Feeling homesick for South Korea? Running low on your stash of exclusive daebak snacks from past trips? Have no fear–LOTTE Mart Express is here!
As part of its efforts to establish the supermarket chain as a leading destination for authentic Korean food and cultural experiences in Singapore, FairPrice Xtra has launched Southeast Asia’s first-ever LOTTE Mart Express store-in-store at VivoCity.
This latest concept will feature over 180 exclusive products from LOTTE Retail and its private labels, including Good Today and Yorihada, only available here. Now, instead of flying 4,564 kilometres to Korea and back, you can score these precious goods with just a short, simple commute.
Plus, with a self-service ramyeon station that mirrors the exact craze back on the peninsula, and a kitchen dedicated to serving delectable Korean cuisine, we’ve literally got a lot on our plates. Oh, and did I forget to mention the photobooth and gachapon? Well, let’s not waste any more time–here’s everything exclusive at LOTTE Mart Express!
Self-Service Ramyeon Station
Let’s start with the introvert’s dream. The premise of the self-service ramyeon station is simple: pick the noodles and toppings yourself, pay without interacting with a single soul, let the machine do the cooking, and voilà–you’ve got yourself a classic broke college student meal.
But did the station at LOTTE Mart Express fulfil every step? Surprisingly—aside from one small nitpick that I’ll get into later—yes, it did! There’s a huge selection of ramyeon here, featuring everything from popular brands like Nongshim and Samyang to exclusive flavours like Paldo Bibimmen’s Hybrid Mixed Noodles (which is what I ended up getting).
A wide variety of paid toppings and add-ons are available too, enabling customers to make a truly personalised meal. Despite being spoilt for choice with ingredients such as kimchi, sausages, and even fresh milk, I ended up opting for a plain spread of egg, ham, and cheese to let my ramyeon shine instead.
Soon enough, I was onto the next step–and one I coincidentally had a gripe with too. See, unlike its predecessors back in Korea, where shoppers pay via a digital kiosk, this supposedly “self-service” ramyeon station made me purchase my toppings the old-fashioned way at a cashier stand! Thankfully, the auntie serving me that day wasn’t particularly chatty, but for all you socially awkward folks, do take note of this key difference.
Anyway, here comes the easiest part: cooking the food, where, just like the real deal overseas, all I had to do was press one button and give my noodles the occasional stir. Once two quick minutes were up, my ramen was done. And wow, while it won’t be winning any beauty contests (despite my best efforts at plating), this creation definitely tastes better than it looks.
So, putting aside that one mountain of a molehill, this local take on the Korean convenience concept is overall quite accessible and accurate. It’s a shame that I wasn’t able to try more of the exclusive flavours–but hey, that’s because I had to save some stomach space for the next round of dishes!
Yorihada Kitchen
Situated next to the self-service ramyeon station, Yorihada Kitchen is hard to miss with its glowing neon sign. The in-house cookery serves up freshly prepared Korean street food classics like dakgangjeong (Korean fried chicken), tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), eomuk (fish cake skewers), and plenty of other dishes.
These bites were specially curated to bring out the authentic flavours of South Korea and created in-house by professional chefs trained in Korea. So that’s why, just like a certain Starbucks 37 Smith Street article, I’ll be once again giving my thoughts on some of the menu’s highlights–starting with the dakgangjeong.
The chicken’s skin was crispy and its marinade was flavourful, but the meat itself was a little dry. Personally, I prefer the soy garlic version for its strong umami punch, but do go for the spicy one too if you’d like a mild kick to your chicken.
On the other hand, do not go for the spicy variant of the eomuk if you cannot handle your chilli! Since the fish cake skewers are dunked in a cup of hot broth (both literally and figuratively), your tastebuds will be begging for mercy so long as you’re not even in the right mindset to handle its intensity.
By no means do I intend to discourage you from taking the challenge–but genuinely, if you have even the slightest of doubts, play it safe and go for the tried-and-tested original. Regardless of which version you go for, though, you’ll always be guaranteed two skewers of springy goodness, each loaded with a slight sweetness and the aroma of its broth.
Finally, the iconic tteokbokki. I must admit: I’m not a big fan of these chewy rice cakes, but fortunately, that’s not all that’s crammed into this bowl. Specifically, the bouncy sausages and what I assume to be just thinner slices of eomuk were heavenly additions to this dish, each bursting with flavour the moment I sank my teeth into them.
And since I didn’t want my personal bias to skew the review, I also checked in with a few folks who actually enjoy tteokbokki—and judging by their reactions, it’s definitely a hit! Once again, both the original and spicy variants are equally delicious, so go with whichever fits your mood best after discovering my shocking tastes.
Aisles of Food and Drinks
Of course, I can’t write about LOTTE Mart Express without mentioning that it’s also an actual supermarket, so let’s quickly go over that.
As previously mentioned, you can find over 180 exclusive food and drink items from LOTTE and its private labels, Good Today and Yorihada, here. These products are all flown in straight from Korea and packaged exactly as they are over there, so you can know you’re getting the real deal when indulging in the latest viral treats.
Some of the things I’m personally considering include Good Today’s Americano Black to get me through my next article, Ajumma Republic’s XL Ramen for my next mukbang, and plenty of Chum Churum Soju to get through both. But those are just my picks–there are tons of other products waiting for you, so go ahead and explore to see what catches your eye!
Photobooth and Gachapon
Alright, with the food aside, let’s get into the funsies! First, complete the immersive experience by heading inside the Korean-style photobooth, where you and your friends and family can snap fun pictures with themed props that nod to Korea’s iconic pop culture scene.
If you’re feeling extra generous, you can leave your mark on the store by hanging your photos at the back of the booth too, leaving a little moment of all of you together.
Then, spend at least S$30 in a single receipt to enjoy a dose of fun with the store’s gachapon machine, where you’ve got one token to try your luck at winning cute prizes. Just head to the Customer Service stand near the FairPrice’s exit and present your receipt to them for the token, and off you go gambling.
And yes, I did get something from the gacha, but no, I’m not sharing it with you–go get your own bag of corn chips at LOTTE Mart Express today!
📍Location: 1 HarbourFront Walk, VivoCity, #01-23 & #B2-23, Singapore 098585
⏰Time: 8am to 11pm
Anyway, check out the FairPrice website for more information about the latest deals and happenings at LOTTE Mart Express, FairPrice Xtra, and all its other stores across the island. Happy shopping!
Photos by Kristen Ong of the DANAMIC Team. Additional visuals courtesy of FairPrice Group.
