Best Mookata in Singapore 2016

This casual restaurant near Kembangan MRT Station is drawing crowds for its Cheesy Nacho BBQ Hotplate ($22.90 for deluxe, $30.70 for premium). While you could opt for traditional mookata here, the hot plate experience allows you to grill your meats AND have a pot of gooey, rich melted cheese (a combination of Cheddar-Jack and mozzarella) to dunk them in after grilling! Burppler Dex Neo recommends opting for the premium buffet, which comes with a lot more fresh seafood sourced directly from Jurong Fishery Port — think squid, tiger prawns, scallops and crayfish —, along with veggies, carbs and meats like kurobuta pork. If and when the cheese proves too much to handle, request to replace it with a soup base instead — choices include chicken and corn, tom yum, tomato, kimchi and silky porridge. Trust us, it'll be a much welcome respite. Drinks are not included in the price, but you can always add $4.80 for a free flow of drinks and ice cream. We bet you're going to be rolling your way out of here. Pro tip: The restaurant offers a promotion price from Tuesdays to Thursdays — the deluxe buffet is only $19.90, while the premium buffet is $26.70!
Avg Price: $30 per person
Photo by Burppler Dex Neo

Just a short five-minute bus ride out of NTU, this affordable mookata joint located within a brightly-lit coffeeshop is where you should head to when your craving strikes. Opt for the spicy Tom Yum Soup Base ($3) and get The Platter (from $22), which comes with chicken, pork, seafood and vegetables — enough to feed two people very well. Add on Instant Noodles ($1.50), Luncheon Meat ($1.90) and if you're a seafood lover, an extra portion of the Zesty Marinated Squid ($2.90). It's already included in the Platter but you'll be wanting the extra order. While other squids tend to get rubbery when overcooked, these thick-cut pieces remain soft and chewy no matter how long we cooked them for. Extra portions run out fast, so be sure to check with the service staff on its availability!
Avg Price: $20 per person
Photo by Burppler Hilary See

Unlike other coffeeshops where mookata is the only offering in the night, Golden Mookata shares the spotlight with a couple of other stalls (get the affordable beer tower from the drinks stall!). This makes it good for big group dinners where not everyone wants to have grilled meats. That said, almost every table inadvertently orders it thanks to its affordability and tasty ingredients. Share an appetiser of Crispy Golden Thai Pork Belly ($15) — freshly fried slices of fatty pork belly that Burppler Shaowei Ho loves to dunk in the spicy sauce! For the mookata, the Special Set for Two ($22) that comes with chicken, pork, seafood and vegetables is a good start. Then, add on Baby Bamboo Clams ($5), Taiwan Sausages ($2.50) and the Special Golden Bak Kwa ($4) for the ultimate indulgence!
Avg Price: $30 per person
Photo by Burppler Shaowei Ho

For a no-frills mookata experience, look no further than this nondescript stall at Berseh Food Centre in Jalan Besar. Affordably priced at $20 for two, the mookata set at this Halal-certified stall includes a meat and seafood platter, a veggie basket with vermicelli noodles, and two bowls of rice — definitely most value for money! The meat platter comes with a selection of prawns and marinated chicken and beef, so you get a little of everything. The only gripe most have is that they only serve one broth — chicken, with no option for spicy tom yum. If you feel unsatisfied, you can always do as Burppler Alvin Wang did and order a la carte meats to add on for a feast.
Avg Price: $10 per person
Photo by Burppler Nurul Shamira

If you like cheese and don't mind busting a week's worth of calories in a meal, then this mookata is for you. Apart from luscious grilled meats, their pièce de résistance is none other than... molten cheese! Three types of cheese are available — mozzarella, salted egg cheese and their signature ladyboy cheese (nacho cheese-like) — feel free to slather your grilled meats in it! While it is a buffet ($29.90 Mon-Thu; $32.90 Fri-Sun) with free flow cooked food, iced milk tea and ice cream (the lychee lime's our favourite), the restaurant adopts an a la carte style ordering system for its fresh ingredients. These include lamb rack, prawns, pork belly, bacon and their much raved about crayfish. While waiting for the meats to cook, head to the small selection of cooked food like rice, fried chicken and papaya salad to whet your appetite. The restaurant gives you a choice of steamboat or BBQ hotplate, and we are not surprised most opt for the latter — grilled meats just taste so much better with cheese!
Avg Price: $30 per person
Photo by Burppler April Linn

This place may be seriously far and hard to find, but you'll get to enjoy your mookata in fresh air and with a view of planes landing on the Changi Airport runway. A joint venture between Hood Bar and Cafe and Tom Yum Kungfu, you really get to experience the best each group has to offer — a chilled out environment with live music and good Thai food. Go for the mookata set for two ($49) that comes with instant noodles, vegetables, meats and fresh seafood. Soup bases include flavours like black chicken and tom yum. Be sure to order the Mango Salad ($10) and the Fried Garlic Pork ($15) to snack on over a beer as you wait for your food to cook! P.S. Indoors, you can sing your heart out at the karoke bar.
Avg Price: $30 per person
Photo by Burppler Su Yin Neo

At $29.90 nett, this mookata buffet in Golden Mile Complex is a good option for groups who love their seafood. There's no time limit for this buffet, so you can take your time to cook while catching up with your friends. While the heaping pile of fresh tiger prawns, oysters, flower crabs, salmon slices may look tempting, follow the regulars and go cray for the crayfish. Learn how to de-shell like a pro from the helpful staff before covering your entire grill with juicy, crayfish meat. Apart from the frequently replenished seafood, fill your tummy with well-marinated pork belly slices, shabu beef and Mama instant noodles. There's also free flow Thai milk tea to look forward to at no extra charge!
Avg Price: $30 per person
Photo by Burppler Joe Yang

This fuss-free mookata chain is a fail-proof option when you're craving a BBQ fix. Located within heartland coffeeshops in neighbourhoods like Jurong West, Bedok and Ang Mo Kio, Bangkok Street dishes out hearty mookata sets at affordable prices — perfect for penny-pinching students! Go for the Platter for Two ($22) that comes with prawns, crayfish and vegetables. Unlike other mookata joints that have different soup bases, Bangkok Street keeps it simple with just one — chicken soup. Add on crowd favourites like Streaky Pork Bacon ($1.90), Luncheon Meat ($1.90) and King Oyster Mushroom ($1.50) for the full works. For the big finale, finish off with cooking instant noodles and a fluffy beaten egg in the flavourful soup. 
Avg Price: $15 per person
Photo by Burppler Jin Low

The third outlet of popular Happy Mookata in Golden Mile, this joint in Serangoon is great for group dinners as well as post-drinks supper (it opens till 4am daily). The $25.90 buffet allows you two soup bases — chicken and tom yum, along with a selection of almost 30 ingredients and their signature nacho cheese dip, which Burpple Tastemaker Denise Ong finds "seriously addictive and highly sinful". Zoom in on their black pepper marinated beef, popcorn chicken and tom yum prawns, then end the meal on a sweet note with their free flow ice cream. Take note that drinks are an additional $2.90. The mookata here may not be out of this world, but it's very decent, affordable and will definitely hit the spot for you and your friends when the craving strikes! Pro tip: Check out their other outlets at Sunset Lane if you're in the west, and Golden Mile Tower if you're in the east!
Avg Price: $30 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Denise Ong