The hype for Korean food never seemed to die down after the K-wave hit our shores just a few years back. Even untill today, people’s love for Korean music, culture, and of course, food continues strong.
From the same team behind many popular Japanese & Korean dining concepts in Singapore such as Chir Chir, Sora Boru, Nipong Naepong and NY Night Market, Masizzim is a Korean casual restaurant hailing all the way from South Korea that specialises in hearty and wholesome stews. If you understand Korean, you’d also realise that their name itself is a wordplay on the words ‘masi’ (delicious) and ‘jjim’ (stew).
To add a little diversity to their menu, Masizzim has rolled out a brand new lunch set menu that will be available on weekdays from 11am to 2pm (excluding public holidays) at both their 313 Somerset and Westgate outlets. Diners can look forward to an exciting lineup which includes popular Korean dishes such as bibimbap, kimchi fried rice and bulgogi!
Prices start from a very wallet-friendly S$10.90++ and each lunch set entails a main, a bowl of seaweed soup as well as two pieces of Korean pancakes.
Diners will be spoilt for choice by the 5 different mains available: Bibimbap, Kimchi Fried Rice, Spicy Meat Rice, Teriyaki Chicken and Bulgogi.
If you’re feeling a little thirsty, you can also top up an additional S$1.90++ to get yourself a cup of their refreshing Iced Lemon Tea.
YUMMY SIDES
With such hearty and rich mains, it was refreshing to have a portion of seaweed soup to go along with them. The soup was light and came with a generous amount of seaweed and tofu, making it a great palate cleanser.
The pancakes, on the other hand, had been fried to a nice crisp and we like how it wasn’t too oily. Do note that the pancake flavours are subject to change daily.
With respect to the mains, we really appreciate how Masizzim uses mixed-grain rice in all of their dishes. This makes it a great option for health-conscious diners who are looking for places that use more wholesome, heart-friendly ingredients.
BIBIMBAP
Few things are as comforting as a colourful bowl of Bibimbap (Vegetable S$10.90++, Pork or Beef S$12.90++). This wholesome Korean dish consists of a healthy array of ingredients such as mushrooms, beansprouts, spinach, yellow radish and egg that are served atop a bed of fluffy rice. Top it all off with a generous amount of spicy, tangy gochujang (red pepper paste), give it all a good mix and you’re good to go!
The bibimbap here at Masizzim is served in a piping hot hot-stone bowl which gave the entire dish a lovely smokey touch. The best part about using a hot-stone bowl is the layer of crunchy charred rice at the bottom of the bowl. This added an addictively crispy texture to the bibimbap and a nice contrasting mouthfeel to the rest of the ingredients.
BULGOGI
Meat lovers will adore the Bulgogi set (S$12.90++) which features a stone plate laden with tender slices of stir-fried pork and beef that are doused in a sweet and smokey Korean BBQ sauce. The thinly sliced meat had soaked up all the goodness of the sauce, creating a moreish flavour bomb that was chock full of umami.
KIMCHI FRIED RICE
If you are as addicted to Korea’s famous red-hued fermented vegetable dish as we are, you’ll absolutely love Masizzim’s Kimchi Fried Rice (S$10.90++).
The ones served here are done up a little differently from your conventional bowls of Kimchi Fried Rice. For starters, they use mixed-grain rice instead of plain white rice and this is stir-fried with a generous helping of kimchi, resulting in an aromatic heap of kimchi fried rice that is fragrant, mildly spicy and zesty all at once.
We also love how the bits of kimchi gave the dish an additional crunch as well as a burst of tanginess to every mouthful we had.
What makes the Kimchi Fried Rice here truly stand out is its presentation. A carefully arranged mound of rice is surrounded by a bubbling moat of beaten egg. Choose to have it mixed into your rice or eat it separately; both ways taste absolutely phenomenal.
If you want to jazz up your Kimchi Fried Rice a little bit more, you can always opt to have the Seafood version of the dish for only S$12.90++. This variation comes peppered with chunky bits of shrimp and squid which added an additional layer of flavour and texture to the meal.
SPICY MEAT RICE
Turn up the heat with the Spicy Meat Rice that comes with either squid, beef or pork (S$12.90++ each). These are stir-fried with slivers of onions and carrots which provided the dish with a subtle sweetness that paired well with the savouriness and the umami of the proteins.
The spicy Korean red pepper sauce truly elevated the dish and we appreciate how the sauce managed to add a substantial amount of flavour to it without overpowering the other components.
TERIYAKI CHICKEN RICE
For those of you who are not all about the spice life, you can instead opt to have something milder such as their Teriyaki Chicken set (S$10.90++). The set features a simple yet substantial hot-plate piled high with chunks of outrageously tender chicken that have been fried in an addictively sweet teriyaki sauce.
Each and every mouthful was packed with a medley of flavours. From the sweetness of the teriyaki sauce to the savouriness of the chicken, this simple and homely option was definitely one of our favourites.
Masizzim 313 Somerset
313 Orchard Road
313 Somerset #B3-02
Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 6509 5808
Sun to Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Somerset
This post was brought to you by Massizim.