Coconuts Hot Spot: Kimchi Korean Restaurant at new wing of Suntec City Mall

Brand new Korean restaurant Kimchi is helmed by former Marina Bay Sands chef Choi Minchul, who besides refining his craft in the world famous resort, also learned to tailor his creations to Singaporean preferences. “Employees in Korea receive a ‘kimchi bonus’ before winter each year to make kimchi. Although some prefer to buy kimchi instead, this bonus is typically $500 per person plus $200 more for each child,” shared the jovial chef.

Kimchi’s grills are electric, which means zero smoke smell sticking to your clothes! Also, Chef Choi prepares his own kimchi, but marinates and ferments the classic Korean cabbage dish for three days instead of the usual one year. “Kimchi buried in pots in the ground for a year can be very sour, too sour for some Singaporeans,” he explains. Chef Choi further customises his dishes to local taste buds by offering extra chilli, including cili padi on the side, if one craves a more fiery meal. His specialties include Andong jjimdak (top photo), specific to his hometown of Andong, as well as shredded chicken juk, which is differentiated from what Singaporeans are bored of, via the addition of flavourful ginseng, jujube and ginko nuts.

Unlike other Korean establishments, the side dishes of Kimchi are not complimentary. It’s not necessarily a bad thing — patrons get to choose which they would rather have, instead of having everything factored into their total bill.

Verdict: Very hot, in the literally spicy sense of the word. Dishes like Chef Choi’s kimchi soup, pork dolsot bap and Andong jjimdak are sufficiently spicy — and if you think you can’t handle it, there’s a myriad of Korean beverages — liquor, soda, tea, wine — that will help you sort that out. Fans of the Korean dessert pancake hotteok will love Chef Choi’s fancified version, topped with dried fruit, nuts and sunflower seeds, and garnished with dehydrated strawberry. All in all, Kimchi serves a pretty decent meal for about $30 per person.

Kimchi is at #02-387 Suntec City Mall Convention Tower, open Mon — to Fri 11:30am — 10pm, Sat — Sun 11am — 10pm.



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