Best Korean Food in Beauty World: Restaurants & Stalls
Anyone who has wandered through Beauty World Centre’s basement food hall on a Saturday afternoon already knows the drill: queues, steam, and the smell of gochujang in the air. The same neighbourhood that feels like a sleepy Bukit Timah stop has quietly become a Korean-food hub, with over ten restaurants and stalls clustered around the MRT station — and this guide sorts the dedicated restaurants from the hawker options, flags which prices are actually worth it, and tells you which places deserve the queue.
Korean Eateries in Beauty World: Over 10 ·
Average Meal Cost: $8 to $25 ·
Top Rated Restaurant (Google): Myung Ga II / Joomak ·
Distance from Beauty World MRT: 2-5 minute walk ·
Must-Try Dish Consensus: Kimchi Pancake, Tteokbokki, Korean Tonkatsu
Quick snapshot
- Pink Candy operates on the 4th floor of Beauty World Centre at 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road (HungryGoWhere (restaurant finder)).
- Joomak occupies the top floor (#04-01) of the same building (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
- Exact halal status of every Korean stall is not consistently documented.
- Menu prices shift between review dates and delivery platforms.
- Joomak is a recent arrival, built around braised pig trotters and Jeju Black pig (District Sixty Five (dining blog)). (Eatbook (Singapore food guide))
- Pink Candy’s menu was priced by two separate food guides in recent coverage (Eatbook (Singapore food guide) and HungryGoWhere (restaurant finder)).
- Watch the top floor and basement levels of Beauty World Centre for further Korean openings.
- If Joomak’s pig trotter sets keep drawing review coverage, expect similar menus to appear nearby.
Seven data points, one pattern: Beauty World’s Korean options split into two tiers — dedicated restaurants upstairs and budget stalls downstairs.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Beauty World / Bukit Timah, Singapore |
| Cuisine Focus | Korean |
| Top Restaurants | Myung Ga II (Bukit Timah Plaza), Joomak (Beauty World Centre) |
| Price Level | Budget to Mid-Range |
| Atmosphere | Hawker Centre to Casual Dining |
| Newest Restaurant | Joomak at #04-01, 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road (District Sixty Five (dining blog)) |
| Sample Prices | Army stew S$22.90; soft tofu soup S$13.90 (Eatbook (Singapore food guide)) |
What Are the Best Korean Restaurants in Beauty World?
Beauty World’s Korean food scene isn’t scattered across Bukit Timah — almost everything sits in two buildings facing each other across Upper Bukit Timah Road.
Myung Ga: A Beauty World Institution
- Location: Bukit Timah Plaza, across the road from Beauty World Centre.
- Best for: family-style Korean mains and a signature Korean tonkatsu.
- Vibe: casual sit-down dining with banchan refills.
Myung Ga II is the name that comes up when locals talk about a proper Korean meal in the area. The menu leans toward the classics — grilled meats, stews, and the oversized tonkatsu that regulars order again and again.
The catch: because it’s in Bukit Timah Plaza rather than Beauty World Centre, first-timers often walk past it. It’s across the road, not inside the main centre.
Joomak: Authentic Top Floor Dining
Joomak’s S$99 Set C looks steep next to a S$8 tteokbokki, but it’s also the most efficient way to taste Jeju Black pork belly, collar, and LA short rib in one sitting (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
Joomak is the most obvious sign that Beauty World’s Korean options have grown up. It took the top floor of Beauty World Centre and built a menu around things you don’t usually find in a neighbourhood centre: Korean braised pig’s trotters and Jeju Black pig barbecue.
- Original pig trotters: S$59; spicy and regular versions: S$69 (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
- Jeju Black pork belly and pork collar: S$27 each (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
- Gukbap (rice soup): S$21.90 (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
Why this matters: Joomak gives the neighbourhood a destination-worthy dinner option instead of requiring a trip to the usual Korean barbecue belts.
Beauty World Food Centre: Hawker Korean
- Location: basement level of Beauty World Centre.
- Price range: roughly S$5 to S$12 per meal.
- Typical menu: tteokbokki, kimchi pancakes, and Korean street snacks.
The Food Centre is where the budget end of the Korean food scene lives. Multiple stalls serve quick, spicy, carb-heavy dishes that work as a snack or a full meal. It’s not the place for banchan refills — it’s the place for a fast plate of tteokbokki before you get on the MRT.
What Korean Menu Items Can You Find in Beauty World?
Part of Beauty World’s appeal is that the Korean menu isn’t limited to BBQ. You can build a full meal from street food, soups, and rice dishes without ordering a grill.
Korean BBQ in Beauty World
If you want Korean BBQ in Beauty World, Joomak is the current default: its Set C bundles black pork belly, collar, and LA short rib with steamed egg and a stew for S$99 (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
Korean BBQ in Beauty World isn’t a hawker affair. It happens at dedicated restaurants where the grill comes to the table, and Joomak’s set menus are the easiest way to experience it. The restaurant’s focus on Jeju Black pig is the neighbourhood’s freshest hook, though the trotters get just as much attention.
Korean Rice Cakes and Street Food
- Tteokbokki is the go-to order across multiple Food Centre stalls.
- Kimchi isn’t just a side: Pink Candy sells apple kimchi at S$8 for 500g (HungryGoWhere (restaurant finder)).
- Joomak adds a serious noodle option with jaengban jjajangmyeon at S$29.90, plus a S$7 seafood add-on (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
The street-food tier is where Beauty World surprises people. You don’t need a sit-down table for a proper Korean fix: a plate of rice cakes and a side of kimchi covers the craving for under ten dollars.
Classic Soups and Stews
- Kimchi soup: S$13.90 at Pink Candy (Eatbook (Singapore food guide)).
- Soft tofu soup: S$13.90 at Pink Candy (Eatbook (Singapore food guide)).
- Gukbap at Joomak: S$21.90 (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
These are the bowls that make a solo lunch easy. At Pink Candy, the kimchi and soft tofu soups sit on the affordable end of the menu, making the restaurant a reliable pick for a one-person meal.
How Expensive is Korean Food in Beauty World?
Price is where Beauty World’s Korean options separate most clearly. A filling hawker plate can cost less than a third of a restaurant set.
Hawker Stall Prices
The basement stalls are the value tier — meals usually land in S$5–S$12, with tteokbokki and kimchi pancakes on the cheaper end and rice bowls closer to the top.
Hawker-level Korean food is priced for daily eating. The basement stalls keep portions generous and receipts low, which is why the Food Centre stays busy through lunch and tea time.
Restaurant Meal Prices
- Pink Candy: army stew S$22.90, pork bulgogi S$14.90, pork belly with vegetables S$14.90 (Eatbook (Singapore food guide)).
- Joomak: gukbap S$21.90, jaengban jjajangmyeon S$29.90, pig trotters from S$59 (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
- Pink Candy’s apple kimchi: S$8 for 500g to take home (HungryGoWhere (restaurant finder)).
Restaurant pricing starts around what a hawker meal costs in a tourist zone, but the gap comes from banchan. At sit-down places, the side dishes are included, and at Joomak the set menus bundle enough meat for two or three people.
The implication: if you order smart at a restaurant, the per-person price is closer to a hawker meal than the menu suggests — because the sets and side dishes were built for sharing.
How to Get to Beauty World for Korean Food
Beauty World isn’t hard to reach. The whole Korean strip sits within a five-minute walk of the MRT.
By MRT and Public Transport
- MRT: Beauty World station on the Downtown Line drops you at the edge of the complex.
- Walk: most Korean spots are a 2–5 minute walk from the station exits.
- Buses: services along Upper Bukit Timah Road stop directly outside Beauty World Centre.
The station exit leads to the same stretch as Beauty World Centre and Bukit Timah Plaza, so you won’t need another ride. If you’re coming from elsewhere in Singapore, the Downtown Line makes it a straight shot from many central stations.
By Car and Parking Facilities
- Beauty World Centre: has its own carpark.
- Bukit Timah Plaza: across the road, with its own parking.
- Weekend tip: lunch hours fill quickly, so arrive early if you want an easy spot.
Parking is workable but not effortless. The two malls are close enough that you can park in whichever one has space and still reach the Korean restaurants on foot.
The pattern: Beauty World’s Korean options are unusually concentrated, so the walking time between cheap and expensive choices is measured in minutes, not train stops.
What Are the Must-Try Dishes According to Reviews?
Certain dishes keep appearing in reviews of Beauty World’s Korean spots. If you want to order with confidence, start here.
Signature Dishes at Myung Ga II
- Korean tonkatsu: the dish regulars call the signature.
- Family-style BBQ combos: built for sharing.
- Banchan: free side dishes that come with sit-down meals.
Myung Ga II’s reputation in the neighbourhood rests on consistency. The Korean tonkatsu is the one that gets recommended when someone asks where to take out-of-town visitors who want familiarity without a full Korean BBQ session.
Top Picks at Joomak
Joomak’s braised pig trotters — S$59 original, S$69 spicy — aren’t just a menu item; they’re a signal that the building’s top floor is now a serious dining destination (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
If you visit Joomak, the decision usually comes down to trotters or black pork. The gukbap and jjajangmyeon are there for lighter meals, but the restaurant’s identity is built on slow-braised and grilled pork.
Hidden Gems in the Food Centre
- Tteokbokki: the most consistent budget pick.
- Kimchi pancakes: cheap, fast, and reliable.
- Korean-style sides: small plates that work as takeaway snacks.
The Food Centre’s Korean stalls don’t get the attention that Joomak or Myung Ga II does, but they’re the reason the area works as a regular rotation for students and office workers nearby.
The trade-off: at Joomak you pay for the experience and the quality of the pork; in the Food Centre you pay for speed. Both have a clear best order.
Is Korean Food at Beauty World Halal or Vegetarian Friendly?
Dietary restrictions need a little planning here. The area isn’t a designated halal hub, and vegetarian options exist but aren’t always signposted.
Halal Options Near Beauty World
Halal certification isn’t consistently listed for the Korean stalls in Beauty World, so the safest move is to check with the individual stall or restaurant before ordering.
Some stalls may follow halal practices, but the review landscape doesn’t give a clear certification picture. That’s an honesty gap in the neighbourhood’s food coverage: menus don’t always display halal status, and online listings rarely clarify it.
Vegetarian Friendly Korean Fare
- Bibimbap: vegetable versions are the most reliable meat-free order.
- Kimchi and side dishes: not always vegetarian, so confirm at the counter.
- Stews: ask if the broth is meat-based before ordering.
Vegetarian diners won’t starve, but they’ll need to ask more questions than usual. Tteokbokki can be plant-based depending on the broth, and vegetable bibimbap gives you a solid meal if the restaurant stocks it. The catch: Beauty World’s Korean scene wasn’t built with certification as a priority — for halal diners especially, the labelling is the most inconsistent part of the experience. Three venues, one pattern: the venue that’s cheapest per bite is downstairs, the one that’s most impressive per dollar is upstairs, and the one across the road is the neighbourhood’s reliable classic.
| Feature | Myung Ga II | Joomak | Food Centre Stalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Family-style Korean mains and Korean tonkatsu | Braised pig trotters and Jeju Black pig BBQ | Budget tteokbokki and Korean street food |
| Typical price range | S$15 – S$30+ | S$21.90 – S$69+ (sets for sharing) | S$5 – S$12 |
| Location | Bukit Timah Plaza | #04-01, Beauty World Centre | Basement, Beauty World Centre |
| Banchan | Free refills with sit-down meals | Generous sides included | None at most stalls |
Upsides
- Rare concentration of Korean restaurants and stalls around one MRT stop.
- Two price tiers: hawker budget and sit-down mid-range.
- Options extend beyond BBQ to trotters, gukbap, and kimchi products.
Downsides
- Halal status is inconsistent and rarely certified in online reviews.
- Menu prices shift between review dates and delivery platforms.
- Crowding in the Food Centre at peak lunch hours.
What’s confirmed
- Beauty World is a known hub for Korean food in Singapore.
- Myung Ga II is a popular restaurant in Bukit Timah Plaza.
- The Beauty World Food Centre has several Korean food stalls.
- Joomak is located on the top floor of Beauty World Centre (District Sixty Five (dining blog)).
What’s still unclear
- The exact halal status of every Korean stall (requires on-site verification).
- Current operating hours for all stalls after 2023 (verify on-site or official pages).
- Exact menu prices from every stall (subject to change).
- Whether the newest restaurant menus quoted here still reflect current prices (review dates vary).
What people keep saying about Beauty World’s Korean food:
A great spot hidden away on the top floor of Beauty World.
An anonymous reviewer on Tripadvisor
A great option for authentic Korean food near Beauty World MRT.
A food blogger on middleclass.sg
The Korean food scene in Beauty World has grown from a few stalls into a proper destination — the neighbourhood changed quietly.
A long-time resident of Bukit Timah
Beauty World has quietly become one of Singapore’s most convenient places to eat Korean food at two different price levels, and the gap between the hawker stalls and the restaurants is a feature, not a bug. For the budget-conscious Bukit Timah resident, the choice is clear: start in the Food Centre for a quick tteokbokki fix, save the braised trotters for a weekend celebration — or watch the queues get longer as word spreads.
Related reading
- Beauty World Korean Food: Where to Eat & What to Order
- Beauty World Korean Food Guide: Myung Ga III and Joomak
foodpanda.sg, eatbook.sg, tripadvisor.in, stampede.sg, foodpanda.sg
Frequently asked questions
Is Beauty World worth a trip just for Korean food?
Yes, if you want variety in a compact area. More than ten Korean eateries are within walking distance of Beauty World MRT, from budget hawker stalls to sit-down restaurants like Joomak and Myung Ga II.
What is the busiest time at Beauty World Korean restaurants?
Weekday lunch and Saturday afternoons are the busiest stretches, especially around the Food Centre’s basement stalls. Arrive early for lunch or expect a queue.
Can I get Korean fried chicken at Beauty World?
Korean fried chicken isn’t the defining dish at the venues covered in this guide. The consistent menu items are tteokbokki, kimchi pancakes, tonkatsu, and grilled pork.
Are there any Korean dessert spots in Beauty World?
Korean dessert chains haven’t appeared in the review coverage used here. The main Korean venues focus on savoury mains, so plan dessert as a separate stop.
Do the restaurants accept reservations?
Reservation policies aren’t consistently documented in online listings. For sit-down restaurants like Joomak, call ahead on weekends; hawker stalls don’t take reservations.
Is there ample parking near the Beauty World Korean food spots?
Beauty World Centre has its own carpark, and Bukit Timah Plaza across the road adds more spaces. Weekend lunch hours fill up fast, so arrive early if you’re driving.
What is the difference between Myung Ga I, II, and III?
Myung Ga II is the Beauty World-area outlet at Bukit Timah Plaza. Myung Ga I and III are separate branches of the same Korean restaurant brand, so check the address before heading out.
Are the Korean food stalls in the Food Centre open for breakfast?
Most Korean stalls in the Food Centre open for lunch and dinner rather than breakfast. If you’re going early, call the stall or check the centre’s listings before making the trip.
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