Free-corkage Singaporean restaurant in Yeonnam-dong: Ttasijia

My sister and I went to Yeonnam-dong for the first time in a while during the holidays. We checked out pop-ups, did some shopping, looked around at this and that — and since we were already in Yeonnam-dong, I wanted something unusual to eat. After searching around, I found a place that had actually been Michelin-listed back in Singapore, and we went to check it out!

How to find Ttasijia Yeonnam: location, reservations and parking

Ttasijia Yeonnam is a Singaporean restaurant located at 13-1 Donggyo-ro 38-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, near Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station in Yeonnam-dong. There's no parking, so the nearby Yeonnam 4 public street parking lot is recommended, and reservations can be made through Naver Reservation.

This Yeonnam-dong restaurant is called Ttasijia, and right at the entrance there's a Merlion, the symbol of Singapore — so it's unmistakably a Singaporean restaurant. Singaporean-specialty restaurants are rare in Korea, so it felt fresh. It gets crowded, so I'd recommend booking ahead if you can! (Reservations require a minimum of 2 people.)

What is Ttasijia? The Singapore original with a Michelin Bib Gourmand

Apparently Ttasijia Yeonnam is connected to a restaurant that's made the Michelin Guide for four years running — and sure enough, when I looked it up, the same name, 大食家大大大蝦麵, has indeed been listed as a Bib Gourmand. Ttasijia (Da Shi Jia) is the Chinese reading of "big eater," apparently haha — such a fun name.

Both the exterior and interior were so pretty — there's a Chinese vibe to it, but not overly so, which made it feel exactly like Singapore. It felt oddly familiar, and it turns out the design is modeled after a Singaporean hawker center. Maybe that's why it doesn't feel like a slick, brand-new space but more like it belongs in an old Chinatown alley in Singapore. Since Singapore has a large ethnic Chinese population, its food culture naturally blends southern Chinese and Southeast Asian influences — and Ttasijia really captures that distinct Singaporean atmosphere.

There's also a cute Merlion figurine decorating the annex — such a fun touch ㅠ It reminded me of my business trip to Singapore, which was so good I want to go back ㅠㅠ Singapore blends so many different cultures yet stays so clean, which is exactly why its street food scene feels even more charming.

Free corkage for 2 bottles: why Ttasijia Yeonnam works for drinks too

Ttasijia Yeonnam offers free corkage for up to two bottles, so apparently a lot of people come here looking for a Yeonnam-dong bar too. The interior really does feel Singaporean. I thought about why it feels so distinctly Singaporean — maybe it's a touch more polished than Taiwan? The orange-and-mint color combo doesn't feel Chinese at all, and it's pretty. The food is great, but there's also a wide range of drinking snacks, so many people come just for that. The crowd is mixed too — groups of friends, young couples, and middle-aged couples all show up.

Shrimp gukbap, 16,500 won: a broth deep with shrimp flavour

Ttasijia's shrimp gukbap (shrimp broth rice soup) costs ₩16,500. I almost got the shrimp noodles, apparently a pick by singer Sung Si-kyung, but I was craving rice, so I went with the gukbap instead — and I was surprised by how strongly it smelled of shrimp the moment it arrived. But tasting it, it was even more intense >< Looking at the Michelin Guide description for the original Singapore branch, the broth is made by simmering shrimp heads and pork bones for a long time, and honestly, that same deep shrimp aroma you get from proper shrimp noodle soup was SO strong here. There was also a faint, slightly funky Singaporean note to it that made it even better.

Cereal shrimp, 21,000 won: that sweet-and-salty magic powder

Ttasijia's cereal shrimp is ₩21,000. Cereal shrimp is a dish commonly eaten in Singapore, especially as a side order at chili crab restaurants. I ordered it because I remembered how delicious it was when I had it in Singapore, and it didn't disappoint — crispy fried shrimp coated generously in sweet, salty, savory cereal crumble. It's kind of like a magic powder, similar to Ppuring Chicken seasoning. Sweet and salty >< The portion might feel a bit small for the price, but compared to prices in Singapore itself, it actually felt quite cheap haha.

Stir-fried kang kong, 10,000 won: crisp morning glory stems

Ttasijia's stir-fried kang kong (water spinach/morning glory) is ₩10,000. I always order morning glory whenever I go to a Southeast Asian restaurant, and Ttasijia's version wasn't overcooked or mushy — it kept a nice crisp texture, and the garlicky, salty seasoning worked really well with it. Eating morning glory in between the richer dishes felt refreshing and just right haha. So good ㅠㅠ

Sambal sauce and all: real Singaporean flavour in Yeonnam-dong

They even had sambal sauce, a staple at any Singaporean restaurant, which really made it feel like they'd brought the authentic Singaporean flavor straight to Yeonnam-dong. It was so nice to be able to taste this kind of food in Yeonnam-dong. If you've traveled to Singapore before, it'll bring back memories, and if you haven't been yet, it's a great place to try Singaporean food for the first time. Personally, I liked it way more than laksa, probably the most famous Singaporean dish out there! I was genuinely happy to find a restaurant good enough to make me gasp out loud again after so long — if you're looking for a real hidden gem in Yeonnam-dong, I'd recommend this place.