MukJja Review: Family-Run Korean Restaurant With Popular Jjajangmyeon, Tangsuyuk And More

And though there are a number of places that offer the dish, MukJja manages to always crop up in these debates. In the process, formerly known as Tae Woo Ban Jum Korean Restaurant, the eatery moved from Clarke Quay Central to its present location in Novena, taking on its new name, MukJja.

With all the praise the restaurant has gotten over the years for its authentic Korean-Chinese, we decided to drop by the restaurant to see if it could live up to the billing. Food at MukJja Of course, we had to start with the Noodle with Black Bean Sauce ($14++) , AKA jjajangmyeon.

The dish arrived sporting its iconic glossy black look, where shreds of green-and-white cucumber added a dash of colour to the bowl. The staff explained that their jjajangmyeon recipe is based on what their boss learned in the 1990s, which apparently was when the dish was at the height of its popularity.

So while other restaurants might add different kinds of vegetables and ingredients, the authentic jjajangmyeon at MukJja focuses on pork and onions. And since onions are vital for the dish, fresh onions are delivered to the restaurant each day.

Going to The bits of pork and onion that were present in the sauce, additional taste and sweetness to the experience, too. You can add even more crunch, and some tanginess, with the side of yellow pickled radish.

There’s as well the option to introduce some spiciness with the chilli powder you’ll find on your table. You may feel a slight burn at the back of your throat as you sip on it, but other than that it shouldn’t be difficult to handle for those who can’t take much spice. Despite the name and, again, the reddish colour, this dish was very mild in terms of spiciness, but it had plenty of taste.

Each piece of deep-fried prawn was crunchy and fresh, and the sauce it was coated in gave it tanginess and sweetness. Now, even though the dish’s name implies that stated sauce is chilli-based, the flavour of ketchup—similar to that of yangnyeom chicken—was most prominent in the dish, with that hint of spiciness coming from chilli oil and other spices. Per to The presence of onions and carrots in the dish also, some aroma and texture to each bite.

No visit to a Korean-Chinese restaurant is complete without a helping of Sweet and Sour Pork (from $28++), AKA tangsuyuk. There’s a way to mitigate this: you can request for the sauce to be served separately instead of being cooked together with the pork. While this isn’t the “authentic” way of enjoying the dish, it’s a good way to ensure the dish is not too sweet for you.

The fact that it is also quite spacious and comfortable makes it a great place to dine and drink with some friends, especially if you’re in the mood for some soju. The verdict MukJja lives up to its reputation as a great place for jjajangmyeon and other Korean-Chinese eats.