Obok Dabang – Korean-Inspired Cafe in SMU Offers Pastries During the Day and Fried Chicken at Night

Campus food seems to be getting better every year, with chic eateries and cafes popping up on school grounds to attract students and working adults (guilty) alike. Located on the premises of Singapore Management University (SMU), in the same building as the Li Ka Shing Library, Obok Dabang is a Korean-inspired cafe that sells Korean fried chicken after 5pm. 

The air-conditioned indoor seating sports a classy, minimalistic decor with warm lighting, and Korean coffeehouse tunes fills the air. When it comes to the outdoors, the decor makes a switch to give off garden-like vibes with wooden tables and forest-green chairs against the lush backdrop of greenery. 

Their pastries, which are mainly croissants in different variations and curious-looking nest baguettes that resemble garlic cream cheese buns, are all made in-house. There is also a selection of cakes available such as Rainbow Cake ($5.80), Sweet Potato Cake ($5.80) and Lotus CheeseCake ($6.50), which are sourced from an external supplier. 

My initial goal was to try the Garlic Nest Baguette ($6) but it was all sold out when I got there in the early afternoon. The other two options were Basil ($6.50) and Quattro ($6.50), so I decided to go for the latter. The crispy baguette was piped with a luscious cream cheese filling and topped with cranberries and a drizzle of condensed milk. 

I loved how the baguette was crunchy and buttery. The cream cheese filling was very savoury and fairly strong so if you really love richness and cheese, this is worth a try. I reckon I would have preferred the garlic version, though. 

Croffles, a combination of waffles and croissants or rather, a croissant shaped like a waffle, seem to be the main star of Obok Dabang’s offerings. There were quite a few flavours to choose from such as Ang Butter, Tiramisu, Dirty Choc, Blueberry and Cheese. I opted for one of their newer flavours, Almond Cranberry ($4.50). 

The nice, chewy and crispy croffle was topped with cream cheese, cranberries and maple syrup. The richness of the dense cream cheese paired well with the tartness of the cranberries — a very ideal combination especially when tied together with the sweetness of maple syrup.

Another croissant hybrid, the Black Sesame Croffin ($4.50) is just what you’d expect it to be — a croissant in muffin form. The flaky pastry was dressed in a smooth black sesame paste that was delightfully nutty and not too sweet. 

The cuppas here are brewed using a three-bean blend from Costa Rica, Colombia and Indonesia, roasted in-house by UTB Coffee. The Flat White ($4.80) was very robust and on the acidic side. It’s definitely strong enough to give you a much-needed caffeine boost if you’re a student or CBD worker in need of a brew to conquer the day ahead. 

Folks who are hungry for more can check out their mains which include a Tteok (rice cake) Ramen ($6.50), or if Tanjong Pagar aka Singapore’s Korea Town gets too crowded, come by for their Korean fried chicken which is available from 5pm all the way till 12.30am!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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