If there’s been a boom of a specific cuisine going Halal in Singapore, I’d have to say that Korean and Japanese have been leading the way for sure. Not that I’m complaining of course! π The latest to join the growing list is Hanok.
Hanok is a Halal spin-off by the popular (not certified Halal) Korean eatery Masizzim. Basically, the idea is that you get a large offering of the menu from Masizzim.. but at Hanok – it’s the Halal version! At Hanok, they specialize in Korean stews (specifically Galbi-Jim aka beef rib stews) and an assortment of traditional Korean fare.
And to be honest, the menu does appear very impressive. There are several dishes that I don’t recall being offered at many (or even ANY) other Halal Korean makan joints in Singapore. Well, you’ll see what I mean.
Their specialty is Korean-style stews so you’ll find a few on the menu. The good news is that you can also customize some options for your stew so you get one you’re gonna really enjoy π
The one pictured above is the Beef Rib Stew (Chicken or Seafood also available). We selected the non-spicy Soy flavour but you might consider the Spicy version too. You can also choose if you’d like to enjoy your stew with Rice Noodles or Udon (weirdly, you have to order Rice separately if you want that). Last but not least, you can choose to add Cheese and/or Topokki for an extra $2.
The one in the picture is the Single serving by the way. If you’d like, they have a Double size for sharing.
Something more up your alley might be the Kimchi Beef Rib Soup. There’s nothing like a hot bowl of spicy Kimchi broth to get your appetite really going am I right? But you might be asking – what’s the difference between the Stews and the Soups?
Well, it seems to be that the Stews are served and kept hot and bubbling for you (thanks to those mini stoves thingies on the table) and you also get more customizable options (like Spicy Level 1-4) with the Stews. Also, the Soups are served with some Rice on the side.
Either way, whatever you order, both also quite shiok lah. So just order which one suits you best π
Ah, the Spicy Noodles. I remember seeing this dish on Running Man once. They had some kind of food challenge for that episode and one of the dishes they ate was this.
These are actually chilled Buckwheat Noodles. Think of it kinda like a Korean-style Soba/Bibimbap hybrid π
You might feel that the Spicy Noodles are a little light so perhaps best to pair with some accompaniment. We’d recommend the Spicy Beef! Tender beef slices are stir-fried with some vegetables and what Hanok calls its special sweet and spicy sauce. They’ve also got a chicken version btw.
Okay lah it’s not that spicy to be honest. But it’s quite sedap! Good for sharing.
This dish wasn’t available during out first visit but we finally got to try it on the subsequent visit. The Spicy Octopus looked like it was going to be awesome based on the photo in the menu but to be honest it was a bit of a letdown.
There simply wasn’t enough of the spicy sauce on the octopus so there wasn’t really any kick. And we love the beansprouts but they let off so much liquid that it ended up diluting the ‘spiciness’ of the baby octopus even further. Oh well, at least we got to try it.
Okay lah so this one was a bit of fail for me π
So the whole point of the Rice Ball Bulgogi Beef is that you’re supposed to mix everything up and shape it into balls for easy eating. It’s a great idea and a good chance to have a bit of fun while eating. They even provide you with a plastic glove!
After mixing up the rice, minced beef, Kimchi and seaweed – I totally failed at making the balls LOL
So in the end, I ended up eating it as a Bibimap π
Maybe I would have had better luck with the Crab Meat or the Tuna versions who knows…
But speaking of Bibimbap –
I LOVE BIBIMBAP! And so this was one of my favourite things I ate at Hanok π
Extra bonus that it’s served in a hot stonepot of course! Gives you a nice extra char on the bottom! And don’t be afraid to ask for a bit more Gochujang if you need it.
But what I did find a bit perplexing is that the Bibimbap is listed only on their Lunch Set Menu. Along with a few other dishes like Spicy Meat Rice and Teriyaki Chicken which you can’t find on their regular menu… It’s awesome cos the Set meal comes with a couple of slice of the Pancake of the Day and some Seaweed Soup.
I do hope that they place the Bibimbap on their regular menu soon. In the meantime, y’all gotta visit on weekdays between 11am-2pm if you wanna enjoy this.
I guess you could safely say these are a couple of Korean classics. Kimchi Fried Rice is always a good choice I guess. But I do wish they’d added a bit more kick.. y’know what I mean? Actually, they could have added more kick to a lot of the dishes. Not to say that they were not sedap but I guess we prefer more… kick π
The Squid & Leek Pancake (aka Jeon) was actually really good though. The squid was actually tender and the Jeon itself had a nice crisp in some parts. Definitely an unexpected hit at the table. The Tomato Cheese Kimchi Pancake was a bit too heavy if you know what I mean. Maybe we just weren’t used to the strong flavours.
The Steam Egg was more that I expected to be honest. First of all, it’s bigger than what it looks like in the photo in the menu LOL definitely good to share between 2-3 people at least.
The Steam Egg is actually really good. You can opt for the normal one but we recommend the version with Cheese! That’s some cheesy, eggy-weggy goodness right there!
If you’re looking for more eggy goodness, they’ve got some really cool Korean Egg Rolls too.
The Honey Mustard Cheese Egg Roll had a generous serving of cheesy goodness rolled up within. But I couldn’t taste the Honey Mustard at all despite the sauce being drizzled over it. I still prefer that one to the Tuna Seaweed Egg Roll. Perhaps next time we’ll try the Crabmeat Egg Roll.
Remember when I said that the Bibimbap was one of the best things I’d eaten at Hanok? Well, this is the other thing.
Tteok-galbi is (literally) a dish fit for royalty! Well, it’s a good thing it’s available to us common-folk these days because it’s really bloody amazeballs delicious. Short-rib minced beef and chicken is formed into a patty and grilled. It’s tender and juicy but still has that delicious charred flavour thanks to a good grilling. Topped off with a sweet-salty glaze for good measure.
This is also good for sharing but to be honest, I pretty much finished this by myself after whacking a whole Bibimbap by myself also π
Whatever delicious food you enjoy, be sure to wash it all down with some refreshing beverages. The Honeydew Aloe & Lime Jelly Ice Tea are pretty tasty but the Yoghurt-y drink options like the Grapefruit Yogurt sounds pretty tasty too. The best news – they come in jugs!
Overall, Hanok has some pretty good dishes on the menu. There’s no doubt about that. But then again, why shouldn’t they? Their OG brand Masizzim had it all mapped out so their food should be pretty bomb right? But that quality also means some of the dishes may seem pretty pricey.
But besides that, I guess they also need a bit more time to get things up and running smoothly. The first time we visited, quite a few items on the menu were not available (for whatever reason) and they even forgot to serve us our Kimchi and Pickled Radish Banchan π
Well, here’s to hoping they’re up and running smoothly because they’ve got some pretty good food at Hanok π
HANOK BY MASIZZIM
Westgate #01-07
3 Gateway Dr S 608532
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pg/HanokSingapore
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hanoksg
Operating Hours:
11.00am til 9.30pm Sundays to Thursdays
11.00am til 10.00pm Fridays & Saturdays
This meal we visit ourselves (like macam anonymous ah) and pay own money one.
All information (including prices, availability of item on menu and Halal status of establishment) are accurate at the time of posting. All photos used in this site are property of The Halal Food Blog unless stated otherwise.
First published: 31 Jan 2020
Updated: 9 Jul 2020
