Tomyum samgyetang? Restaurants cook up wild versions of Korean ginseng chicken soup

SINGAPORE – The Japanese eat grilled eel in summer to give them stamina. The Koreans fight heat with heat – “yi yeol chi yeol” – with samgyetang or Korean ginseng chicken soup.

The heat here is on – not just on account of the hot weather, but also because of hot competition. New restaurants offering the nourishing soup, which dates back to Joseon times (1392 to 1910), have opened in recent months.

Mr Luke Yi, 51, who runs samgyetang restaurants Modu and Modu High, says having the soup in summer is tied to sambok, the three hottest days of the Korean summer calendar.

“It is rooted in the philosophy of eating hot foods to replenish energy lost through sweating, and samgyetang became the dish Koreans turn to precisely when the heat is most intense,” he says.

Mr Brandon Chu, 43, head of corporate strategy of the SBCD F&B Group, which just opened Jiho Samgyetang SBCD, adds: “It may sound counterintuitive, but a steaming bowl of samgyetang in Singapore’s humidity makes perfect sense once you’ve tried it.”

While some restaurants bank on tradition, others have come up with variations using black garlic, truffle, tangerine, tomato, plus tomyum and mala flavours.

Feeling the heat? Fight it at these places.

Jiho Samgyetang SBCD – Taste of hanbang

Where: B1-01, 18 Cross Street
Open: 11am to 3pm, 5 to 10pm (weekdays), 11.30am to 10pm (weekends)
Info: Call 8242-6988 or go to @sbcdjiho (Instagram)

Jiho, a brand of samgyetang from South Korea, is so serious about its hanbang samgyetang that it patented its blend of Korean medicinal herbs for the soup.

Diners can taste the hanbang, or traditional Korean herbal medicine, blend in its Healthy Samgyetang ($29.80) designed, it says, to relieve fatigue and restore energy – and, for women, the Beauty Samgyetang ($29.80) for skincare and anti-ageing.

The brand, founded in 1991, has 80 restaurants in South Korea, and one each in Sydney and Shanghai. The Singapore restaurant opened on May 5, brought in by the SBCD F&B Group, which runs three SBCD Korean Tofu House restaurants and one SBCD Korean Rice House restaurant.

Most of its ingredients, including the ginseng, come from South Korea, with the chickens coming from Malaysia.

Diners can also order samgyetang variations such as Spicy ($32.80), with Cheongyang chilli peppers; Perilla ($32.80), boiled with perilla seeds; Mung Bean ($32.80) and Black Garlic ($32.80), made with 60-day aged black garlic from Namhae.

Each order comes with complimentary banchan and diners can add a bowl of rice for $2.

With seats for 170 at the restaurant, it would seem the partners are confident about doing well here. Indeed, Mr Brandon Chu, 43, head of corporate strategy of the SBCD F&B Group, the master franchiser of Jiho in Singapore, says five potential franchisees have been in touch.

He says: “Korean food has always had strong traction in Singapore, but what works in samgyetang’s favour is the fact that Singaporeans have grown up with traditional Chinese medicine and herbal soups as part of everyday life.

“The idea that a bowl of soup can do something good for your body already resonates.”

Modu High – Premium samgyetang

Where: 96 Amoy Street
Open: 11.30am to 10pm (Sundays to Thursdays), 11.30am to 11pm (Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays)
Info: www.moduhigh.sg

The queues are constant at Modu, a 40-seat samgyetang restaurant which opened in February 2025 in Mandarin Gallery. There, diners can choose from seven variations of the soup.

In March 2026, Modu High opened in Amoy Street, with seats for 100, and 13 variations of samgyetang on offer.

Mr Luke Yi, 51, founder and chief executive of the Initia Group, which runs restaurants such as Drim, Gochu and Tofu G, says: “When we first opened in Mandarin Gallery, we did not expect Singapore diners to embrace samgyetang so readily. It started from a very personal place. I simply wanted to enjoy healthy, nourishing food and share it with close family and friends, so we began on a relatively small scale.

“We soon realised that far more people than expected truly value healthy eating and the level of interest in traditional Korean samgyetang was surprisingly strong. Even in Korea, samgyetang is not something people eat every day. It is typically enjoyed as a restorative meal when you need to recharge, so we did not anticipate such broad appeal.”

Modu High offers an elevated experience. Aside from classic samgyetang variations, such as Classic Herbal ($38) and Perilla Seed ($44), diners can also choose from six premium variations, available only at the Amoy Street restaurant. These include Truffle ($48), Black Chicken & Premium Seafood ($58) and Scorched Rice ($48).

New on the menu at both outlets is Black Garlic Samgyetang ($42), made with aged black garlic from Uiseong County in South Korea.

The soups at Modu High are served with three appetisers – Honey Marinated Garlic & Ginseng, Steamed Eggplant With Soy Vinegar Sauce and Tomato Carpaccio With Balsamic Vinegar. The restaurants source ingredients from South Korea and use organic chickens raised for 21 days for its soup, which is simmered over 12 hours.

The group is opening a new Modu here at Raffles City in August, as well as four more Modu restaurants in Malaysia, in addition to Modu TRX in Kuala Lumpur. It also plans to launch in Indonesia in September and in South Korea later in 2026.

Kimchi Mama – Cure for jet lag

Where: 03-09/10 Changi Airport Terminal 2, 60 Airport Boulevard
Open: 10.30am to 10pm daily
Info: @kimchimamasg (Instagram)

When life gives you tangerines, you put it in samgyetang.

At Kimchi Mama, which opened in April at Changi Airport Terminal 2, diners coming off a long flight can beat fatigue with five variations of samgyetang, including one with dried tangerine peel added to the soup.

Mr Frank Lau, 46, founder and CEO of the Gratify Group, which runs Kimchi Mama, says it was natural to put the restorative dish on the menu of the 64-seat airport restaurant.

He says: “As part of the travel experience, we wanted to offer something warm and restorative that guests can enjoy either before a flight or after landing.”

The group also runs restaurants such as Pizza Maru and Seoul Yummy.

At the restaurant, which is pending halal certification, diners can opt for Tangerine ($15.90), Original and Spicy ($14.90 each), and Mung Bean and Black Sesame ($15.90 each), with add-ons of rice ($1.80), seaweed ($1.80) or both ($2.80). There is half a chicken in each bowl.

Ingredients, including ginseng and angelica root, are sourced from South Korea and China, and the chickens are from Malaysia.

Mr Lau adds that the soup is available in limited quantities each day, and routinely sells out. Among the five variations, the tangerine one has proven to be the most popular with diners.

Bomul Samgyetang – A whole root in every bowl

Where: 01-11/12 Chijmes, 30 Victoria Street
Open: 11am to 10pm daily
Info: bomul.com.sg

At the 60-seat Bomul in Chijmes, every bowl of samgyetang comes with a whole ginseng root. That is just one of 18 ingredients in its signature hanbang broth. The ginseng, aged four to six years, comes from South Korea.

The soup, made with free-range chickens, is simmered for 12 hours with the ginseng and other hanbang ingredients, such as mulberry leaf, goji berries and milk vetch root.

South Korean owner Jackson Lee, 38, opened the restaurant in November 2025. The self-described fitness enthusiast says he wanted to offer samgyetang as a nutrient-rich everyday meal that supports energy, recovery, immunity and overall well-being.

He adds: “By eating warm, nourishing food like samgyetang, your body balances internal and external heat, helping you feel more refreshed and less fatigued.”

Diners can choose from 10 variations, including Collagen ($29); Detox ($32), with steamed Korean mung beans; Rejuvenation ($36), infused with aged black garlic; Restorative ($38), made with black tiger palm mushroom; and Black Truffle ($38), with the fungi coming from Europe or Australia.

The chickens are stuffed with glutinous rice and diners get three free-flow banchan with their orders – kimchi, pickled sweet and spicy garlic, and radish kimchi.

Namu Bulgogi – Halal samgyetang

Where: Three outlets, at B2-55/56 Hillion Mall, 17 Petir Road; B1-181 Northpoint City, 930 Yishun Avenue 2; and B1-K18 Tampines 1, 10 Tampines Central 1
Info: @namubulgogi (Instagram)

Namu Bulgogi, known for its oakwood-grilled chicken, is going all in with samgyetang.

In April, the halal chain launched nine variations of samgyetang, including Traditional Hanbang ($25.90); Signature Wild Mushroom ($27.90), with shiitake, shimeji and enoki; Tomato Collagen ($27.90); Black Sesame Chestnut ($27.90); Black Garlic ($29.90); and Spicy Pollack ($29.90).

Each samgyetang order comes with rice or glutinous rice, kimchi and three side dishes.

A spokesman says the response has been “phenomenal”, with about 40 per cent of diners ordering a samgyetang as part of their meals. The most popular ones are Traditional Hanbang, Signature Wild Mushroom and Black Garlic.

The spokesman adds: “We’ve always had the Muslim community in mind, so it’s been especially meaningful to see a diverse group of diners enjoy halal-certified samgyetang.

“As there are still relatively few halal-certified samgyetang options available locally, we’re glad to be able to make this comforting dish accessible to more people.”

Korea Culture – Battle of the broths

Where: 03-33 Changi Airport Terminal 3, 65 Airport Boulevard
Open: 10.30am to 10pm daily
Info: koreaculture.com.sg

Korea Culture, a year-old halal restaurant at Changi Airport Terminal 3, is running a Samgyetang Royal Rumble until January 2027.

Diners at the 75-seat restaurant, which serves Korean-Western fusion food, can order a tasting flight of eight samgyetang broths served in shot glasses for $4, sample them and then pick one to order.

The eight variations are: Original Korean ($48.80); Chik Kut Teh, Tom Yum, Tomato and Fire Mala ($49.80 each); and Black Sesame, Seoul Cheese and Korean Rose ($50.80 each).

Each set is meant for two people and, during the 90-minute dining time, diners can help themselves to a buffet of rice, banchan, drinks and Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

The restaurant is part of the Neo Group, which runs restaurants such as Penang Culture, Taiwan Culture, Woke Ramen and Claypot Daddy.

A spokesman says the Samgyetang Royal Rumble was inspired by the World Wrestling Entertainment’s battle format. During the 10 months of the soup competition, the two least popular flavours will be eliminated every two months, with new ones added. The top three variations will go on the menu permanently.

Since the launch in March, the restaurant has chalked up more than 1,000 samgyetang orders and 500 votes. The current top three are Original, Korean Rose and Chik Kut Teh.