10 best Muslim-friendly Korean restaurants in Singapore to make you go jinjja mashisoyo
I have come to terms with the fact that there is no escaping Korean culture, and whilst I would usually shake my head stubbornly at anything Korean, my recent adventures to Muslim-friendly Korean joints have got me nodding instead. I can see why their cuisine is so revered, with it being relatively healthy (with a few delicious exceptions) whilst being enjoyable to eat.
As good as its food is, it’s hard to find good Muslim-friendly options for your Korean food cravings— and this is me speaking from personal experience. Being in the same shoes, I’ve curated the top 10 Muslim-friendly Korean restaurants in Singapore to make you go jinjja mashisoyo!
1. JINJJA Chicken
Starting off with a familiar brand, JINJJA Chicken has been a staple for those craving quick and wallet-friendly Korean food options. It’s also halal-certified which only increases its accessibility. It currently has over 7 outlets in Singapore and can also be found in Malaysia and Indonesia. JINJJA Chicken is known for their Jinjja Wings (S$8.30/S$15.30/S$20.30) with sauces such as Soy Garlic, Yangnyeom and Monster.
There are also Korean staples such as Jjampong (S$10.90) with a selection of bases like Original, Creamy and Monster, and Jjajang Myeon (S$8.90/S$10.90). You can opt for side dishes like the Tteokbokki Fries (S$3.50/S$4.50) and Seafood Mandu (S$4.20/S$8.20).
Refer to locations, contact numbers, and opening hours here.
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2. Mukshidonna
Mukshidonna is a popular Korean chain restaurant that originated in Seoul. Mukshidonna translates to Eat (Muk), Rest (Shi), Pay (Don), Leave (Na) which roughly means “Have your food, pay and leave”. As crude as that may sound, it brings its hearty and iconic Budae Jigae, which is more popularly known as army stew to a Muslim-friendly customer base.
There’s not much to choose from with your order being limited to the Budae Jigae, albeit with many variations such as Cheese, Mussels, Beef Bulgogi, Chicken Sausage and Mushroom all costing S$13.90 each. You can add ingredients like Ramyeon and Yakki Dumpling at S$3 each. There are also Fried Rice (S$5) and Fried Rice with Cheese (S$7) though it’s only served after the stew.
11 Tanjong Katong Road, KINEX, #01-30/31, Singapore 437157
+65 8168 4708
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
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3. Muk-Bang Korean Restaurant
Being halal-certified since March 2017, Muk-Bang Korean Restaurant provides one of the most authentic Korean experiences that you can find. Similar to Mukshidonna, it also serves Korean Army Stew (S$45.90) which consists of Hot Dog, Enoki Mushrooms, Luncheon Meat and more. You can also add more ingredients such as Kimchi (S$2.50) and Silky Tofu (S$1.50).
If stews aren’t your thing, you can opt for BBQ Grilled Items such as BBQ Chicken (S$25.90), Grilled BBQ Short Ribs (S$35.90), BBQ Beef Bulgogi (S$28.90) and Godeung-Uh Gui (Grilled Saba Fish) (S$12.90). There are also rice dishes which include Bibimbap (S$14.90/S$15.90), Beef Bulgogi Bowl (S$14.90) and Kimchi Bokkeum-Bap (Kimchi Fried Rice) (S$13.90/S$14.90).
750 Chai Chee Road, ESR BizPark @ Chai Chee, #01-02, Singapore 469000
+65 6604 6328
Sun to Thu: 11am – 9pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 9.30pm
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4. Omoomodon
Offering a fusion of Korean and Japanese flavours, Omoomodon was started in 2016 and is suitable for those who need a quick and affordable fix of what both cultures have to offer. Coming from the same group that brought us Korean F&B brands such as Seoul Yummy and Pizza Maru, it suffices to say that they are seasoned Korean food providers.
You can opt for strictly Korean dishes such as Spicy Chicken Bibimbab (S$8.50), Beef Bibimbab (S$9.50) and Tofu Bibimbab (S$8.50). If you’d like to try its various Korean and Japanese fusion dishes, you have options like the Kimchi Ramen (S$10.50), Bulgogi Teppan (S$7.90) and Bulgogi & Karaage Bento (S$13.50).
Refer to locations, contact numbers, and opening hours here.
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5. Waker Chicken (와커치킨)
The food court is probably the last place you’d expect to find authentic Korean food, but Waker Chicken (와커치킨) delivers just that by providing authentic Korean fried chicken. Waker Chicken was brought to Singapore by 2 Koreans living here who missed the taste and experience of Korean fried chicken that they had back home.
There are 4 distinct flavours to choose from: Original Crispy (S$13/S$25), Sweet Spicy (S$14/S$27), Soy Sauce (S$14/S$27) and Honey Butter (S$15/S$28), the latter of which is popular amongst the Singapore crowd. There are also boneless chicken options such as Chicken Tenders and Chicken Fillets with Rice.
Refer to locations, contact numbers, and opening hours here.
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6. Meokja by JUNGGA
Halal Korean cuisine does not come as authentic as
Meokja by JUNGGA. Helmed by Chef Jung Sangwoo, a Korean-Muslim revert, he realised many Muslims couldn’t experience proper halal Korean food, including himself when he first arrived in Singapore. This made him start a Muslim-friendly home-based business before opening Meokja by JUNGGA.
Meokja by JUNGGA focuses on essential Korean dishes as well as a couple of Korean street foods. You have your expected selections of Kimchi Bokkeum Bap (S$11), Jja Jang Myeon/Bap (S$12), JjamPpong (S$14) and Samgyetang (S$17.90). There are also street food options such as TteokBokki (S$9/S$18), and Eomuk Tang (S$8.90).
1 Selegie Road, GR.iD, #02-03, Singapore 188306
+65 9067 7077
Thu to Tue: 10.30am – 3pm & 5pm – 10pm
Closed on Wed
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7. Hanok By Masizzim
Hanok By Masizzim is the halal subsidiary of the popular Masizzim. Whilst we are familiar with the usual Korean fare, Hanok By Masizzim specialises in Korean stews, specifically the beef rib stew also known as the galbi jjim. Their stews are slow-cooked in masizzim’s special sauce recipe until tender and flavourful.
Some of the stew options include Soy Beef Rib Stew, Spicy Beef Rib Stew and Spicy Chicken Stew at S$23.90 each. Every order of stew comes with Glass Noodles and Steamed Rice. You can also add sides such as Potato Pancake (S$18.60) and Honey Mustard Cheese Egg Roll (S$15) to accompany your morale-boosting stew.
3 Gateway Drive, Westgate, #01-07, Singapore 608532
+65 6906 0965
Daily: 11am – 9pm
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8. Ha-Jun Korean
Ha-Jun Korean presents a more wallet-friendly and halal option for your Korean cravings and with over 5 outlets including Clementi Mall, Seletar Mall and Hong Leong Building, there’s no denying its place and need. It also offers a relatively extensive menu with 35 dishes and even a few Japanese dishes.
There are the usual suspects such as Dolsot Bibimbap (S$7.50), Kimchi Fried Rice (S$6.50), Ginseng Chicken Soup (S$9), Kimchi Pancake (S$5) and Spicy Stir Fried Rice Cake (S$6.50). Whilst reviews have noted how Ha-Jun Korean isn’t the most authentic Korean cuisine out there but hey, sometimes we just crave cheap and accessible Korean food, and this is exactly the place for that.
16 Raffles Quay, Hong Leong Building, #B1-20/21, Singapore 048581
+65 9004 6286
Mon to Fri: 10am – 6pm
Closed on Sat & Sun
9. Dosirak
If you’ve watched any Korean dramas, you’re probably familiar with the Yennal-dosirak, a rice based-meal consisting of kimchi, eggs and sausages packed in a tinplate lunchbox. Before being eaten, it is shaken with the lid on to mix the ingredients. Dosirak modernises this Korean dish by replacing the base with the healthier bibimbap and serving it in a pint for easy shaking. It is also Muslim-friendly.
There’s a wide variety of bibimbap to choose from, with options such as Beef Bulgogi (S$10.90/S$15.90), Soy Citrus Salmon (S$14.90/S$19.90) and Avocado Sweet Potato (S$9.90/S$14.90). Don’t forget to choose your sauce from options such as Apple Cider Gochujang, Soy Garlic Jang and Eomma’s Gochujang. Although not halal-certified, Dosirak is free from pork, lard and alcohol. It also gets its beef and chicken from halal-certified sources.
Refer to locations, contact numbers, and opening hours here.
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10. Nene Chicken
It’s easy to pass off Nene Chicken as just another fast food chain riding on the Korean cultural wave, but it was actually founded in South Korea in 1999 and it currently has over 1,000 outlets in Seoul alone. It first landed in Singapore in 2012 and has 7 outlets spread across the island.
Nene Chicken doesn’t just provide their signature fried Chicken (S$8/S$11.80/S$18.80) and Bulgogi Wings & Sticks (S$20.80/S$30.80), it also has shareable dishes (which are also available in individual portions) like the Cheese Pull Chicken Hotplate (S$15.90/S$35.90) and Budae Jjigae (S$16.90/S$37.90). You can even get Korean pizza such as Bulgogi Chicken (S$17.90), Pepperoni (S$16.90) and Kimchi (S$19.90) only at the Upper Paya Lebar outlet.
Refer to locations, contact numbers, and opening hours here.
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Other articles you might like:
10 authentic Korean restaurants in SG run by Koreans
14 best Korean BBQ restaurants in Singapore
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