Seoul Shiok: Korean kopitiam stall with mini army stew, fried chicken, bibimbap & japchae in the heartlands

It’s not every day that you’ll spot a Korean kopitiam stall serving army stew, but Seoul Shiok located at 159 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 does, along with over 15 Korean favourites. And it doesn’t stop there— Seoul Shiok also houses Cornerstone Pasta & Grill, offering an array of Western favourites under the same premise.

Gazing at the menu, I couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by the number of choices available. Opting for Korean cuisine that day, my options were instantly halved.

Stall owner Cheryl started Seoul Shiok in 2017 and previously managed several other branches. During COVID-19, she moved over to its current spot and acquired 2 adjacent stall units. However, due to escalating rental expenses, she merged both concepts into one cosy establishment.

When asked about her prior F&B experience, she replied with a smile, “No leh, I relied on various recipe videos that I picked up on YouTube. I just tweaked and improved along the way.”

What I tried at Seoul Shiok

Seoul Shiok offers Army Stew (S$25.90) and Army Stew with Cheese (S$30.90), ideal for sharing among 3 to 4 people. But what intrigued me more was the Mini Army Stew (S$8.50).

Served in a chic matte golden pot, it contained instant noodles, eomuk slices, sausage, spam, slices of pork belly, enoki mushrooms and kimchi doused in gochujang broth. For the uninitiated, army stew, also known as Budae-jjigae originated during the Korean war. Back then, food was scarce and Koreans had to use mostly canned or processed food.

I began with a few sips of the broth. The gochujang was moderately spicy and seasoned to a tee. The consistency was also perfect; neither too thick nor too diluted.

As someone particular about the texture of instant noodles, I was satisfied that they were cooked to perfection, offering the QQ bite I always crave.

The medley of ingredients provided a lovely variety of textures and flavours. I relished the melting layer of fat from the pork belly slices while the tofu provided a silky softness. The kimchi pieces added a crunchy and tangy contrast while the sausage and spam pieces brought a comforting familiarity to the whole ensemble.

My dining companion was craving Japchae, and she was overjoyed to see that they had 4 varieties available. I ended up ordering the Beef Japchae (S$8.50), which had a generous serving of beef slices dusted with sesame seeds concealing the bottom ingredients.

I proceeded to mix the various elements up, which revealed a mound of sweet potato starch noodles tossed with carrot strips, beansprouts, shimeiji mushrooms and Japanese cucumber strips.

Cheryl uses only Korean sesame oil, which she sprays onto the noods to infuse a richer, nuttier sesame flavour. The mochi-like texture of the glass noodles were complemented by the crunchy trio of veggies (carrots, cucumber and tau geh) while the shimeiji mushrooms imparted mild earthy notes.

The beef slices deserved their spotlight as they were tender and bursting with flavour. If I had to nitpick, after 3 to 4 continuous mouthfuls, some may find it a tad heavy on the seasoning.

We also tried their Fried Chicken (S$5.20 for 4 pieces) and went for the spicy and soy garlic.

I’ve had soy garlic-flavoured chicken wings at multiple places before and there’s usually one common issue: the taste is too intense, and I get overwhelmed easily. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case over here. The soy garlic notes were mellow and struck the perfect balance between savoury and sweet— 2 thumbs up!

Although the spicy version packed a significant amount of heat, it didn’t set my tongue ablaze and I was still able to enjoy the flavours of the chicken wing. The meat was also well marinated and remained moist— delicious!

After having meat in my previous 3 dishes, I opted for a change and ordered the Tofu Bibimbap (S$6.80). The dish arrived beautifully presented, showcasing a spectrum of colours with neatly-arranged ingredients.

Cucumber slices, shimeiji mushrooms, julienned carrots, beansprouts, fried tau kwa and a perfectly jiggly poached egg formed an appealing parade of ingredients that created the lovely showcase.

My chopsticks went straight for the poached egg, and as I prodded the yolk, it released its golden glory along with the creamy whites.

I slathered the small saucer of deep-red gochujang sauce onto the ingredients and gave it a good toss, revealing the bed of short-grained rice that was resting underneath. The overall bowl transitioned into a shimmering reddish hue, ready to be tasted.

Similar to the Beef Japchae, the Tofu Bibimbap had carrots, cucumbers and beansprouts which provided a satisfying crunch in contrast to the pillowy rice. The gochujang sauce gave the grains a slightly spicy and sweet flavour with smokey undertones. The fried tofu pieces also made the dish much lighter; an ideal choice for those seeking to consume less meat or eat cleaner.

Final thoughts

With such a wide assortment of Korean dishes available at Seoul Shiok, and considering it’s conveniently located in my neighbourhood, I can definitely see myself paying frequent visits to explore their other offerings as well.

Every dish I had surpassed expectations, with spot-on seasonings and flavours. If you’re in Ang Mo Kio, why not give it a try yourself?

Expected damage: S$5.50 – S$12.50 per pax

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