Jin Kimchi Express: 3-in-1 Korean hawker stall serves Korean delights with an authentic flair

Hawker food is rather well-rounded nowadays, ranging from modern innovations to the good ol’ eats. But have you ever come across a stall that has a Korean butchery, grocer and kitchen, all in 1? Introducing Jin Kimchi Express, which is located in Fernvale Hawker Centre.

I was rather taken aback by the hawker centre being on the third floor of Fernvale Community Centre. However, it was a pleasant surprise, since you could feel the wind breeze. The open-concept space made the hawker centre seem way bigger than it actually was.

At the outermost corner, Jin Kimchi Express occupied almost 3 hawker stall spaces. My personal thoughts would be that the 3-in-1 stall concept would certainly be a customer magnet. 

The grocer carried highly popular Korean goods, with items like Melona Ice Cream (S$1.60) and the Buldak series of ramen. I did wish for more variety, but with the small space, I had to be realistic.

Jin Kimchi Express’ flagship store contained all sorts of Korean sides, like their best seller Jin “Original Flavour” Kimchi (S$11.90) and Jin “Stir-fried” Anchovies (S$13.80). This would make excellent sides with leftover rice at home!

The butchery offered different sets of KBBQ platters that you can either take home, or with an additional fee, opt to have it cooked right here as a dine-in option at Fernvale Hawker Centre. My opinion would be that it should be shared among a few mouths, as the portions seem to be a lot. There are sides included too — isn’t that brillant?

What I tried at Jin Kimchi Express

Wanting to evaluate Jin Kimchi Express’ meat quality, I ordered the Galbi Pork Belly Grilled Meat Set (S$7.60). Surprisingly, the portion size was decent for the affordable price, which definitely impressed me on the get-go.

I could tell that the meat was great, as it had a good ratio of fat-to-meat. Some pork bellies I’ve had in the past were too tough, so I was extremely pleased when this was not the case. 

Don’t let the sight of the scorch marks scare you, as the cooking on the pork was spot on. Being seasoned enough for taste yet letting the high quality of meat speak for itself, the Galbi was remarkably well done.

The banchan (which translates into Korean side dishes) seemed to have been Jin Kimchi Express’ “Original Flavour” Kimchi and “Julienne” Radish Kimchi. Astonished by the low spice, this was the only kimchi I could actually taste! Normally, most banchan would be too spicy for me to handle.

I thoroughly savoured the crunchy and refreshing feeling of the radish and cabbage, a clear indicator that the kimchi was immensely fresh. My award-winning discovery was that it goes amazing with the meat and rice in 1 spoonful, making my satiety completely satisfied.

The obvious side option for me would have to be the Kimchi Pancake (S$6). Look at the size! I was definitely in awe for the first few minutes. However, a comment would be that it could have been crispier, since the pancake’s centre was rather mushy. 

What I loved most was the outer circle, which had that crunch from the frying process. Although the tang was a great flavour profile, it was too overpowering as opposed to the spice, making the pancake fall short.

Final thoughts

Thanks to its affordable price points, I could see myself back at Fernvale for Jin Kimchi Express again. The only shortcoming for me would be the distance. If I ever wanted to buy raw marinated pork to cook (be it at home or to enjoy it at the hawker centre itself with a bunch of friends), this would be an exceptional option. 

Expected damage: S$6 – S$15.20 per pax

Order Delivery: foodpanda Deliveroo

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