Beach Road Kitchen launches Korean spread headlined by guest chefs from JW Marriott Hotel Seoul
Popular Netflix drama series Bon Appetit, Your Majesty may have ended a hot minute ago, but if you’re like me and not over the amazing spread of royal Korean dishes featured, you’re in luck.
Beach Road Kitchen at JW Marriott Singapore South Beach has launched “From Seoul to Singapore”, a spread headlined by guest chefs from JW Marriott Hotel Seoul.
The three decorated Korean chefs are currently in Singapore to make a special appearance at the restaurant, from now till November 9, as a part of its year-round Chefs-on-Show culinary showcase.
Led by executive sous chef Hwang Jong Min, whose culinary portfolio includes high-profile events such as the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the entourage also comprises head chef Yang Soon Ae, who is experienced in royal court fare, and chef Bang Jin Su.
While the chefs head back to Seoul after this weekend, a condensed Korean spread continues up till November 23, before Beach Road Kitchen kicks into its festive season offerings.
Owing to head chef Yang Soon Ae’s royal court background, Beach Road Kitchen’s spread from November 7 to 9 sees less-commonly-served Korean dishes such as a cold boiled pork and Korean-style japchae.
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This isn’t like the soy-sauce-seasoned glass noodles mixed with assorted vegetables that you would have tried in Korean restaurants around town. Rather, the Seoul chefs’ version is a take on a Korean dish known as gyeojachae, which is technically also a type of japchae.
The latter is an all-encompassing term, which simply means “mixed vegetables”.
Instead of soy sauce, however, mustard (gyeoja) is a key ingredient in this other mixed-vegetable dish, and is complemented with Korean pear, apple, and garlic. The result is a fresh, tangy and sweet bite with a slightly savoury finish.
Coupled with the soft, cold pork, it’s just the sort of dish you ought to have to cool down from the eternal heat in Singapore.
The tenderness from the pork comes from boiling it first for 10 minutes, leaving it room temperature for an hour to cook in its juices and residual heat, and then placing it in the fridge after.
Other highlights from the chefs’ repertoire of dishes include the smoky LA galbi marinated grilled short rib, Jeju-style pork noodle soup, Korean seasoned fried chicken, fresh kimchi (known as “geotjeori”), and a Korean pancake platter.
Tearing the napa cabbage leaves by hand for the geotjeori, at a closed-door media cooking demonstration, chef Yang tells us about the concept of “sonmat” (literally meaning “taste of the hand” in Korean), and how using one’s hands adds a touch of flavour and care to the dishes.
Admittedly, you can probably get most of the dishes in the “From Seoul to Singapore” spread at the many K-restaurants that dot our island — apart from the cold japchae dish — but what differentiates this experience is the distinct taste of comfort, authenticity, and heart in every dish.
In fact, one dish, the LA galbi, was even made using a recipe from chef Yang’s grandmother herself!
If you can’t make it for this weekend’s special spread, which hails directly from Seoul, a condensed, but still curated, spread of Korean dishes will still be available alongside Beach Road Kitchen’s sumptuous buffet spread until November 23.
You can expect items such as a roasted pork knuckle with fermented kimchi honey for weekday lunch, and a roasted porchetta with kimchi stuffing on weekends and weekday dinners at its carving station.
There’s even Korean BBQ pork belly fired up at the restaurant’s well-loved live BBQ station.
Beach Road Kitchen’s buffet line starts from S$78 for adults for a weekday lunch, and goes up to S$108 per adult for a weekend dinner, with children between 6 to 12 years old paying half-price.
This was a hosted tasting.
For more places to dine around City Hall, check out our guide to restaurants at Raffles City to dine at for all occasions.
Tue 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10pm
Wed 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10pm
Thu 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10pm
Fri 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10pm
Sat 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10pm
Sun 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10pm
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Sarah is constantly seeking out new coffee spots and cocktail bars around the world, and should probably drink more water while at it.
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