J-Story or Juk Story @ Eastpoint (Closed)

J-Story or Juk Story is a casual Korean specialty restaurant in Eastpoint Mall, Simei. It serves a variety of Korean dishes but, is best known for Juk, which is Korean rice porridge. Rice grains are simmered for a long time to create the Korean style thick porridge. J-Story updates the centuries old homely Korean porridge and brings a variety of juk to the many fans of  K-food in Singapore. Judging by the crowd in J-Story at Eastpoint, it would seem that the K-wave is rolling on in Singapore.

J-Story is not big with booth seats which can accommodate about 60. Its passageways are quite narrow but the full height glass panels let in plenty of natural light and give the place a more spacious feel. The tables have hidden built-in stoves and nice drawers where the utensils and serviettes are stored.

Like most Korean restaurants, the banchan (side dishes) are provided free. Here, kimchi, pickles, salad and soups are on a self-service counter. The kimchi was spicy but tasty. We liked the salad of fresh crunchy cabbage strips and helped ourselves to a few helpings.

J-Story has a menu that includes hot pot dishes, stir-fried chicken, bibimbap, kimbap and a variety of noodles and snacks. There is, of course, a wide variety of juk such as spicy kimchi juk, seaweed juk, cheese & chicken juk, red bean juk and abalone juk.

We ordered the chicken & ginseng porridge ($12.90), tuna & vegetable porridge ($8.90) and a hotpot teriyaki chicken mixed rice ($9.90). Presentation of the food could probably be better but it was in line with the simple casual concept of the restaurant. The portions were quite substantial and it would not be a bad idea for diners to share so that each could savour the different flavours as well as leave room for side dishes.

The chicken & ginseng juk had generous amounts of chicken strips and ginseng bits. It was a bit bland though the flavour of the ginseng was clearly discernible. The crunchy orange ginseng bits added an interesting texture to the porridge. The tuna & vegetable porridge came with mushrooms, vegetables and small chunks of tuna. The taste and flavour of the tuna dominated the dish. Both types of porridge we tried were good comfort food and satisfying. They were similar to congee but slightly thicker and with much more ingredients in the mix.

The hotpot teriyaki chicken mixed rice is an interesting fusion of Korean and Japanese cuisines. It is essentially bibimbap with strips of chicken and a drizzle of teriyaki sauce instead of the spicy Korean chilli paste. We enjoyed the dish.

J-Story is right next to the Simei MRT Station and parking is available in Eastpoint Mall, so accessibility is a big plus point. Expect the place to be crowded, especially on weekends. The staff at J-Story was friendly and helpful. Being new and having to cope with curious crowds, efficiency might be an issue but hopefully things will improve in time.

Overall, for simple comfort food, juk at J-Story is a good option. J-Story or Juk Story is also a good destination for casual Korean cuisine. We understand that the chefs are all native Koreans and thus you could expect more authentic taste. We would like to go back there to try their pumpkin juk and hot pot stews which seemed to be very popular there.

Ratings
Food: 3
Service: 3
Value : 3
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating : 3 TOPs     

J-Story
#01-03 Eastpoint Mall
3 Simei Street 6
Singapore 528833

 

The Ordinary Patrons
a Singapore food blog by ordinary people looking for places to eat