Nanta BBQ

Nanta BBQ is a Korean barbecue restaurant at Goldhill Centre, 175 Thomson Road, in Novena. It grills its meat over real charcoal rather than gas, and it also serves a long list of Korean soups, stews, noodles and rice dishes.

Nanta opened in 2014 with one shop and one charcoal grill pit, and it has stayed at this single address. The team says the recipes were worked out by talking them over within the family. The idea is to season food for Korean palates first, so that it tastes like home cooking.

What to order

The full menu runs to more than 70 dishes, so it helps to know the highlights. Pork and beef from the grill are the main draw:

• Aged black pork belly and collar: thick-cut pork and the house's main grill item, also found in most of the lunch barbecue sets.
• A5 wagyu: ribeye and striploin, which staff always grill and serve for you so the meat is not overcooked.
• Cheese prime spare ribs: a long-running house dish of pork ribs served with melted cheese.
• Wagyu tteok-galbi: a Korean-style patty of minced wagyu.
• Other grill cuts: LA galbi, thin chadol beef brisket and marinated pork ribs.
• Soups: ox bone soup and ox tail soup, served in a claypot. The broths are made in house and cook for more than 12 hours.
• Seafood kimchi pancake: a crisp pancake that works well as a shared starter.

Stews include soft tofu, kimchi, bean paste and army stew, and there are cold noodles, bibimbap and Korean fried chicken too. Banchan, the small side dishes, are free-flow while you eat. At lunch, the barbecue sets come with rice and a free side, such as a pancake, fried chicken or a stew, depending on the set.

The setting

This is a casual neighbourhood restaurant with grills at the tables. You can cook the pork yourself, or ask the team to do it for you. Grilling over charcoal gives the meat a smoky char. It is a relaxed choice for friends, families and groups.

Good to know before you go

• Reservations: not required, but they help at lunch and on weekends. You can book online.
• Groups: there is no minimum to book for large parties. Call ahead so the team can set up the grills.
• Children: high chairs are available, and some dishes are milder for young diners.
• Vegetarians: the menu is meat-heavy, and the restaurant suggests bibimbap for vegetarian guests.
• Drinks: soju and makgeolli are on the list. You can bring sake, whisky or wine that the restaurant does not sell, with no corkage fee.

Getting there

Goldhill Centre faces Thomson Road, opposite Velocity at Novena Square. The restaurant says it is about five minutes on foot from Novena MRT station, Exit B. If you drive, the nearest car parks are at Goldhill Plaza and United Square.

Nearby

Across the road, TungLok Peking Duck at Velocity is an option for Peking duck. If you want to stay in the area, Oasia Hotel Novena is close by. Find more restaurants in Newton and Novena, or browse our lists of Thai, Korean and Asian restaurants and steakhouses and grills. Menus and booking are on the Nanta BBQ website.