O.BBa Jjajang (Tanjong Pagar)

O.BBa Jjajang is a Korean-Chinese restaurant on the second floor of 77 Tanjong Pagar Road. This Tanjong Pagar outlet is built around jjajangmyeon, noodles in black bean sauce and one of Korea's best-loved comfort dishes. The rest of the menu draws on the food served in Korea's Chinese restaurants.

The restaurant belongs to the OBBA group. Its first restaurant, OBBA Jjajang & BBQ, opened in Bukit Timah in 2012. Led by CEO Jae Kyoung Han, the group now runs Korean barbecue and jjajang outlets across Singapore. It also has branches in Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Obongzip, another of the group's jjajang brands, sits on the ground floor of the same building.

What to order

Begin with the jjajangmyeon. Chewy yellow noodles arrive under a thick, dark sauce of black soybean paste and caramelised onions, topped with cucumber. Mix the sauce through the noodles well before you start.

Jjamppong is the spicy choice. It is a red seafood noodle soup with prawns, mussels, squid and vegetables, with a strong chilli kick. Tangsuyuk, Korean sweet and sour pork, comes in a light, fluffy batter. The sauce usually comes on the side, so the pork stays crunchy until you pour it on.

Ordering all three to share is a good way to try the menu with two or three people. The noodle dishes are filling on their own, so a solo diner can make a meal of one bowl.

The setting

The restaurant sits upstairs in a conserved building in the Chinatown-Tanjong Pagar Conservation Area. Tanjong Pagar Road is one of Singapore's best-known streets for Korean food. Barbecue spots, fried chicken shops and noodle houses stand side by side. The OBBA group alone has several outlets along this road, including OBBA BBQ for grilled meats.

Good to know before you go

• Finding it: the restaurant is on Level 2 of No. 77, above the group's Obongzip outlet.
• Spice: jjamppong is hot. Jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk are mild, which makes them good choices for children or anyone who avoids chilli.
• At home: the group's website sells Korean meal kits and takes delivery orders.

Nearby

Tanjong Pagar is an easy area to explore on foot. Chinatown's temples are within walking distance, including the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Thian Hock Keng Temple. For coffee before or after your meal, try Nylon Coffee Roasters at Everton Park. If you are staying nearby, Mondrian Singapore Duxton is in the same area.

Our Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood guide covers the area in more detail. You can also browse more Thai, Korean and Asian restaurants or see all restaurants in Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar.