So you’re familiar with spicy Korean stews, like the army and kimchi variety. But have you tried dakdoritang (spicy chicken stew)? Soon, you can slurp some up at Kelim Dakdoritang, a speciality spicy chicken stew restaurant that first opened in Seoul in 1965. Now, the family-run business boasts 50 outlets across Korea. It launches its first restaurant in Singapore on 1 August at Serangoon Gardens.
Kelim Dakdoritang in Korea
It’s brought in by the brand’s CEO Lee Seongmin, 42, who’s the son of Kelim Dakdoritang’s founder. Seongmin tells 8days.sg that the Singapore outlet will be a 56-seater “typical casual diner” with a no-frills interior similar to their outlets in Korea (pictured above).
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Garlicky dakdoritang recipe
Korean spicy chicken stew is usually made with a braising liquid of chicken broth spiked with gochugaru (Korean dried red pepper flakes) and gochujang (Korean chilli paste). In it? Chunks of bone-in chicken, potatoes and rice cakes. Kelim Dakdoritang’s version also comes with a mountainous scoop of chopped garlic for a pungent kick.
According to Seongmin, this “unconventional use of a generous amount of garlic” (see pic below) is what sets their rendition of the fiery stew apart from others. He tells 8days.sg that the garlic “enhances the taste and healthiness of this dish”. To “ensure that the food quality will be similar to what it is in Korea”, they’ll be bringing in Korean chefs to the Singapore outlet.
Served hotpot-style
The stew is served hotpot-style over gas burners at the table. While the menu hasn’t been finalised yet, you can expect to pay $36.90 for a pot that feeds two to three people. The dakdoritang comes fully cooked and ready to eat, but customers can order additional ingredients like mushrooms and sausages to throw in themselves if they wish.
Towards the end of the meal, there’s also the option to toss in knife-cut noodles, or rice, which the staff will fry with the dregs of the stew to make “K-Style Dessert Fried Rice” (no, it’s not sweet).
