Both Wang Dae Bak and Don Dae Bak have free-flow of egg for their BBQ, but WDB serves a la carte, while DDB serves both a la carte and BBQ buffet at $19.90+ for lunch (gas stove) and dinner (charcoal). You’re allowed 90 minutes for the buffet, and after that, you have to leave or order from the a la carte menu. When you see a Korean lady boss and Korean servers, you know this will be good.
When I arrived promptly for my 7pm reservation, I found out that the restaurant overbooked itself, and we had to wait 25 minutes for a table. What’s the point of making reservations?
All three eating companions agreed that the atmosphere was overly boisterous, and they preferred K Cook and Wang Dae Bak. They also said that the service was brusque, but that was understandable because they were super busy. At least the servers responded quickly and immediately. Unlike my friends, I don’t mind the service. They weren’t rude, they were merely busy.
But when the food came, we were appeased. The panchan (side dishes) were fantastic; we had multiple servings. There were 8 kinds of meat for BBQ: marinated beef, beef brisket, pork belly, spicy marinated pork belly, shoulder loin, marinated shoulder loin, marinated chicken, and spicy marinated chicken. A limited selection but they were terrific. They were thick, meaty, and marinated beautifully; not overly marinated in which meat could lose its integrity. Using thigh meat, the chicken were especially tender. The marinated pork loin was a favorite of the ours, and even the non-marinated pork loin was subtly sweet.
But the charcoal was almost ashes, providing little heat, so the food cooked slowly, but beautifully. And the BBQ stove was tiny, each time allowing only 2 pieces of meat. Low heat and small stove are ideal for a long night of feasting but remember you only have 90 minutes!
In terms of food, this may be my favorite Korean BBQ buffet. They need to work on crowd control, and maybe smile a little but overall, it is a darling little joint. Definitely worth visiting and revisiting. Including a makguli ($25) and a coke, we spent $118 for four persons.
Don Dae Bak
35 Kreta Ayer Road Singapore 089000
T: 6266 1727
SMS: 9749 5680 (to reserve, sms your date, time, no. of pax, and name)
facebook
M-Sat: 11.30am-3pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm
Rating: 3.625
Written by A. Nathanael Ho.
Categories: $20-$40, Buffet, Chinatown, Families, Korean, Large Group, Outram, Tanjong Pagar
Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow 
I love this place a lot!! DDB food quality is superb and incomparable. As a regular customer, I had some chance to talk with the lady boss :)
Just fyi, she was in WDB before, but she independently opens DDB. (Seems like she brought only good stuff) so DDB is totally new and nicer!!
LikeLike
Don Dae Bak book no is 6226-1727
LikeLike
With regards customers being able to leave scribbles on the walls of don dae buk, my kids and I did just that tonight and were ”told not to do so and stop immediately” as the management has recently decided not to allow it anymore – that jarred my sense and spoilt my experience with eating there tonight for the first time as there were no signs saying that scribbling on the walls were not allowed – so if management thought it was becoming too messy, why make it a customer problem and embarrass the customer telling us in front of the entire restaurant that we had to stop drawing on the walls and that we could not do that anymore, especially if there no signs indicating this at all? It was poorly handled and spoilt the customer experience for me – just a quick warning to those thinking of drawing on the walls now – the management has decided it is not allowed anymore (really upsetting especially when I saw a scribble on the wall dated just recently in Oct 2014 and their ill timing of ”telling me off” in front of everybody else in the place tonight)
LikeLike
With regards to customers being able to leave scribbles and good reviews on the walls of don dae buk, my kids and I did just that and were ”told not to do so and stop immediately” as the management has recently decided not to allow it anymore – that jarred my senses and spoilt my experience with eating there tonight for the first time with my family as there were no signs saying that scribbling on the walls were not allowed – so if management thought it was becoming too messy, why make it a customer problem and embarrass the customer telling us in front of the entire restaurant that we had to stop drawing on the walls and that we could not do that anymore, especially if there no signs indicating this at all? It was poorly handled and spoilt the dining experience for me – just a quick warning to those thinking of drawing on the walls now – the management has decided it is not allowed anymore (really upsetting especially when I saw a scribble on the wall dated just recently in Oct 2014 and their ill timing of ”telling me off” in front of everybody else in the place tonight) … :-(
LikeLike
The food was good but the Service still can improve. Only two staffs and one of them still have to take care of the cashier therefore taking our order and serving us were slow. The buffet time given was 90 minutes but they cleared our charcoal when it’s only pass 60minutes. We thought they are changing new charcoal for us but they closed the lid. So we asked one of the staff, he says there is restrictions time for buffet. Like what bro? It’s only been 60minutes? Anyw, there will be no more next time
LikeLike
wah sian. Hope you had enough to eat.
LikeLike