A Korean-Japanese Dining Experience at The Arts House, Singapore
Comprehensive Dining Review & Culinary Analysis
Review Date: March 2024 | Reviewer: Editorial Team
Quick Reference
Restaurant Ureshii
Cuisine Korean-Japanese Fusion
Chef / Owner Jang Kyung-bok
Location 1 Old Parliament Lane, #01-02, The Arts House, Singapore 179429
Nearest MRT City Hall (8-minute walk)
Opening Hours Daily 11:50am – 3:00pm | 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Telephone 6322 4054
Price Range $18++ – $68++ per dish
Halal Certified No
Delivery Options Limited; best enjoyed dine-in (see Delivery section)
Ratings at a Glance
Ambience & Setting: 9/10 — Moody, artsy, and intimate — a hidden gem feel
Food Quality: 9/10 — Exceptional produce; precise technique
Value for Money: 8.5/10 — Lunch sets are outstanding; dinner à la carte edges pricier
Service: 8/10 — Attentive and warm without being intrusive
Creativity: 9/10 — Inventive cross-cultural fusion, executed with restraint
Overall Experience: 9/10 — A must-visit for adventurous palates in the CBD
Introduction
Ureshii — a Japanese word meaning ‘happy’ or ‘joyful’ — earns its name. Tucked discreetly inside The Arts House at 1 Old Parliament Lane, this Korean-Japanese restaurant is among Singapore’s most intriguing culinary discoveries. Hidden behind the colonial grandeur of one of Singapore’s oldest civic buildings, Ureshii operates somewhat under the radar, a quality that lends it an almost insider quality. Eight minutes on foot from City Hall MRT Station, it rewards those who make the short pilgrimage.
The restaurant is the second venture of Korean chef-owner Jang Kyung-bok, who also helms Tanoshii — a well-regarded Korean-Japanese establishment along Cairnhill Road. Where Tanoshii carries the polish of an established favourite, Ureshii feels younger and more expressive, as though the chef has given himself permission to be bolder, to play, to cross borders freely between two cuisines that share far more DNA than most diners realise.
This review examines the restaurant across seven dimensions: ambience, the meal itself (dish by dish), culinary technique, sensory analysis of textures and hues, recipe insight, plating philosophy, and practical considerations including delivery options.
Ambience & Setting
Architecture and First Impressions
The Arts House is itself a statement — a neoclassical building completed in 1827, originally Singapore’s first courthouse and later its first Parliament House. Dining within this space carries an almost archaeological resonance: history seeps through the thick white walls, and the building’s weight gives any establishment inside an immediate gravitas. Ureshii occupies a ground-floor unit that contrasts the colonial exterior with an interior that is decidedly contemporary and theatrical.
Upon entry, guests are greeted by bold, high-contrast interiors that draw on both Korean and Japanese aesthetic traditions without pandering to either. The design vocabulary is confident: dark timbers, gallery-style artwork on the walls, carefully directed ambient lighting that creates pools of warmth at each table. The effect is intimate and slightly mysterious — this is not a restaurant designed for loud groups, though it accommodates them; it is, at its heart, a space built for conversation, for lingering over a bowl of porridge or a glass of something considered.
Seating and Layout
The layout features semi-private nooks — alcove-like configurations that offer a degree of separation without full enclosure. For couples or small groups seeking privacy, these are invaluable. The spacing between tables is generous by Singapore restaurant standards, avoiding the shoulder-to-shoulder proximity that can feel claustrophobic in tightly packed city venues.
Noise levels remain manageable even during peak lunch service, a function of thoughtful acoustic design and the natural sound absorption of the building’s thick walls. Lighting throughout is warm amber, flattering to both food photography and to diners. It skews slightly dark for those who prefer to read a menu without squinting, but the mood it creates is undeniably evocative.
Ambience Verdict
Ureshii’s ambience is among its strongest assets. For a CBD restaurant where many competitors default to bright, efficient, utilitarian dining rooms designed for quick turnover, Ureshii takes the opposite approach: it asks you to slow down, to notice, to stay. The Arts House location is a masterstroke — the surroundings elevate even a simple bowl of pasta into something that feels like a destination meal.
The Meal: Dish-by-Dish Analysis
- Cordonbur — $28++
Description
The Cordonbur is Ureshii’s most photogenic dish and, for many diners, its most immediately satisfying. The name is a portmanteau of ‘cordon bleu’ and the Japanese donburi (rice bowl) tradition — a culinary pun that encapsulates the restaurant’s entire identity in a single word.
Composition
At its core: a generous slab of Hokkaido black pork sirloin, breaded and deep-fried in the Japanese katsu tradition to a precise golden-amber. Atop this sits a generous crown of fresh vegetables — leaves, microgreens, shredded cabbage — and a blanket of stretchy, molten cheese that cascades in dramatic pulls when lifted. Each set comes with rice, soup, a rotating side dish, and barley tea.
Texture Analysis
The textural architecture of this dish is carefully engineered. The panko crust delivers a satisfying, audible crunch — light, aerated, non-greasy — that gives way to pork that is moist and supple at the centre. Hokkaido black pork (kurobuta) has a higher fat marbling than conventional pork, lending it a silkiness that elevates the eating experience beyond a standard tonkatsu. The cheese layer introduces a contrasting elasticity: pulling at it creates long, glossy ribbons that cool slightly as they extend, transitioning from fluid to yielding. The vegetables add a counter-textural freshness — crisp and raw against the richness of pork and cheese.
Hue and Visual Profile
Visually, the Cordonbur is a study in warm tones: the deep amber-gold of the fried crust, the ivory-cream of the melted cheese, punctuated by the bright greens of the vegetables. The contrast is both appetising and photogenic. The dish reads as generous, abundant — there is a visual exuberance to it that signals indulgence without excess. - Mentaiko Pasta — $18++
Description
The Mentaiko Pasta represents perhaps the purest expression of the Korean-Japanese fusion concept. Mentaiko (spiced pollock roe) is an ingredient deeply embedded in Japanese home cooking and izakaya culture, but here it is recontextualised within a pasta format — Italian in form, Japanese-Korean in soul.
Composition
A heaping serving of al dente pasta — spaghetti or similar long form — is dressed in a house-made mentaiko sauce, finished with a spoonful of green fish roe (tobiko or masago-adjacent, with a verdant hue from flavouring). The portion is generous, almost wilfully so for an $18++ dish.
Sauce Construction
The mentaiko sauce is the technical centrepiece. House-made preparations of this sauce typically involve blending the roe with cream, butter, and seasoning — the result should be emulsified, coating each strand evenly without pooling at the base. The addition of green fish roe on top introduces a secondary layer: a briny, popping textural accent that punctuates each bite with small, controlled bursts of umami.
Texture Analysis
Al dente pasta at its best offers a slight resistance at the core — the ‘bite’ that separates properly cooked pasta from overcooked. Against the creamy, clinging sauce, this resistance is essential; a softer pasta would collapse into the sauce, losing definition. The green roe contributes a micro-textural dimension: tiny spheres that burst under minimal pressure, releasing their saline content in brief, concentrated flashes.
Hue and Visual Profile
The pale blush-pink of the mentaiko sauce against the warm cream of the pasta, topped with vivid green roe, creates an appealing tricolour palette. It is a dish that photographs well — the green against the pink reads as fresh and considered, preventing the dish from appearing monotonously beige. - Jeju Abalone Porridge — $68++
Overview
The Jeju Abalone Porridge is the culinary and emotional centrepiece of Ureshii’s menu. At $68++, it is the restaurant’s highest-priced offering, yet its positioning as a sharing dish for two brings the per-head cost to approximately $34++ — a figure that represents exceptional value given the calibre of ingredients involved.
The Ingredient: Jeju Abalone
Abalone from Jeju Island, South Korea, occupies a revered position in East Asian gastronomy. Jeju’s cold, clean waters produce abalone with a distinctive sweetness and firm yet yielding texture that distinguishes it from Pacific or New Zealand equivalents. The island’s abalone farming and harvesting tradition spans centuries, maintained by the legendary haenyeo — female free divers who harvest shellfish by hand without oxygen equipment, a practice now recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. When a dish specifies Jeju sourcing, it is not merely a geographic detail; it is a claim about provenance, about flavour, about a specific ecosystem’s contribution to the finished dish.
Composition
Eight abalones are presented atop a bowl of savoury rice porridge (juk/congee), cooked to a silky, cohesive consistency. The porridge base is made with abalone intestines — a technique drawn from traditional Korean abalone porridge (jeonbokjuk) — which infuses the rice with a deep, marine umami that cannot be replicated through stock alone. Sesame oil and sesame seeds are added at the finish, contributing nuttiness, aroma, and a light sheen to the surface. Accompaniments include a side dish, miso soup, and barley tea — a thoughtful supporting cast that frames rather than competes with the primary dish.
The Technique: Jeonbokjuk
Traditional Korean abalone porridge is a dish of considerable technical patience. The rice must be cooked low and slow — often for 45 minutes to an hour — with constant stirring to encourage the gradual release of starch, creating a porridge that is neither watery nor thick but suspended in a state of creamy, flowing consistency. Cooking with abalone intestines is the key differentiator: the intestines, which contain partially digested seaweed, release their content into the porridge during cooking, producing a green-tinged, deeply saline base that carries the flavour of the ocean. This technique is used in the finest traditional Korean restaurants and demonstrates a seriousness of intent on the part of chef Jang.
Texture Analysis
The abalone itself, when properly prepared, should offer a resistance that is firm but not rubbery — a springy, muscular quality that rewards chewing without requiring effort. Overcooked abalone tightens and toughens; undercooked abalone feels leathery and unpleasant. The ideal is a texture that is at once yielding and resilient, with a surface that carries the sauce without absorbing it entirely. Against this, the porridge provides a soft, yielding contrast — almost liquid in parts, thicker in the base of the bowl — creating a dynamic eating experience where each spoonful combines different ratios of abalone, porridge, and sesame.
Hue and Visual Profile
The visual presentation is elegantly restrained. The porridge presents in soft, muted greens and creams, the colour of the abalone intestines having subtly tinged the base — not aggressively, but perceptibly. The eight abalones are arranged with care, their dark, mottled shells removed to reveal ivory-grey flesh marked by the slight translucency that indicates proper cooking. A drizzle of amber sesame oil creates reflective highlights on the surface; scattered sesame seeds add a tactile visual texture. The overall palette is subdued and natural, signalling purity over spectacle — appropriate for a dish where the ingredient quality speaks loudest. - Korean Injeolmi Pat-Bingsoo — $18++
Description
The Korean Injeolmi Pat-Bingsoo provides a fitting conclusion to the meal. Bingsoo (shaved ice) is a beloved Korean dessert tradition, and the injeolmi variant — featuring chewy rice cake pieces dusted in soy bean powder, topped with sweet red bean paste — is among the most traditional and texturally complex versions.
Texture Analysis
Bingsoo ice, when properly made, should be shaved to a fineness that approaches snow — individual flakes so fine they dissolve almost immediately on the tongue, creating a cool liquid sensation rather than the crunch of conventional crushed ice. Against this near-ethereal base, the injeolmi (rice cake mochi) introduces genuine chewiness — a soft but persistent resistance that elongates with bite. The red bean paste adds another register: dense, sweet, slightly grainy in the way of properly cooked adzuki, neither too sweet nor too bland. The soy bean powder (konggaru) dusted over the mochi contributes a dry, nutty quality that absorbs moisture and prevents the mochi from sticking — functionally purposeful and flavourfully complementary.
Hue and Visual Profile
Visually, the bingsoo is a landscape in white and earth tones: the pristine white of the shaved ice, the honey-gold of the soy bean powder, the deep reddish-brown of the red bean paste. Simple, honest, and beautiful in its unpretentiousness.
Recipe Insight & Cooking Instructions
For those wishing to recreate elements of the Ureshii experience at home, the following outlines the foundational techniques behind the restaurant’s signature dishes. These are culinary approaches drawn from established Korean and Japanese traditions, interpreted through the lens of the restaurant’s style.
Jeonbokjuk (Abalone Porridge) — Home Preparation
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Rice: 1 cup short-grain white rice (soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, then drained)
Abalone: 4–6 fresh or thawed abalone, cleaned, with intestines reserved separately
Water / Stock: 6–7 cups cold water or light dashi
Sesame oil: 2 tablespoons, plus extra to finish
Salt: To taste
Soy sauce: 1 teaspoon (optional, for depth)
Sesame seeds: 1 tablespoon, toasted
Green onions: 2 stalks, finely sliced
Method
Step 1 — Prepare the abalone: Using a firm brush, scrub the abalone shell under cold running water. Slide a flat spoon between the flesh and shell to detach the meat. Separate the intestines (dark organ matter) from the muscle. Reserve the intestines; set muscle aside. Slice the muscle into thin pieces for quicker cooking, or leave whole for a more dramatic presentation.
Step 2 — Sauté the base: In a heavy-bottomed pot or dolsot (stone pot) over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the soaked rice and stir continuously for 3–4 minutes until the rice grains become translucent at the edges and the sesame oil is fully absorbed. This step is critical: it develops a nutty, toasted foundation that carries through the entire dish.
Step 3 — Add water and intestines: Pour in the cold water gradually, stirring as you pour. Add the reserved abalone intestines. The intestines will dissolve and disperse as the porridge cooks, releasing their colour and flavour into the base. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a very low simmer.
Step 4 — Cook low and slow: Cook, uncovered, for 40–50 minutes, stirring every 5–7 minutes to prevent sticking and to encourage starch release. The porridge is ready when it has reduced to a creamy, flowing consistency that coats the back of a spoon. If it thickens too quickly, add water in small increments.
Step 5 — Add abalone: In the final 5–8 minutes of cooking, add the sliced abalone to the porridge. Abalone cooks quickly; overcooking at this stage will toughen the flesh. Stir gently.
Step 6 — Season and finish: Season with salt and a small amount of soy sauce if desired. Remove from heat. Finish with a tablespoon of sesame oil, stirred through gently. Ladle into bowls, garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Step 7 — Serve immediately: Porridge continues to thicken as it rests. Serve in warmed bowls without delay.
Cheese Tonkatsu (Cordonbur Style) — Home Adaptation
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Pork loin or sirloin: 2 portions, approximately 180g each (ideally kurobuta / black pork)
Panko breadcrumbs: 2 cups
Eggs: 2, beaten
Plain flour: ½ cup, seasoned with salt and white pepper
Mozzarella or raclette: 100g, sliced or grated
Neutral oil: For deep frying (canola or rice bran recommended)
Fresh vegetables: Shredded cabbage, microgreens, cucumber for garnish
Method
Step 1 — Prepare the pork: Using a meat mallet, gently pound each portion to an even thickness of approximately 1.5cm. This ensures even cooking throughout. Season generously with salt and white pepper on both sides.
Step 2 — Bread the pork: Establish a breading station: flour, then beaten egg, then panko. Coat each piece in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg (allowing excess to drip), then press firmly into the panko, ensuring an even, thick coat on all sides. The panko crust should feel secure and substantial.
Step 3 — Rest before frying: Place breaded pork on a rack and rest in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes. This helps the crust adhere during frying.
Step 4 — Deep fry: Heat oil in a heavy pot to 170°C (340°F). Fry each piece for 4–5 minutes per side until deep golden amber. Do not move the pork during the initial minute of frying; allow the crust to set. Remove and drain on a wire rack (not paper towel, to preserve crunch).
Step 5 — Add cheese: Place the fried tonkatsu on a baking tray. Layer the cheese over the top. Place under a broiler or grill for 60–90 seconds until the cheese is fully melted and beginning to bubble. Serve immediately while the cheese is still fluid and pull-ready.
Mentaiko Pasta Sauce — Home Preparation
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Mentaiko: 2 sacs (approximately 80–100g total), membrane removed and roe scraped out
Butter: 2 tablespoons, unsalted, at room temperature
Light cream: 3 tablespoons
Soy sauce: 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice: A few drops
Pasta: 200g spaghetti or linguine
Pasta water: Reserved, approx. ½ cup
Method
Step 1 — Make the sauce base: In a large bowl (off-heat), combine the scraped mentaiko roe, softened butter, cream, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Mix with a spatula until smooth and emulsified. The sauce is not cooked — heat from the pasta will warm it through.
Step 2 — Cook pasta: Cook pasta in heavily salted boiling water to al dente according to package instructions minus 1 minute. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
Step 3 — Emulsify: Add the hot, drained pasta directly to the mentaiko bowl. Toss rapidly, adding pasta water tablespoon by tablespoon to adjust consistency. The starch in the pasta water helps bind the sauce to each strand. The sauce should be glossy and coating, not pooled at the base.
Step 4 — Plate and garnish: Twirl into a nest, top with green fish roe (tobiko) if available, and serve immediately.
Delivery Options
Ureshii, like the majority of fine casual dining establishments in Singapore centred on hot and textural dishes, is best experienced in person. The architecture of its most notable dishes — the hot-oil crunch of the Cordonbur, the live cheese pull, the freshly ladled porridge, the snow-fine bingsoo — all depend on immediacy. Delivery fundamentally compromises these qualities.
Current Delivery Availability
As of the time of writing, Ureshii does not appear to operate an extensive, publicly promoted delivery programme through major Singapore aggregators (GrabFood, Foodpanda, Deliveroo). Given the restaurant’s focus on quality and the fragility of its signature dishes in transit, this is a considered and defensible position. Prospective diners should call the restaurant directly at 6322 4054 to enquire about any current takeaway or delivery arrangements, as policies may have evolved.
Dishes Most Amenable to Takeaway
Should takeaway be arranged, the Mentaiko Pasta is the most robust option for transit — the sauce, if sealed separately and tossed at home, preserves better than dishes that depend on textural contrast. The Jeju Abalone Porridge could theoretically travel, but would require reheating, during which the porridge thickens significantly and the abalone is at risk of overcooking. The Cordonbur and bingsoo are strongly inadvisable for delivery — the former loses its crust integrity within minutes, the latter melts.
Recommendation
Reserve a table. Dine in. Ureshii’s atmosphere, combined with the sensory immediacy of its dishes, is inseparable from the full experience. The 8-minute walk from City Hall MRT provides a pleasant interlude that frames the meal as an occasion — which, for a restaurant of this calibre, it deserves to be.
Final Verdict
Ureshii is, in the best sense, a restaurant that knows exactly what it wants to be: a quietly exceptional Korean-Japanese dining room that operates with the confidence of a chef who has earned his stripes, tucked into one of Singapore’s most historically resonant venues, offering food that is technically ambitious without being ostentatious.
The Jeju Abalone Porridge alone is worth the trip — a dish that distils centuries of Korean culinary tradition into something simultaneously humble in form and profound in flavour. The Cordonbur delights through sheer, well-executed indulgence. The Mentaiko Pasta is the kind of dish one returns for on a weekday, quietly and often. The bingsoo provides a fitting, considered close.
For $18++ at lunch, the value proposition is nearly unmatched in the City Hall dining corridor. For $68++ shared between two, the abalone porridge ranks among Singapore’s most meaningful ingredient-led dining experiences. Ureshii is, unequivocally, worth finding.
★★★★½ | Highly Recommended | Overall: 9/10