Korean concept Kimpson’s Table has pop-up at Chef X at Clarke Quay with S$15 ginseng chicken soup

The phrase “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” is a common refrain you’d hear coming out of anti-scam notices.

It’s lucky then, that 35-year-old Korean native Patrick Kim, who recently launched a pop-up at Chef X at Clarke Quay Central, didn’t heed his initial instincts. 

Patrick had been running his home-based Korean food concept Kimpson’s Table for a couple of months when he received an email from the Far East Organisation team, inviting him to set up shop at its Chef X space at Clarke Quay Central for free. 

“The conditions seemed so good that I thought it was a scam,” he tells us, with a chuckle. 

Intrigued, Patrick began researching and realised that the Chef X platform, which began in mid-2024, had already hosted several home-based chefs prior, such as On Embers and Taiyo Camp Club, and was convinced to take it up.

And the rest, they say, is history.

Since January 15, Patrick has been dishing out comforting Korean dishes such as ginseng chicken, spicy pork bulgogi, and everyone’s favourite boneless fried chicken, from the third-floor space at Clarke Quay, and will do so for two months, till March 13.

Finally his own boss after 10 years in Singapore

The animated chef tells us that Kimpson’s Table was a concept that came about only in January 2025, after he and a long-time friend, after mulling over it for a while, decided to put pen to paper and start an F&B business together.

Fresh out of culinary school in Korea, Patrick first came to Singapore in 2016 and amassed several stints at reputable restaurants, such as Han Pan Korean Restauant and Korean-Chinese concept Ziggle Kitchen, over the past decade. 

During the brainstorming process, his business partner — who has since moved back to Korea — mentioned his family subscribes to a meal subscription service, and wondered if they could start something similar here. 

Essentially, meal subscription services in Korea operate similarly to tingkat deliveries in Singapore, where you pay a monthly rate and decide which days you’d like to receive the meals.

The main difference is that in Korea, the meals can be delivered pre-cooked, or also in a raw meal-kit format — so that the families can put together the components fresh at mealtimes. 

According to Patrick, this service has been gaining popularity in Korea as it saves a lot of preparation and cooking time. 

It looks like that gamble has worked in Singapore, as the brand gained traction through the sheer tastiness of its dishes, word of mouth, and a little social media marketing thrown into the mix.

The name “Kimpson’s Table” is an amalgamation of Patrick’s surname (Kim) and his partner’s surname (Son), with a “p” thrown in for good measure, because they’re fans of The Simpsons series. 

They also added “table” to invoke the warm and cosy feeling of gathering around a table for a meal. 

And indeed, that’s what we felt when we dug into his menu at Chef X, which is a whittled-down version of his monthly menus, but was, by no means, any less homely and delicious.

Kimpson’s Table’s menu at Chef X

At Clarke Quay, Patrick dishes up a total of four main dishes, all served as sets — authentic ginseng chicken (S$15), spicy pork bulgogi (S$13), beef bulgogi (S$14), and Chuncheon-style spicy chicken (S$13). 

The side menu is just as straightforward, with kimchi pancake (S$10), deep-fried dumplings (S$10 for six pieces), and boneless fried chicken (S$14 for six pieces) in three flavours.

It’s a relatively small menu, yes, but considering Patrick does all the cooking himself, while still running operations for the meal subscription service, it’s a valiant effort.

And in all honesty, as with many Korean restaurants in Korea, you don’t need a wide variety of items — just a really good rendition of your star dishes will suffice. 

Patrick tells us he based his Chef X menu off the most well-received items at Kimpson’s Table.

He noticed that ginseng chicken soup as a dish, or “samgyetang” in Korean, appeared to be very popular among both Singaporeans and Koreans, citing the virality of places such as Modu and Bomul. 

The meticulous chef also noticed that serving up a whole chicken tended to be too much for Singaporeans, especially for ladies, so at Kimpson’s, he dishes up half a chicken, at a very affordable S$15, as part of a set that also includes side dishes. 

A samgyetang dish usually goes for S$20 – 30 in Singapore.

There is no rice served separately, as there is already glutinous rice stuffed in the chicken. 

His rendition isn’t as fancy as the viral ones — no truffle, no over-the-top embellishments — but it’s hearty, soothing, and so, so nourishing. 

The best bit? Patrick tells us he doesn’t use MSG at all, and keeps the use of sugar and sodium to a minimum, so it doesn’t just taste healthy, it is healthy. 

For those who may not be huge fans of ginseng, but can appreciate its health benefits, you’d be glad to know that his broth isn’t as herbaceous as other bowls of samgyetang are. You best believe we wiped that bowl of soup clean — not a single drop was left.

His other dishes are common everyday ones that Koreans would have regularly, in particular the spicy pork bulgogi. It’s a simple-yet-flavourful pork stir-fry that’s mildly spicy and extremely satisfying with a bowl of hot, fluffy white rice. 

With a serving of seaweed soup and three side dishes, the set is extremely value-for-money and filling.

But if you still find yourself craving a little more — then get the boneless fried chicken, which is crispy, moist, and downright addictive. 

I’d say the original suffices, since Patrick does a great job of marinating his chicken such that you don’t need sauces, but the sweet & spicy is plenty delicious, too. 

Either way, the boneless aspect makes it such a breeze to eat, and if we hadn’t already had the sets prior, we would have scarfed down all of the chicken. 

And if you’re a huge fan of chimaek (the term Koreans use to describe the meal of chicken and beer, or “maekju” in Korean), then you musn’t miss out on the very affordable somaek set (S$32), which comes with one bottle of soju and two bottles of beer. 

The term “somaek” is a combination of the words “soju” and “maekju” and refers to the “cocktail” concocted when you mix both liquors. It’s said to take away the bitterness often associated with beer, and make it smooth and easy to down. 

It’s clear that the attention to all these small details — such as having somaek ready on the menu to go with the side dishes, and dishing up half a chicken to suit local appetites — has helped Kimpson’s Table grow its base within just one year.

That, and the fact that his food is just really comforting, homely, and healthy, too. 

Apparently it’s not just the Koreans who think so. He shared with us a memorable anecdote of a local customer who subscribed to his meal subscription as she was recovering from a major surgery.

She attributed her smooth recovery to his meals, and hearing her kind words spurred him to continue what he does.

And Patrick does it well, indeed — so much so that when the interview ended, I found myself getting another portion of the ginseng soup to-go (and it tasted great the next day heated up, too). 

We can wax lyrical all we want, but the proof is in the pudding, so swing by from now till mid-March to try Kimpson’s fare if you’re looking for a dose of affordable, comforting Korean fare that won’t break the bank — and that’s no scam. 

This was a hosted tasting.

For more new Korean spots around Singapore, check out Keum Eun Don at Hillview, or Obongzip at Tanjong Pagar.