The wait's over — South Korea's leading burger chain Lotteria has landed in Singapore.

Ahead of Lotteria's official opening on Wednesday (Feb 11), I had the opportunity to try out some of the menu highlights in its brand new outlet at Jewel Changi Airport.

While the menu here is smaller than what is offered in South Korea, it carries a range of the fast food chain's signatures and fan-favourites, and features a Singapore-exclusive Kimchi Bulgogi Burger (from $7.80).

The burger features a beef patty glazed with sweet and savoury bulgogi sauce, layered with kimchi and fresh lettuce.

As someone who enjoys different textures and flavours, this combination was a hit for me. I also liked that the kimchi wasn't too sour or spicy, and complemented the other flavours well.

Next up was the Ria's Shrimp Burger (from $7.20).

The shrimp patty, accompanied by a tangy and creamy thousand island dressing, was crispy on the outside and springy on the inside, with generous chunks of meat.

As a seafood lover, this was my favourite burger out of the lot.

I also tried the Mozzarella Burger Tomato Basil (from $12.50) — a burger from Lotteria's collaboration with Culinary Class Wars season one winner Kwon Sung-joon — available at the Singapore outlet.

After its launch last January, the burger took South Korea by storm and sold 450,000 units in its first week. It has since become a permanent item on the menu following popular demand.

Unlike other burgers on the menu, the Mozzarella Burger Tomato Basil uses cheese brioche bun. The burger's feature was the mozzarella cheese "patty", which added a layer of chewiness and a savoury, creamy flavour.

Even though I didn't experience the "cheese pull" after biting into the burger (probably because the cheese had cooled down by the time I got to it), the burger's flavours were still good — especially with the tomato basil sauce adding a tang that cut nicely into the rest of the flavours.

Other menu items include the Ria's Bulgogi Double Burger (from $8.80), Beef Burger (from $7.20) and Hot Crispy Chicken Burger (from $7.20), as well as Original Chicken (from $4.50) and Gangjung Chicken (from $9).

All the mains on the menu can also be purchased as a set meal with a side of fries and a drink.

In addition to the burgers, Lotteria Singapore also carries a variety of sides.

If you're a fan of McDonald's shaker fries, you'll be delighted to know that the South Korean burger chain has a similar menu item. Lotteria's Shake Shake Fries ($3.50) comes with onion, cheese or Mexican chilli seasoning.

Expecting salty or savoury flavours, I was surprised to find out that the options were all sweet.

While it's not really up my alley, those who like mixing sweet and savoury flavours might enjoy the Shake Shake Fries.

Other sides on the menu include Shake Shake Nuggets ($6.80) and Long Cheese Sticks ($2.80).

I ended off the meal with dessert — the Cup Bingsu ($5.90) — a shaved ice dessert with fruits and red bean, topped off with vanilla soft serve.

While it sounds rich and indulgent, the bingsu was surprisingly light and refreshing — I was able to finish the entire cup despite feeling full from tasting all the fast food.

As I dug deeper into the cup, I realized that instead of shaved frozen milk, the base of the dessert was made with plain shaved ice.

While some might prefer the former, I like it this way as it had a nice balance with the sweeter ingredients in the bingsu.

After visiting Lotteria's Singapore outlet, I'd say that its offerings are fairly similar to its counterparts in South Korea — making it a great place to visit for those who want to experience a slice of everyday life.

Opening specials

In celebration of Lotteria's Singapore debut, diners can enjoy a free upgrade on their set meals from Feb 11 to Feb 13.

Limited-edition Keycap Keychain blind bags will also be available with every set meal purchase, while stocks last.

Designs include the Lotteria Burger, Fun Fries and the chain's mascot Loking.

Founded in 1979, Lotteria is South Korea's first-ever homegrown hamburger restaurant. Today, the brand has more than 1,600 outlets worldwide.

Lotteria Singapore, operated in partnership with lifestyle company Katrina Group, is the brand's eighth overseas market.

The Singapore outlet features an open layout next to Jewel Rain Vortex, with a seating capacity of 60.

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