The Burning Oak—Donburi & Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pork Cheeks To-Die-For

Despite its rather out-of-the-way location, The Bedok Marketplace remains a hotspot in the East for foodies to indulge in tasty gourmet grub without worrying about the hefty price tag.

Undeniably one of the most popular stalls in this hipster food court is The Burning Oak, which serves up a range of Japanese donburis, with the wagyu beef bowl and the pork cheek bowl being crowd favourites.

Their rice bowls start from just S$12 nett, while relatively luxurious rice bowls such as foie gras cost no more than S$22. Their affordable prices may be a good pulling factor, but trust us when we say that their food is enough to have you returning for seconds (and possibly even thirds).

Highly rated by many, the Black Vinegar Pork Cheeks (S$12 nett)—which happens to be our favourite out of the lot that we tried—is in a league of its own. Despite having left it out for a rather long time, the pork cheeks were still incredibly tender. The slight char and subtle caramelised taste on the skin accentuated the flavours of the pork cheeks, complementing the superbly soft texture.

If you are looking for a more substantial portion of pork cheeks, The Burning Oak also serves it a la carte at S$12 nett.

No Japanese donburi stalls would ever leave wagyu beef out of their menu. Beef-lovers should definitely order up the Wagyu and Truffle Mince (S$16 nett) bowl which comes served with medium-rare slices of wagyu as well as minced beef that imbued a strong note of truffle.

While the beef did not manage to impress us as much as the pork cheeks did, we thought that the juicy and tender wagyu hit all the right spots to satisfy any beef bowl cravings and the umami-packed truffle mince gave the dish an extra fragrance.

However, if you find yourself in a pickle and cannot seem to decide on which would satisfy you better, opt for their Wagyu & Pork Cheeks Combo (S$16 nett) which would give you the best of both worlds.

At this price, this hearty bowl of goodness came with quite a generous helping of wagyu beef slices and pork cheeks—something we’d see ourselves returning for in the near future for sure.

The Burning Oak
348 Bedok Road
The Bedok Marketplace#02-16
Singapore 469560
Tel: +65 9873 6093
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 2pm, 6pm – 9pm
(Closed on Mondays)
Nearest Station: Tanah Merah