Keong Saik Road is starting to feel like a food paradise with several established names in the area. GU:UM translates to “grill, roast or bake” in Korean and the restaurant is a modern Korean grilled concept. Although it only opened its doors last April, GU:UM can not be considered new to the food scene as it is helmed by Chef Han Seok Hyun (Louis Han), the same man behind NAE:UM, a one-star Michelin Korean restaurant.
You would be greeted by the warm wooden tone cladded interior of the restaurant, which can sit around 40 pax. GU:UM features an open kitchen concept where diners can view the chefs masterfully grilling the meats over the open fire.
For starters, we got their signature Yukhwae Jeon, a potato pancake topped with hand-chopped raw beef, pickled onions, chives and egg yolk jam. The beef tartare was nicely seasoned but it kind of masked the taste of the beef itself. But the raw meat on the crispy pancake base did work well together giving an array of textures in the mouth. The usual raw egg yolk was substituted with the use of egg yolk jam, which enhances the appearance of the dish.
The main dishes on GU:UM‘s menu primarily consist of grilled selections, featuring beef, lamb, pork, and seafood. We decided on a beef platter and we got the Black Onyx Salchi-sal, a rich near-shoulder cut and the Woodae galbi short-rib, their signature cut. The grilled meat was accompanied by a fresh salad dressed in house-made vinaigrette, ssam (leafy vegetables for wrapping), and a selection of house-made pickles. Both meats were grilled to medium doneness and were fork tender. The Black Onyx Salchi-sal was aptly described as rich in flavour as it exuded a nice beefy flavour with every bite as compared to the Woodae galbi short-rib. The beef was best enjoyed on its own to savour the flavour and tenderness though void of the smokey aroma one would expect from the open fire grill.
For dessert, we again went for their signature which was the Hotteok, pan-fried hotteok x burnt honey ice-cream. The hotteok had two layers of toppings – caramelised mixed nuts and the cold ice-cream. The pan-fried pancake was light and not as greasy as the traditional hotteoks you find in the Korean markets.
To conclude, the dishes were well executed just that certain tweaks could be made to elevate the dishes further.
Rating: 3.9 / 5
GU:UM
29 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089136
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9h181z7AMjK5ZCQAA
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