Um Yong Baek: Super succulent Korean-style pork belly slices; expect never-ending queues
This is probably the most bustling restaurant in Telok Ayer. I still recall the first time I walked past Um Yong Baek and noticed the restaurant had a large seating area to accommodate hungry guests waiting patiently in line.
My attempts a few weeks later to book a table on their website and via phone both failed. Hence, I had to resort to physically joining the long line for my visit. I was greeted by a long queue of people ahead of me tapping on their phones as they waited for their numbers to be called.
Thankfully, the wait was shorter than expected and my dining partner and I were seated at a sharing table. The squeeze-y feeling was unpleasant but we were grateful that our neighbours accommodated our big movements while we took videos and pictures throughout our meal.
Gukbab is essentially a Korean dish featuring rice immersed in boiling soup. To keep the dish hot longer, it is often served in a ttukbaegi (earthenware pot). On the menu, the rice and pork soup base is topped off with pork slices, thus achieving its name — daejigukbab, which translates to “pork, soup, rice”.
Keeping the menu simple and straightforward, just 3 main items are offered — 2 types of soup and rice dishes and a boiled pork platter. We were focused on trying out the soup-based items first — the Busan style Daejigukbab (S$21) and Milyang style Daejigukbab (S$21).
What I tried at Um Yong Baek
Visually, the Milyang style rendition came with a milky-coloured broth which suggested a stronger and more flavourful taste. I took my first sip of the soup and let out a sigh of delight.
It bore a strong pork flavour and yet had no gameyness.
It was described in the menu as having a rich and heavy taste as it is made with pork bones. In reality, though, we both felt that it was comforting and did not weigh as heavily as we expected it to.
The large portion of rice included was cooked through but not the least bit soggy. A liberal amount of chopped chives had been thrown into the broth and added a fresh taste and crunch with each mouthful of rice.
A slew of pork cuts topped the rice bed. This ranged from the soft and tender pork cheek to the chewy pork stomach and lean pork leg. This variety provided a layering of textures although there wasn’t much difference in flavour.
Before we dug into the contents of the second earthenware pot, I noticed that many diners around us had ordered the Ohgyeopsal Sooyuk (S$45) pork platter. There were even tables where only this platter had been ordered.
At that moment, I realised that we hadn’t paid enough attention to their Signature Menu. As the platter required at least 15 minutes of preparation time, I immediately sent the order in and resumed the tasting.
The clear and dark broth made with a slew of pork meat had a distinct aromatic flavour that was almost herbal. It made the perfect pairing with the short grain rice. While the broth was savoury and robust, the rice grains were mellow and starchy.
We both preferred this rendition over the Milyang style.
A range of pork slices were included in this pot with pork collar being the most used. Unlike all the other pork collar that I have eaten and always found to be tough and dry, these slices melted in my mouth with little chewing.
Complimentary side dishes are a fundamental component of any Korean meal. The most familiar one we had was Kimchi, which was heavily salted and seasoned with fish sauce.
The savoury and slightly spicy vegetable made the perfect accompaniment to the mellow soup and rice dishes.
Then, the showstopper of the menu arrived: Boiled Pork Belly with Skin. Beautiful is an under-expression for what my eyes feasted upon that afternoon.
Just gaze upon the multiple layers of fat and meat making up each pork slice. The thickness of each slice was also maintained throughout like a pattern.
A slab of boiled tofu, long strips of chives and preserved garlic cloves were served together with this dish. We savoured each thick-cut pork belly slice with a pinch of tofu, fresh chives and a subtly sweet piece of pickled garlic.
Flavour-wise, the meat had a clean taste and we did not feel jelak despite the huge amount of meat we consumed.
The pork belly skin was gelatinous and my teeth sliced through it and the fatty pork parts like a hot knife through butter. Unlike barbecued meats that tend to get overly greasy after the third bite or so, I polished off half the platter with ease.
Final thoughts
The most fun aspect of my dining experience was the freedom to create new flavour bombs with each pork belly piece. As I tend to prefer my dishes on the salty side, the additional sauces and fermented vegetables provided made my lunch experience indulgent and exceptional.
When we left the restaurant, the crowd waiting to get in was as large as before. Do spare some extra time to accommodate the queueing if you intend to drop by soon!
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