Is it possible for Cure, famed for its Nua (Gaelic for 'New') Irish gastronomy, to get even more Irish? The answer is yes. Thanks to a team-up that just makes sense, all of us non-natives will get to experience the best of Ireland. Produced under the world's first government-approved sustainability programme for food and drink, no less.
Courses evoke the excellence that has earned the restaurant its star, with some signature plating and familiar desserts rekindled in this array. Especially if Cure has been on your list for some time now, this would make the perfect introduction to savour what it stands for.
Rather than embellish with a couple of quotes from Chef-Owner Andrew Walsh or Directors from Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board, quite literally translated) that you'll only skim past because you've hardly got any attention span, we thought we'd take you through honest impressions quickly taken down on Notes. It's not the most refined, but boy is it succinct.
Soda, Stout & Treacle Bread
Potato Flat Bread
Irish Brown Crab, Seaweed & Caviar
Beetroot & Salmon Tartlet
No shying from the stereotypes opening with stout and potatoes. The flavour elements really come through the first two, while it's explosion of textures on the following two.
Irish Gallagher Oyster, Almonds & Dill
King Scallop, Cider & Sea Asparagus
Colcannon, Cashel Blue Cheese & Caviar
Tales of the Silver Hill Duck
What a way to showcase seafood freshly harvested from clear Atlantic waters. Case in point: Gallagher Speciale Oysters come from a family-owned farm handpicked at 30 months for optimum quality. Other smaller players really tie everything together in the most unexpected way; from oil dollops to a hidden thin slice of potato.
The main course just knocks it out the park with the subtle smoke and beautiful bite, likely thanks to prep methods like slathering liquid fat (bad on paper, great on palate). The great Irish produce that is Silver Hill Duck's premium poultry (known as the "Wagyu of ducks") is not only Gold Standard certified for green efforts, but is also sought after by around 300 of our local restaurants here.
Childhood Memories of Peat 2.0
Caife Gaelack & Truffle Sandwich
Lucky Gold in Chocolate Pot
Almond Brown Butter Cake & Burnt Honey Cream
A magic show in both presentation and taste for the first. No honestly, how does ice cream get so perfectly peated? All pillowed into the extra crunch of its exterior. Truffle adds a welcomed dimension to the second dessert, like certain alcohols do when incorporated in cooking. Finally, you end with a tiny nugget of gold (unearthed from a pot for the gag) and a large petite four.
Black Velvet (Guinness Stout, Shanky’s Whip, Champagne, Stout Foam)
Kopparberg Pear Cider
Drunken Lepchs (Bertha's Revenge Gin, Melon, Pineapple, Citrus)
Black 1847 (Jameson Irish Whiskey, Poitín, Homemade Guinness Stout syrup, Irish bitters)
Shanky's Farmers (Five Farm Irish Cream, Shanky's Whip)
Artisan Irish Cream
The beverage pairing has a vast range—from a smooth, creamy start akin to spiked root beer, random but well-pairing Swedish cider, to an Old-Fashioned lite and what would essentially be fancy Baileys.
The partnership menu with cocktail pairing is priced from SGD385 and runs through the month of August 2024. Make your reservations at Cure.
There is one sentiment shared by everyone who dines at COTE. It is also likely the main motivation to convert from diner to repeat customer. To keep you in suspense, let’s first acknowledge the many accolades driving the hype.
Not only does the restaurant hail from New York as “America’s first Korean Steakhouse”, and notches several James Beard Award nominations under its belt. Not only has it earned a Michelin star each year since opening—literally the only Korean Steakhouse in the world to do so thus far. Not only all of that, but the one that opened here early this year marks the brand’s very first international outpost.
Apart from immediately thinking, damn this place must be really good, let’s also add the fact that Singapore is no stranger to K-BBQs. Whether we’ve tried the crème along Tanjong Pagar or authentic establishments in the country of origin, it’s safe to say we have decent standards in this arena.
At the heart of COTE’s menu are two key tasting experiences. The Butcher’s Feast features four select cuts of USDA Prime and Australian Wagyu with Korean accompaniments, while the 10-course Steak Omakase explores a grand tour of Japanese A5 Wagyu and Petrossian Tsar Imperial Daurenki Caviar.
We’ll simplify this review: Each of the four cuts in Butcher’s Feast did not disappoint. There’s no need for fancy words when the quality of beef and sides speak for themselves.
And then there are interesting dishes like Korean ‘bacon’ (house-smoked heritage pork belly), or even outlet-exclusive Korean Beef ‘Bakkuteh’ (a local spin using prime beef short rib). Still, it’s the Butcher’s Feast that gives you the best value for your money. At SGD98 per pax, it’s a steal for the entirety of your encounter.
Maybe it’s that all the meats are seasoned with a proprietary blend of British Maldon salt, Celtic sea salt, and Korean thousand-day-aged sea salt. Or that the included wines derive from over 600 selections spanning biodynamic, sustainable, vintage depth from both classic wineries and rare blue-chip producers.
The ambience of Millim Bar that greets you on arrival certainly plays a part. Setting the tone with its jazzy interior and pre-dinner drinks, it’s also where you’ll find the dramatic display of cuts dry-aged in-house for a minimum of 45 days. This extends to the dark, elegant Main Dining Hall designed by Modellus Novus with elements of wood and subtle gold.
Tables are inlaid with bespoke smokeless charcoal grills, but the nod to the OG vents mimicked by the overhead lighting is a cute touch. There are, of course, Private Dining Rooms as well as other Ventertainment spaces in the pipeline that will complete an immersive journey. And don’t get us started on service. For now though, what’s already serving awaits to surpass your expectations.
COTE is located at COMO Orchard Level 3, Singapore 229922.
