COTE Review: World’s 1st Michelin-Starred Korean Steakhouse Opens In SG Till 12AM Daily

Famous Korean steakhouse COTE opens at COMO Orchard

COMO Orchard is set to be the up-and-coming hotspot to discover. You can get world-famous pastry chef Cedric Grolet‘s creations, and now, famous Korean steakhouse COTE has set up shop here as well. For those who aren’t familiar with the brand, COTE is the first Korean steakhouse restaurant in the world to have a Michelin star. Hailing from New York, this SG opening marks COTE’s first international foray.

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Food at COTE

There’s the option to get all your meats a la carte, though the Butcher’s Feast ($98++ per person) is a great introduction to COTE. This prix fixe features four pre-selected beef cuts, alongside banchan and condiments for your meat. Do note that the whole table is required to order the Butcher’s Feast.

Each diner is welcomed with a shot of beef consommé to kick off the experience. You also get a Savoury Egg Souffle and two stews served with rice before the experience ends with a cup of Vanilla Soft Serve with Soy Sauce Caramel.

Start your meal on a high with a serving of Korean Oyster “Omelette” ($28++): seven pieces of pan-fried oysters from Korea served with a citrus yuzu vinaigrette for dipping. These flat and savoury pancakes remained crispy on the outside despite sitting out for a while. Each slice came with a single oyster, which was fresh and sweet— I just wished there was more than one in each piece! Thankfully, the subtly sweet and tangy yuzu dip wasn’t too salty, so you could dunk your entire pancake into it.

If you only have room for one side, I’d say go for the Wedge Salad ($24++) instead. I’m not one to order salads when dining out, but this tasty number changed my mind. The combination of the iceberg lettuce with crispy bacon strips and cherry tomatoes, tossed in a umami-packed sesame dressing, was simply delightful.

On to the meats: as mentioned previously, the Butcher’s Feast comes with four cuts of beef that are specially curated by the team. You can sit back and relax as you don’t have to grill your meats here, since there’s a server assigned to each table to do the work. There’s also no need to worry about smelling like K-BBQ after your meal—COTE uses smokeless charcoal grills!

The first cut that’s fired up on the grill is the Hanger Steak, also known as the hanging tenderloin as it’s taken from the plate (upper belly) of the cow. Grass-fed, Australian Black Angus beef is used here.

We were off to a great start, as each cube of steak was perfectly seasoned and deliciously tender. All the meats are seasoned with COTE’s Signature Gastronome’s Salt, the restaurant’s trademark blend of British Maldon and Celtic sea salt, as well as Korean 1000-day aged sea salt.

Enjoyed on its own, the meat was dense with a beefy flavour and juicy, fatty layer. Otherwise, wrap each cube with a piece of red lettuce and add some kimchi to cut through the richness, ssam-style.

Next up, the NY Strip, which comes from the short loin of the animal. This cut is dry-aged in-house for 50 days, rendering an intensified flavour profile. USDA Prime beef, which is the top 5% of American beef production, is used here.

This turned out to be my favourite cut out of the four. Each piece was extremely tender—more so than the previous cut—with an almost-buttery flavour. Try the meat alone, sans condiments, to enjoy it in its purest form. Then, pair this with lightly steamed perilla leaves and a smidgen of ssamjang (spicy soy bean paste) on top for the ultimate flavour bomb.

Wagyu fans will be pleased to know that there’s Australian Wagyu as part of the Butcher’s Feast. Served in the Flat Iron cut, which is obtained from the shoulder of the cow, this steak is said to offer the best of both worlds: you get the boldness and intensity of Black Angus cushioned by the delicate marbling of Japanese beef.

This cut was the richest and beefiest out of the lot in terms of flavour, but it was a little drier than I’d expected albeit being cooked to medium-rare.

The USDA Prime beef also stars in the COTE Galbi, AKA marinated short ribs. Informally referred to as the dessert steak for its pronounced sweetness, this meat is marinated with a secret mix of ingredients, then grilled till caramelised ends.

The galbi was perfectly charred and tender. Wrapping the meat up in fresh perilla leaves added a minty and grassy taste to balance out the sweetness of the marinade, making it less jelak.

Besides the meats, you get an assortment of Korean sides and banchan to refresh your palate with. I particularly enjoyed the egg souffle that was prepared with kelp stock, as it cut through the meaty feast nicely.

You also get two stews served with rice, namely Spicy Kimchi Stew and Savoury Doenjang Stew. I preferred the latter for its savoury and complex depth of flavour, as well as the generous amount of ingredients brimming in the bowl.

Lastly, included in the set was a small cup of Vanilla Soft Serve with Soy Sauce Caramel, a simple dessert that capped off the experience well. The portion of this sweet-savoury treat was just right for my dining companion, but as someone with a sweet tooth, I wished there was more.

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Ambience at COTE

Image credit: @cotekoreansteakhouse

COTE boasts an upscale, luxurious ambience with dark marbled tables and plush booth seats, complete with gold fixings. The main dining area is super dark, so you might need an extra light if you’d like to snap some shots for your gram. The space is designed by acclaimed New York architect, Modellus Novus.

There’s a cocktail bar right at the entrance that boasts a moody and sexy vibes, great for indulging in a tipple or two before you begin your feast. The restaurant also has a few private dining rooms for intimate celebrations!

COTE is housed on the third floor of COMO Orchard, a 11-minute walk from Somerset MRT Station.

The verdict

COTE is the spot for your next special occasion, or when you need to impress a date. Although prices were on the steeper end, the Butcher Feast set was a good value-for-money option, considering the variety and quality of meats we were treated to.

For more Korean eats, check out our guide to the best cheap Korean restaurants and top Korean restaurants in Singapore.

Address: 30 Bideford Road, Level 3, COMO Orchard, Singapore 229922
Opening hours: Daily 5pm to 12am (last order 11:30pm)
Tel: 304 7788
Website
COTE is not a halal-certified eatery.

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Photos taken by Melvin Mak.
This was a media tasting at COTE.