Togi

Togi
11 Mosque Street
6221 0830

My virgin Korean meal in Singapore was at this authentic Korean restaurant run by Koreans. Even though I lived with Koreans for half a year, Korean cuisine is still very much a stranger to me as I've always preferred Japanese food.

If you have ever watched any Korean movies or dramas, you would know that Koreans love their appetisers (or perhaps, I should say Kimchi) as much as Chinese love their rice. Togi serves free flow of 5 or 6 dishes of appetisers, some of which I really enjoyed. The humble bean sprouts is one such dish. The beans are really large compared to the ones I've tried before and as such, they are extremely addicted to bite into. Think Korean version of Japanese edamame!

Despite its redish colour, the potatoes tasted more saltish than spicy.

The cucumber and carrot slices were very refreshing.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Korean meal without some Kimchi. My 1st foray into Korean cuisine was when I was in Korean many years ago. It seems that this rendition is a little watered down and not spicy enough to me. Perhaps, it's to cater to locals' tastebuds.

I liked the Kimchi Pancake with Seafood ($6+) which wasn't too oily. The proportion of kimchi to batter was well-balanced though the amount of seafood (mostly squid) was wanting. Nevertheless, this was an interesting pancake with its slight chewiness for a first timer like me.

Another must try Korean dish is the Stir Fried Spicy Rice Cake ($12+). This brought back fond memories of my Korean flatmates as they were always cooking their own version of rice cake when I was living with them. Certainly, Togi's rendition definitely looked more appetising than theirs! Portion was also generous with many pieces of rice cakes, fish cakes and dumplings. Taste-wise, it was average to me as I don't really have any benchmark to compare to. But I guess if you like starchy stuff, then this is the one to try.

No, I didn't post the wrong photo even though this looks similar to the rice cakes. This is actually Spicy Squid and Pork Belly ($17.50+) which was also stir fried. A plate of lettuces was given along to us to wrap the pork belly in. I didn't try it but the birthday girl seemed to enjoy this a lot!

Our last dish was the Tofu Soup with Seafood ($12+). Though it came in a very small pot, do not underestimate it as ingredients used were more than generous. There were huge prawns, very silky tofu and assorted vegetables. I likened this to the Thai Tom Yam soup with its spiciness and red watery broth.

By then, our table was completely full and crowded with dishes. We over ordered for the 4 of us as we can't even finished the food at the end. Yet, we kept asking for the free flow of some appetisers as they were so good! The restaurant doesn't take any reservation so do come early or be prepared to wait since the place was packed even though it was a weekday. Finally, Japanese or Korean for me? I'd pick the former any time as I prefer the clear taste and delicate appearance of Japanese cuisine to the more robust and fiery Korean food.