While there has been a surge in Korean BBQ restaurants, E!GHT Korean BBQ stands out because of its concise menu with exquisite cuts of high quality meat. E!GHT is named after its eponymous 8 Colours Set (price: $98) which features scrumptious slices of 100% Berkshire pork from the U.S. in eight different flavours: wine, original, ginseng, garlic, herb, curry, miso and red pepper paste.
This interesting concept of providing 8 flavours of pork belly first crossed the minds of the owners of Sticky Singapore when they visited a Korean restaurant in the West Coast of the USA. I had a hard time picking a favourite for this post because they were simply delicious. In the end, the wine flavour came up tops because it was mellow and it complemented the tenderness of the pork exceedingly well.
These mouth-watering strips of thick-cut pork belly are cooked on a made-to-order grill pan which sits at a slight angle to allow excess oil to flow away from the meat down into a small waste trap. This brilliant modification reduces the smoke and splatter that comes with most BBQ experiences. So ladies, you don’t have to worry about your hair smelling bad after the meal!
The pork belly strips were accompanied by homemade banchan (complimentary Korean appetisers) and a Seafood Bean Paste Stew (complimentary with the choice of either 8 Colours Set, 4 Colours Set or the Flavour Pork Set; alternatively, it costs $18). There are other stew options at just $18 for non-seafood eaters such as the Beef Brisket Stew or the Pork Belly Kimchi Stew.
We were further served with kimchi fried rice for a more substantial indulgence. A touch of Korean chilli paste was added to the rice making it slightly spicy with a hint of sweetness. This was cooked with the Chui Pan from the lunch menu which was incredibly tasty and tender. The fried rice can also be cooked in the remainder of the Seafood Bean Paste Stew for dinner.
A traditional clear scorched rice soup was served at the end to cleanse the palate. This is complimentary with the order of any set.
But non-pork lovers do not be disheartened! E!GHT offers other meat dishes such as USDA Prime Beef and chicken. Also, do try E!GHT’s special lemon tea which is prepared fresh daily with Korean citron.
In addition to the delicious array of top-notch meat dishes, diners are treated to a full-service by a well-trained team of service staff who expertly prepare the food for them at their table. So just sit back, relax and have an enjoyable meal at E!GHT!
This was an invited tasting.
E!GHT Korean BBQ
6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #02-79/90 The Central
Opening hours: 11.30am – 2.30pm Lunch (Last Order 2pm); 5.30pm – 11pm Dinner (Last Order 10pm)
For more information, do check out their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/8KoreanBbq
