and wheat, and a fizzy, crisp, refreshing texture. Clean and light, very drinkable, pairs especially well with the much heavier sauced chicken meat dishes here.

Beer Cass Fresh

Loved the Makgeolli / Rice Wine (SGD $25) here, which has a milky white colour, a thin texture, and a taste of rice with a slight sweetness. This South Korea beverage is traditionally made from rice, mixed with nuruk, a Korean fermentation starter. The version here remains true to the original, and finished all too fast. Highly recommended!

Makgeolli / Rice Wine

Makgeolli / Rice Wine

The Yujacha / Tea Yuzu Citron (SGD $5) has a tangy, zesty taste that isn't too overpowering. Pretty good option for a beverage.

Yujacha / Tea Yuzu Citron

A complimentary appetizer / palate cleanser of Kkakdugi / Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish (SGD $0) with chopped red chili is great as an appetizer, but better as a refreshing palate cleanser, as most dishes here are big on flavour. Take 1 cube after each dish!

Kkakdugi / Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish

Kkakdugi / Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish

The Samgae-Tang / Ginseng Chicken Soup (SGD $28) here is very good, with a fragrant soup / broth that has good floral flavour from the ginseng, yet isn't overpowering or herbal. The chicken meat is tender and comes off the bone easily, and the rice and dates packed within are soft, lending some texture and a sweetness to this comforting starter.

Samgae-Tang / Ginseng Chicken Soup

Samgae-Tang / Ginseng Chicken Soup

The Haemul Pajeon / Seafood Scallion Pancake (SGD $28) has a nice amount of fresh shrimp / prawn, squid, and scallions stuffed within the thin, crisp pancake. Flavour is lovely, with the juicy freshness of the seafood, the earthy vegetable flavour of the scallions, the crunch of the pancake. Dip it into the soy sauce for an added depth of flavour! Good!

Haemul Pajeon / Seafood Scallion Pancake

Haemul Pajeon / Seafood Scallion Pancake

The delicious Maewoon Maneul Dak Ganjang / Spicy Garlic Soy Sauce Chicken Wings (SGD $20 / $35) has juicy medium sized chicken wings, with tender meat that comes off the bone easily, and a savoury crisp skin with a spicy, garlic and soy sauce marinade. Each bite of this slightly salty, slightly spicy, piping hot, savoury, and juicy wings makes you want to keep eating... addictive! Highly recommended!

Maewoon Maneul Dak Ganjang / Spicy Garlic Soy Sauce Chicken Wings

Maewoon Maneul Dak Ganjang / Spicy Garlic Soy Sauce Chicken Wings

The yummy Yangnyeom Tongdak / Sweet & Spicy Chicken (SGD $20 / $35) has chicken parts, on the bone, marinated in a sweet, sticky, slightly spicy sauce. The chicken meat is tender and juicy, running clear when cut / bit into, and the sweetness of the sauce hits your palate first, followed by the slow burn of spices. Excellent, highly recommended!

Yangnyeom Tongdak / Sweet & Spicy Chicken

Yangnyeom Tongdak / Sweet & Spicy Chicken

For the undecided, there's always the Combo Chicken Set (SGD $40), which features all 3 of the signature fried chicken available here. Also perfect for sharing!

Combo Chicken Set

Combo Chicken Set

The Soondubu Jjigae / Silken Tofu Stew (SGD $20) features a huge stew, savoury and slightly spicy. Within this soup / broth are large chunks of fresh silken tofu beancurd, incredibly soft, and eggy bits floating around, as well as several small mussels, and a deshelled hard boiled egg. Delicious, will order this again!

Soondubu Jjigae / Silken Tofu Stew

Soondubu Jjigae / Silken Tofu Stew

The Sobak Soju / Watermelon Soju Cocktail (SGD $38) is fruity, refreshing, and thirst quenching! Incredible lovely and addictive! Also a tad dangerous, because it makes you unaware of how much alcohol you actually drank! This also makes for a good dessert, when you're nearly finishing the drink / beverage, you can start scooping out the watermelon flesh to eat! Highly recommended!

Sobak Soju / Watermelon Soju Cocktail

Sobak Soju / Watermelon Soju Cocktail

Sobak Soju / Watermelon Soju Cocktail

Sobak Soju / Watermelon Soju Cocktail

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Update Nov-2015: Have been here 3 times over the last few months, and I find the ambience, service, and food to be consistently good! Have been bringing different groups of people here, and each visit gets the thumbs up from me and my friends!

The Ttukbaegi Gyeran Jjim / Steamed Egg In Pot (SGD $12) is fragrant and fluffy, and I quite enjoyed the taste of the eggs, flavoured with spring onions and red pepper flakes. The salted shrimp sauce used to season this dish is rather light though, which resulted in the overall dish being light on taste.

Ttukbaegi Gyeran Jjim / Steamed Egg In Pot

Ttukbaegi Gyeran Jjim / Steamed Egg In Pot

The Japchae / Stir Fried Sweet Potato Glass Noodles (SGD $15) is possibly the weakest dish I've had here. While the texture of the noodles is properly slippery, it's also thicker and more starchy than usual, making it very filling. The gravy, whilst savoury enough, is quite scant, not enough to properly coat the noodles, resulting in an overall dry dish. Skip this.

Japchae / Stir Fried Sweet Potato Glass Noodles

Japchae / Stir Fried Sweet Potato Glass Noodles

The Mini O-Deng Bar / Oden (SGD $25) is wonderfully fragrant, and completely delicious! This light seaweed and mushroom flavoured soup / broth works to both awaken the appetite, and cleanse your palate. Filled with various fish cakes, crab sticks, and vegetables, I kept drinking bowl after bowl of the soup / broth! It even helped flavour some of the other dishes! Highly recommended!

Mini O-Deng Bar / Oden

Mini O-Deng Bar / Oden

Mini O-Deng Bar / Oden

The Yuzu Pa Chae / Yuzu Scallions (SGD $8) has fresh strips of crunchy green onions / spring onions / scallions, dressed in a zesty, sour sweet yuzu sauce. Very refreshing, this helps to cleanse the palate. Good!

Yuzu Pa Chae / Yuzu Scallions (SGD $8)

Yuzu Pa Chae / Yuzu Scallions

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Update Jun-2019: Visited the newest outlet of Kko Kko Nara at Jewel Changi Airport. The brand is still going strong since we visited 4 years ago, though they've expanded the menu, moving away from their speciality in fried chicken. Kko Kko Nara seems to have transformed into a regular Korean casual dining brand now.

Ambience at Kko Kko Nara remains vibrant, bustling, and modern casual. The dimly spotlit seating area is tightly packed with functional but comfortable furnishings, in a variety of bright colours. It's usually crowded, with ambient buzzing noise. Service at Kko Kko Nara remains friendly and efficient. With more Singaporean staff, language barriers aren't an issue. There is still a short wait for orders to be fulfilled, and staff clean up quickly when diners leave. Food at Kko Kko Nara remains focused on Korean cuisine, but they no longer specialise in only Korean fried chicken. The menu has expanded, and they now offer popular casual dining Korean dishes. Taste and quality is still above average. Portions are sized for communal group dining. Prices are still reasonable for the large portions, budget about SGD $45 per person for a meal here.

Kko Kko Nara Exterior

Kko Kko Nara Interior

Charcoal Grill

They now serve Banchan / Side Dishes (SGD $Complimentary), as I don't recall having this previously. The Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage has a light crunch, and a sharp sour vegetal sweet spicy salty flavour. The Myeolchi Bokkeum / Fried Anchovies have a loud crunch, with a pronounced sweet savoury flavour. The Sosiji Saengseon Keikeu / Sausage With Fish Cake have a tender moist bouncy chew, with a delicate savoury sweet spice flavour. The Miyeok Julgi Bokkeum / Sauteed Seaweed has a soft chew, with a bold earthy salty briny vegetal flavour.

Banchan / Side Dishes (SGD $Complimentary)

Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage

Myeolchi Bokkeum / Fried Anchovies

Sosiji Saengseon Keikeu / Sausage With Fish Cake

Miyeok Julgi Bokkeum / Sauteed Seaweed

Served with every order of fried chicken, the Kkakdugi / Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish (SGD $Complimentary) has a juicy crunch, with a light tangy sour sweet flavour.

Kkakdugi / Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish (SGD $Complimentary)

The Maewoon Maneul Dak Ganjang / Spicy Garlic Soy Sauce Chicken Wings (SGD $20 / $35) has changed since I last had it. They still feature medium sized fried chicken wings, with tender moist meat that comes off the bone easily, and a crisp skin with a chili, garlic, and light soy sauce marinade. Each bite of this remains savoury salty spicy in flavour, but it's less tasty than previously, now being rather muted. Alright but not as memorable as before.

Maewoon Maneul Dak Ganjang / Spicy Garlic Soy Sauce Chicken Wings (SGD $20 / $35)

Maewoon Maneul Dak Ganjang / Spicy Garlic Soy Sauce Chicken Wings

The Combo Chicken Set (SGD $25 / $40) still features all 3 of their signature fried chicken. Besides the Maewoon Maneul Dak Ganjang / Spicy Garlic Soy Sauce Chicken Wings, the Original Korean Fried Chicken has a crisp, slightly crunchy skin, with tender moist chicken meat within, that has delicate sweet savoury salty flavour. However, some parts were dry. The Yangnyeom Tongdak / Sweet & Spicy Chicken is also more muted in taste. While it's still coated in the sweet, sticky, slightly spicy sauce, the flavours are less enticing than before, though the chicken meat was nicely tender and moist in texture. Actually alright, but I'm disappointed by the drop in standards for their fried chicken.

Combo Chicken Set (SGD $25 / $40)

Combo Chicken Set

The Budae Jjigae / Army Stew (SGD $30 / $45) is a communal meal, featuring a large, boiling pot flavoured with gochujang / fermented red chili paste, garnished with kimchi baechu / kimchi pickled cabbage, cheese hot dogs / cheese sausages, spam / luncheon meat, baked beans, instant ramen noodles, onions, scallions, tofu / beancurd, tteok / dduk / rice cakes, shiitake mushrooms, golden mushrooms, spinach, red chili, and green chili. Hearty and satisfying, this has layered vegetal sweet earthy savoury salty meaty spicy flavours. Worth ordering!

Budae Jjigae / Army Stew (SGD $30 / $45)

Budae Jjigae / Army Stew

Budae Jjigae / Army Stew

The Bulgogi Pajeon / Marinated Beef Pancake (SGD $32) is poor value for money, because you get very little of the bulgogi / marinated beef within. We actually sent it back, thinking they got our order wrong, only for the kitchen to say it was correct. The problem is the beef is not visible, even though it's there. That said, it's extremely tasty, as the generous amount of scallions set within the all-purpose flour pancake have a satisfyingly crisp crunchy texture, with bold vegetal salty savoury flavour. It's complemented by the sweet savoury notes of the bulgogi / marinated beef. Delicious and rather addictive, but still poor value for money.

Bulgogi Pajeon / Marinated Beef Pancake (SGD $32)

Bulgogi Pajeon / Marinated Beef Pancake

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