By local standards, eighteen years in the food industry in Singapore is considered a long time. To have such longevity in the local culinary scene, Haebok has proved that its passionate brand of home-cooked food is the right formula to keep its customers returning. The owners are a Korean couple who have been in Singapore for a long time and the matriarch has the heart of a mother who looks upon her clients as a part of her family. This explains the strict abstinence of monosodium glutamate and other preservatives as she looks after the health of her diners by providing quality home-cooked Korean dishes.

1. The Vibe
   The walls are painted in bold colours of cream and black. Arrangements of the wall stickers are done by the owner's daughters and the simple art creates an aesthetic pleasure. Private rooms are also available where diners seat on tatami mats.
   
   
2. The Food
   We began with the Pa Jun ($12 for small, $15 for large) which is green onion pancake. The pancake is packed with seafood such as oysters, squids and prawns. It is delightfully pan-fried and reminiscent of home-cooked food. The Duk Bok Ki ($9) is Korean rice cake dish that is stir-fried in a sweet and spicy sauce. The Korean Chili powder is sweet and red in colour. The rice cakes are sticky and chewy and are accompanied with condiments such as Korean fish cakes and onions.

   For the mains, we had the Jabchaebokum ($12 for small, $16 for large). It is sweet potato noodles with mixed vegetables like carrots and mushrooms topped with pine nuts. The translucent noodles are done al-dente and have a nice chewy texture. It is then stir-fried in a savoury sauce and the vegetables added crunch to the dish.

   Next, the Ddukbaegi Samgyebsal ($20 for small, $25 for large)is served in an impressive hotpot. It is spicy pork belly slices in hot pot. No oil is used in the cooking of this dish and all the oil is forced out from the pork slices itself. The pork belly slices are succulent and well marinated which is mildly spicy. This dish would go well with a bowl of rice.

   We were duly introduced to the signature dish of Haebok. It is the Samgaytang ($20) which is ginseng chicken soup that takes six hours to brew. There are three stages to savour the soup. Firstly, the soup is lightly milky in colour with a light hint of ginseng taste. As the boiling gets longer, the chicken is “opened” to reveal ingredients placed in the gut of the chicken such as ginseng, dates, garlic and rice. The soup becomes thicker and more flavourful with rice at the bottom of the soup going along with it. This hearty soup is usually meant to be drunk during summer. This soup truly won our hearts and we conceded that it is truly a symbolic Korean dish.

3. The Service
   The dedicated staff is extremely polite and always mindful of the diners' needs. They would often assist diners in the cooking stations where diners can have a go at the cooking themselves. A distinct similarity amongst all wait staff is that they serve with a smile.

The SD Food Advisor's take on Haebok
Haebok is a breath of fresh air in the culinary industry. Seeking out to meet the unique needs of its clients and yet still being health-oriented has seen them being doing well in their daily operations. They have certainly created a new benchmark in the culinary industry and have made themselves a tough act to follow.