Doong Ji

Until recently my impression of Korean consisted mainly of kimchi and barbeque meat. Never a fan of overly spicy or medicinal food (ginseng chicken anyone?), it has never quite appeal to my appetite. The generic names of the dishes in their menu do not help either. Stir fried beef, spicy seafood soup and spicy pork stew sound as Chinese as they do Korean. But my encounter with Korean fair at this small Korean restaurant was pleasantly enjoyable.

One Google search will tell you that there is no lack of Korean eateries in Singapore. As I live in the east I feel obliged to try the restaurants in this part of the city. Located along East Coast Road, Doong Ji is easily accessible by bus. The shop front could probably cater for no more than 50 patrons and all the walls were decorated with puzzles, small paintings and wall arts like this one.

After orders are taken we were served six different side dishes. The kimchi was disapointingly bland and soggy. The mash potato was creamy and slightly sweet, with a few peas and chopped carrots inside. The jelly with the spicy paste was nice too, although I had no idea what it was made of. Refill was available upon request.

This is the non-spicy glass noodles with beefs. The noodles, made of sweet potato starch, became translucent and springy after cooking and mopped up all the juices and goodness released from the other ingredients. They were stir-fried with beef, fried mushrooms, finely sliced carrots, slice onions and mung bean sprouts, with spring onions and sesame sprinkled on the top. The beef was juicy and tender and the beans sprouts stood out with its crunchiness and its unique flavour.

The seafood pancake came with a salty and sour dipping sauce. While the sauce was not to my liking, I found the pancake tasty enough on its own. It was bouncy and stretchy and pan-fried to give a slightly crispy edge. Topped with prawns, squid, and spring onion it was a delicious appetiser.  

The beef soup was another non-spicy dish, not to be fooled by the two slivers of chillie for garnishing. It was a stew of beef slices, onions, mushrooms, garlic and glass noodles. The meat and the onion have released all its sweetness in the soup and the glass noodles remained springy and al dente, despite being soaked in the soup (am I allowed to use that description in non-Italian cuisine?). While a bit too sweet and salty on its own, this dish could only truly be appreciated with white rice. The rich flavours of the soup were absorbed by the plain rice and the grains of rice also added to the texture of the stew. 

While I cannot comment on the authenticity of the food, both the flavours and the servings of the dishes at Doong Ji were well above average. The waiting staff also provided good customer service. This is somewhere I would recommend for casual and affordable Korean dining. 

Doong Ji

222 East Coast Road