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On a street chock-a-block with Korean eateries, one gastro bar stands out: <a href="https://anju.com.sg/?DestinAsian">Anju.</a> The name means “food served with alcoholic drinks,” but instead of the typical Korean fried chicken or stir-fried pork strips and kimchi, head chef Marco Kim tweaks and plays off classic ingredients against each other to create delicate contrasts in textures and tastes. The abalone gim pasta ups the umami factor with seaweed and pickled shallots, while chogyetang is a vinegary cold appetizer of fresh pear, cabbage, shredded chicken breast, and radish kimchi. Craving something more substantial? Try Kim’s sotbap, or scorched rice and charcoal-grilled sea bass. All these elegantly plated items go beautifully with the lineup of imported soju, fermented rice wine, and spirits like the popular chungmyungju—a refined glutinous rice liquor. Add in the mod-Korean decor featuring lacquered cherry wood and latticed windows, and it’s easy to see why Anju is such a hit with both Korean expatriates and Singaporeans. Reservations are essential. —Mavis Teo
<a href="https://anju.com.sg/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anju.com.sg</a> 
+65 6612 1172 
<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/LCvRBnVFJiUTG11K6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">62 Tras St., Singapore</a>

The dining room at Anju Korean eatery in Singapore.

Anju: a Journey Through Korea, Plate by Plate