SINGAPORE – A Korean version of Singapore’s bak kut teh is in the works for the upcoming Cote Korean Steakhouse, which is slated to open at Como Orchard in mid-December.
This is the first international outpost for the brand, known for its elevated Korean barbecue using premium cuts typically found at an American steakhouse.
It was established in 2017 in New York, followed by Miami in 2021. Both venues are hot spots for celebrities and have one Michelin star each.
The Singapore branch will carry the same DNA as its American counterparts, but is “extra special”, says Mr Simon Kim, 41, the New York-based Korean-American chief executive of American restaurant group Gracious Hospitality Management which runs Cote Korean Steakhouse.
He was in town in September and spoke to The Straits Times at Como Orchard.
The spin on bak kut teh will be one of the new elements, says Mr Kim, who recalls trying the now-defunct Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh when he was first in Singapore in 2015.
He also tried Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh and Song Fa Bak Kut Teh on his recent trip here with the group’s Korean-American partner and executive chef David Shim, 40.
Renovation and staff recruitment are under way for the restaurant’s debut.
Diners will first encounter a bar at the entrance of the 9,000 sq ft restaurant, which Mr Kim says will be set amid plants to reflect Singapore’s tropical environment.
It will be an “immersive experience”, he adds, without revealing further details of the space.
Unlike the casual Korean barbecue restaurants that Singaporeans are familiar with, he says Cote Korean Steakhouse will be a “shrine and cathedral” of beef.
Top-end cuts – from USDA prime beef that is dry-aged in-house to Japanese A5 wagyu and Australian wagyu – will be served.
The meat will be complemented with sides such as caviar with creme fraiche, chives and Korean milk toast, a bestseller in Miami.
The restaurant will also have a sommelier to showcase its extensive wine list of 1,200 labels, and bartenders to shake up cocktails.
Mr Kim says: “Italians have their trattoria and ristorante, while the French have their bistro and elevated brasserie. Koreans now have barbecue restaurants and steakhouses. Our steakhouse is dark, sexy and ‘vibey’.”
Cote Korean Steakhouse will be the final food and beverage concept to open at the 19-storey Como Orchard, following its Como Cuisine restaurant and the popular Cedric Grolet Singapore patisserie.
Its timely debut also comes at a point when modern steakhouses – some backed by big-name foreign chefs – are mushrooming at newly opened hotels here.
Some new entrants include famed Italian butcher Dario Cecchini’s Bottega di Carna at Mondrian Singapore Duxton, and the upcoming seafood-heavy “steakhouse” concept – where fish is butchered like meat – by Sydney chef Josh Niland at The Singapore Edition hotel.
But Singapore was not initially on the chain’s cards for expansion, says Mr Kim, who had plans to open in South America.
The opportunity arose in October 2022, when his friend and acclaimed French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten introduced him to Mrs Christina Ong of the Como Group. Chef Vongerichten is behind The Dempsey Cookhouse and Bar by the Como Group.
Mr Kim then met Mrs Ong in New York, followed by an exploratory trip here.
Likening Singapore to the melting pot of New York, he says: “The diverse culture, food and ingredients made it really exciting. Singapore also has great European influence with fine dining options. All of this coexists like a coral reef and I wanted to be a part of it.”
The restaurateur has another Cote Korean Steakhouse in the works. It will take up a three-storey space in the iconic 550 Madison Avenue skyscraper in New York and is slated for opening in end-2024.
Before that, Gracious Hospitality Management’s sister brand, Coqodaq, is set to open by end-2023 in New York.
Consider it a fried chicken version of Cote Korean Steakhouse, offering both American and Korean fried chicken in a “healthier and sexier” way.
Mr Kim does not rule out bringing this concept here “if Singaporeans love us”, he adds.
His big vision, he says, is to be like luxury goods company LVMH, but for fine dining.
“That’s an ambitious goal, but we dream big and grow our brands.”
