New Dal.Komm Playground at Guoco Midtown serves up picture-pretty dishes

Dal.Komm Playground joins the latest slew of new restaurants opening at the up-and-coming Guoco Midtown compound. 

It’s a new all-day concept by Korean cafe chain Dal.Komm Coffee, which first arrived in Singapore in 2016 and has outlets in Funan, Marina Square and Parkway Parade.

Even if you haven’t been to its Singapore outlets, you may have also seen it featured in Korean dramas such as Descendants of the Sun and Goblin. 

This new concept melds both day-time drinks (coffee) with those of the night (alcohol), making it quite the perfect spot for those gatherings where you have a mix of drinkers and those who are alcohol-free. 

The space at Dal.Komm Playground is spacious, bright and feels more like a cafe than a vibey drinking spot, but its barrel-styled seating booths do make it seem a tad cosier. 

While its usual menu has its fair share of coffee, sweet treats and savoury ones, too, the Playground concept takes this a notch further by introducing classic Korean dishes that are perfect for sharing. 

Some new introductions include the pan-fried sotteok (S$16.90), which is a “drier” version of the spicy tteok (rice) cakes we are typically accustomed to. Not being soaked in sauce also means this dish is not as spicy and less messy to consume. 

There’s also the signature seafood kimchi ramyun soup (S$39.90), comprising instant noodles, octopus, scallops, prawns, crab, and kimchi in a savoury broth. 

While I’m never one to say no to ramyun (especially with drinks), this rendition felt slightly watered down and could probably do with less water in the broth. I did, however, appreciate the generosity of the seafood toppings. 

We also tried its seafood pancake (S$23.90), which was incredibly fluffy and similarly well-portioned, though if you’re like me and like your pancakes crispy, this might not be quite the one for you. It also seemed more kimchi than seafood, but we’ll let you be the judge. 

All things considered, with Dal.Komm being a reputed cafe brand, it still does its drinks and desserts beautifully. 

The strawberry makgeolli bingsu (S$38) is a feast for the eyes, with its striking-red, strawberry-flavoured ice decked with strawberries, blueberries, lemon, and springs of thyme. 

Considering it comes with a full bottle of Jipyeong makgeolli, a popular brand known for its clean, subtly sweet taste, we’d say this dessert-drink is quite a steal, too.

If there’s anything else you definitely ought to try, it’s its cruffin french toast (S$18.90), a pillowy-soft treat topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream — it’s not cloyingly sweet and the slight savouriness of the French toast complements the other elements on the plate well.

Alcoholic drinks and new dishes aside, Dal.Komm Playground does still serve up its classic drinks, such as its injeolmi latte (soybean powder latte, S$7.50) and coffee cube (S$8.90), an iced coffee with coffee ice cubes, so it’s still worth a swing by if you’re in the area and craving some Korean-inspired cuppas. 

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, check out the latest Michelin Bib Gourmand round-up for 2024, and this new viral sauce by a famous Japanese YouTuber that’s making waves on social media. 

Dal.Komm Coffee is on GrabFood delivery service and offers free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited.  

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to visit Dal.Komm Playground at Guoco Midtown.