There have always been plenty of food options in the basement food court of Plaza Singapura, but recently, crowds of customers have been flocking to the Orchard mall for a taste of Korean sandwich brand, Isaac Toast.
You may have heard of it, read about it, or even tasted it on a trip to Seoul or one of its few international locations. It’s kind of big deal among Koreans and the Korean pop culture-obsessed. But now that the popular eatery has set up its first, long-awaited stall here, sampling a bite is just an MRT ride away for those of us in Singapore.
The takeaway kiosk at Plaza Singapura opened on July 15, and we made the trek over — along with half the country — to see if the savory sandwiches were worth all the hype. On opening day, the queue was so long that most customers ended up waiting for up to an hour to get their orders in. So, take note: You’ll have to be willing to brave some monster queues if you want to taste those toasts.
On the menu, you have your choice of 12 sandwich varieties, including ham, chicken, and shrimp topped with Isaac Toast’s signature sweet or spicy sauces stacked between fluffy bread slices. The one that was especially good — double spicy cutlet, a fiery chicken creation with that gut-punching chili kick we’d heard so much about.
The sandwich bread is another one of Isaac’s supposed highlights, though we found it a bit too sweet to our liking — especially when paired with the spicy chicken. But that salty-sweet combination obviously works for some, seeing as how the double spicy cutlet is one of the chain’s “MVP” items, and fans have been known to go crazy for it at the 700-plus South Korea locations.
Alternatively, you can give the other options a shot — under the “MVP” series, you’ve got bulgogi, hot chicken, shrimp, and hot tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty), alongside ham and cheese toast, steak ham toast, and bacon toast. Sandwiches start from a decently affordable $3, or you can make it a set for $6.90 to get an Americano, Earl Grey, or green tea drink with your food.
Anyway, if all that queuing left you with still more stomach space and appetite to satiate, there are a couple of other new openings at the mall worth checking out, too.
There’s the newest outlet of Johor Bahru-based Nam Kee Pau (including a menu item called the Amy Yip Pau — named after the ’80s Hong Kong sex symbol — which is truly… gigantic); homegrown brand Joe & Dough with several new tasty breakfast items (its National Day gula melaka pandan cake sure takes the, er, cake); and Portland brekkie spot, Slappy Cakes (try its sweet, fluffy, animal-shaped pancakes — they’re supposedly geared toward kids, but we’ve seen plenty of grown-ups go gaga over them too).
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