GOCHU Korean Dining is set within Orchid Country Club’s driving range and the restaurant gives little away from outside other than its textured stone walls with a signage. Walk in though, and the interior does the talking: room reveals itself: textured stone walls, low curved ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling glass framing the lush greenery.
The restaurant is the newest concept from Initia Group, whose portfolio already includes gelato store Tofu G, Korean steak house D’RIM, and Modu Samgyetang at Mandarin Gallery. GOCHU takes a sharper turn, both in its setting and its intent. Fittingly, “gochu” means chilli pepper in Korean, and the menu carries that identity through, mixing Korean classic dishes with a handful of more inventive plates.
Before the mains arrive, the table fills with a spread of banchan such as kimchi and radish kimchi, pickled quail eggs and potatoes in a mild chili sauce, seasoned greens, crispy fried anchovies, and a small bowl of savoury sauce topped with tofu and spring onion. A generous and fuller spread than what we are used to seeing at the typical Korean dining spot.
The Big Crispy Chili with Special Spicy Sauce ($14) makes the clearest case for GOCHU’s willingness to bend tradition. A whole chilli pepper is stuffed with minced pork and tzatziki, deep-fried, and finished with a spicy sauce, an unlikely pairing of Korean heat and Mediterranean yoghurt that works surprisingly well.
The centrepiece, though, is the Sweet & Savory Grilled Pork Ribs ($62). The ribs are sous-vided first, then finished over binchotan and oakwood, a two-step method that locks in moisture while building a smoky char that plain grilling alone wouldn’t achieve. A pot of melted cheese sits at the centre of the grill, and once the ribs are ready, staff dip each piece before plating it.
Against that richness, the Black Soy Cold Noodle ($20) was refreshing, chilled noodles carrying the deep, nutty flavour of black soybean, though the soy comes through strongly enough that it may not suit every palate. The Zucchini Pancake with Dried Prawn ($14) with its crisp edges and savoury dried-prawn topping makes it an easy dish to return to between the heavier plates.
For drinks, we kept it simple with classic combination of Cass beer and soju, the standard pairing for a Korean meal, and one that suits the richer dishes on the menu.
Address: 1 Orchid Club Road, Golf Driving Range, Singapore 769162
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm / Sat-Sun 11am to 10pm
Website
Gochu Korean Dining & BBQ is not a halal-certified eatery.