With the Korean wave hitting Singapore hard in the past few years, it is about time that a Korean specialty gastro-bar opened up.
Joo – alcohol in Korean – is our answer to that. Opened in February by Jamie and Kristin Lim, Joo offers modern Korean dishes and creative drinks to add to the already vibrant mixology scene in Singapore.
I’m sure many Korean makgeolli – rice wine – fans would be delighted to find that this bar is the first place in Singapore to brew it own makgeolli and serve it on tap.
I had great fun trying the Makgeolli Sampler (S$35 for 5), the rice wine with imbued flavours such as yucha, black raspberry, strawberry, mango and original. The strawberry flavoured one is deceptively easy to drink, so do proceed with caution although it is on 6 to 8% alcohol.
I would also recommend the value for money Yucha Sojurita (S$28 for 2 to 4 people). A large goblet filled with yucha (known as yuzu in Japanese), Cointreau, lemon juice and soju arrive at the table before a bottle of Korean Hite beer is upended into the goblet. The citrusy taste reminded me of a more potent German radler.
Apart from interesting drinks, Joo also serves some good grub. I loved the Slow Roasted Hungarian Mangalitsa Pork Belly (S$32), 200g of marbled fatty belly pork is brined with salt, pepper, soju and makgeolli before it is steam-roasted for more than two hours. It leave the meat tender and fatty with a crisp outer layer. Mmm!
Other notable dishes include the Kimchi Chicken Pot Pie (S$14) where a golden flaky pastry dome cracks open to reveal a creamy kimchi béchamel chicken filling, and the Seafood Gojuchang Risotto (S$24).
This is not the traditional risotto in any sense as it is cooked with Korean rice instead of Arborio, but the fresh seafood is tossed with hot pepper paste before being cooked in stock before being finished with cream and grated parmesan cheese. It results in a comforting spicy and rich ‘risotto’.
Make some time to visit Joo this week. Visit http://www.facebook.com/joobarsg
About the Writer
Cleo Patra is a massive foodie with an appetite for life to match. She travels around the world for the sole purpose of eating and then, showing off on social media.
