Korea’s famous Obongzip opens in Singapore, known for its spicy octopus & viral grilled tteok pillow
There’s a hot new Korean opening in Tanjong Pagar and Korean food enthusiasts would probably have heard all about it — we’re talking about Obongzip’s first Singapore outlet.
It’s quite a big deal in Korea and boasts over 300 outlets!
After opening in Japan and Sydney, the brand was interested in expanding into Singapore.
For that, the team decided to team up with the folks behind the popular Obba brand, which has jjajang (black-bean sauce noodles) and barbecue restaurants located all over Singapore.
The menu for Obongzip Singapore is basically almost the same as what you’d find in Korea, and it strives to deliver the exact flavours that made the brand so beloved back home.
While most of the crowd were Koreans when it first opened in December 2025, many customers are now Singaporeans — mostly owing to the popularity of the viral grilled tteok (rice cake).
The signature spicy octopus
While many people in Singapore probably know about Obongzip because of the grilled tteok, it mostly earned its fame in Korea from its signature fire-grilled spicy octopus (from S$55).
Guests can order the dish on its own, or get it in combination with other dishes. For example, there’s the Obongzip special (S$108) that comes with pork belly bossam and spicy buckwheat noodles, seaweed soup, and a myriad of banchan (side dishes).
When the dish arrives, the first thing most people will recognise is that bright shade of red on the octopus. It may look a little intimidating, but fret not: You get to choose between mild, hot, or extra hot, depending on your spice tolerance.
Funnily enough, the staff told us that some Singaporean customers have even requested for no spice at all!
Before you dig in, cut up the octopus first with the scissors. Obongzip’s outlets in Korea are entirely self-service, but here, you can ask the staff for help, in a pinch!
As far as octopus dishes go, Obongzip’s signature dish is pretty solid.
The octopus is nice and bouncy, and it’s drenched in a rich and fragrant sauce. Don’t let appearances fool you, though — the mild option has a bit of spice but it’s more than manageable for us “xiao la” (“small” spice) eaters.
Instead of eating the octopus just by itself, Obongzip also provides a bowl of rice to go with it.
You get to customise your “don” (rice bowl) to your own liking, with a bunch of condiments such as seaweed flakes and sesame oil provided — just decide how much octopus and sauce you want to load it up with!
Obongzip’s viral grilled tteok
Besides octopus, the pork belly bossam (from S$52) is also another all-time classic at Obongzip, and it’s served with some delectably tangy kimchi.
Honestly, these slices of pork belly are so tender, they are good enough with just a dab of the accompanying ssamjang paste, but don’t be shy to pair it with the kimchi — or wrap it with lettuce to make a ssam.
We also know there are people who desperately need carbs in all their meals — the spicy buckwheat noodles (S$20) are a great pairing with the pork belly, too.
It’s a homely and comforting slurp with the spicy sauce, springy noodles, and plenty of contrasting veggie textures.
With all that said, we know Singapore is undoubtedly most curious about the grilled tteok (S$28).
Do note that this popular dessert is only available in limited quantities daily. There’s no fixed number and varies depending on the day itself, and is available only while stocks last!
The dessert — that has taken social media by storm — is basically a golden-brown, puffed-up “pillow” that’s blanketed in a layer of nutty injeolmi powder (roasted soybean powder).
Cut through the crunchy exterior, and you’ll be greeted with a great big ooze of sticky Korean rice cake. Obongzip serves it with some fragrant honey on the side, too!
We think people who like stickier textures will enjoy this, especially with honey in the fray — it’s 10 times stickier than mochi, and weirdly addictive.
That said, the mix of tteok and honey does make it a bit tedious to eat, as it coats sections of your teeth and needs a bit of coaxing to scrape off.
Still, it’s an interesting dessert, though, and you don’t see many spicy octopus specialists around Singapore, either.
If you love Korean food, it’s probably still worth visiting Obongzip’s first Singapore outlet, just to try something new!
This was a hosted tasting.
For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on all the good stuff you can find at the snazzy new mall at Lentor and where to bring your family to CNY for a great feast!
Tue 11.30am - 12am
Wed 11.30am - 12am
Thu 11.30am - 12am
Fri 11.30am - 12am
Sat 11.30am - 12am
Sun 11.30am - 12am
- Tanjong Pagar
- Maxwell
Evan started off writing about food on Instagram, before joining outlets such as Buro and Confirm Good to pursue his passion. His best work usually comes after his first whisky shot in the morning.
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