Gogi Korean Hotpot at Alexandra Central

Gogi Korean Hotpot at Alexandra Central mall is a Korean casual restaurant. The establishment had been open for just over a year. It is tucked in the upper third floor of the Alexandra Central Mall. The place gets pretty buzzing. Especially peak periods during weekday lunch and weekend dinners. Moreover, the average wait for a table can range from 10 to 30 mins. However, tables come and go fast so wait times are generally short.

Fresh Korean hotpot in an old neighborhood

Gogi is part of the F&B stores in a mall which is part of the Park Royal Alexandra hotel building. Also, geographically, it is located just beside IKEA Alexandra and across the road from Queensway shopping center.

With Gogi being a Korean hotpot place, you have a choice of sit down gas-fired or charcoal hotpots. The ambience of the restaurant is dimly lit. Each table is an island or sort with their own very own vacuum circulator which you can extend down by hand to suck up your hotpot exhaust gases. Moreover, despite this, the restaurant still have a smoky smell which lingers and gets into your clothes.

Additionally, your table stool seats also serves as a bag storage tin which you can safety stow your bags without taking up much space. Your tables are fixed rounded stainless steel able to seat about 5 people comfortably. Also, your cutlery served is as Korean it can get too. With thin stainless steel chopsticks and spoons.

A pot for all occasions (and tastes)

Furthermore, you have a choice of 6 different types of hotpot soup options with two size choices each. Prices range starts from $38 for a medium pot, and up to $52 for the largest pot option. The selections includes 4 different stocks on-menu. We have Budae Jungol, which is a Korean style Army Stew ($38 for medium, $48 for a large pot).

Also, there is the Kimchi Jungol, a kimchi stew with ramen noodles with pork and Dubu Jungol tofu with pork and ramen similarly priced at $38 for a medium pot, and $48 for a large pot respectively. lastly, you have the beef and octopus stew called Bulnak Jungol going for a $42 and $52 for medium and large soup stock sizes respectively. Each pot serving comes with a ramen noodle cake.

The one to go for will be the Army Stew the stock is flavorful and goes well nicely sprinkled on your rice for taste. Moreover, it is not too spicy and is good for those with a lower tolerance to chili. If you are sensitive to spicy food. Also, you can request for a less spicy soup base option from the staff when ordering.

Quantity wise, a medium pot is enough to feed 2-3 people itself while the large pot can feed about 4-5. I will recommend going for a medium pot for sharing, having it as a side and ordering a couple of main dishes as your mains.

Additional condiments such as Al Jungol spicy fish stew with ramen noodles, rice cakes, glass noodles and more Rayeon noodles set you back $5 each, which I find pretty pricey for what you get. Also, a bowl of rice costs $2.

Al-carte menu options

In addition to the hotpot. You have a small selection of ready to eat hot al-carte dishes. Menu choices includes Bibimbap, a personal favorite of mine. Bibimbap essentially means “mixed rice in Korean. Moreover, it is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul and gochujang, soy sauce, or doenjang.

On their main dinner menu, you see a selection of regular Korean staples. Here, the list includes Kimchi Jjigae Kimchi stew with pork, Doenjang Jjigae (Soyabean paste stew with vegetables) Soondubu Jjigae (Soft tofu stew with seafood) Bubu Jjigae (Tofu stew with Pork), Altang (Spicy fish roe soup) Galbi Tang (Pork ribs stew).

If you need your carbohydrate fix, we have Naengmyeon (Korean style cold noodles in spicy sauce). Last but not least you have the Bibimbap (Rice mixed with vegetables and meat) all for $15 a bowl.

It is not uncommon to have these side condiments eaten with a medium hotpot and just an additional bowl of rice for a meal. I felt the small portions of the al-carte dishes are best complimented with a small serving of hotpot. For my visit, I ordered a twin sharing hotpot as a common table side dish where everyone can tuck in. And boy, you do get pretty filled up at the end of the meal.

Good and friendly service, but tad pricey

Service is quick and the staff are friendly. You will be served a Korean style free selection of side condiments. Selections includes bowls of stripped tofu, kimchi, mayonnaise hot plate corn, green vegetables with black fungus and bean sprouts. The kimchi is really good buy not overly spicy. The quality of the ingredients used in the condiments is pretty good.

Moreover, you also get free flow of chilled Korean wheat tea. The tea is known to be good for blood sugar regulation and your digestive system.

On first impressions, I felt Gogi was rather overpriced for your get. Particularly on the al-carte menu where the prices on average a third to a twice more expensive than your Korean dine in casual restaurant (such as Kim Dae Mun or Woo Lee Jeeb Dae bak).

But do expect to pay more (up to twice more) than your typical Korean diner. A simple dinner can set you back about $30 a person. The food portions are not as much as I expect of the price too. But on hind side, it does fill you up very well too.

All in all, the thing you can’t fault them for is the quality of the food and service. I believe this is what attracts patrons and returning customers alike. After all, you can’t put a price on good food, particularly in the Singaporean context which makes the establishment well worthy of a visit, especially to get your Korean hotpot and ramen fix.

Gogi restaurant opens daily with two timings, one for lunch and the other for dinner. There is a mid day break where the outlet is closed.

Gogi Korean Hotpot Restaurant
Alexandra Central
321 Alexandra Road, #03-01,
Singapore 159971
Opening hours- Opens daily at two times:
Lunchtime: 11:30am – 3pm
Dinner: 5:30pm – 10pm

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