Award-winning COTE Korean Steakhouse, one of New York City’s most coveted restaurants and America’s first Korean Steakhouse officially opened in Singapore on January 27.
This debut is a partnership with the COMO Group. It is COTE’s first international outpost, housed within COMO Orchard. The restaurant occupies the third floor of COMO’s celebrated lifestyle destination—a highly curated experience of multiple luxury brands in gastronomy, fashion, wellness, and hospitality.
Guests start their evening in the Millim Bar, among dramatic foliage, custom lighting that dances to the beat of music, and a mix of standing or seated areas. This pre-dinner spot transforms into a lively space as the night unfolds.
The moody, seductive interiors of the Main Dining Hall are also consistent with the restaurant’s New York flagship, designed by acclaimed architecture studio Modellus Novus. Wood and dark green walls evoke the atmosphere of a sizzling members club where anything goes. Each table is inlaid with bespoke, state-of-the-art ‘smokeless’ charcoal grills where cuts are cooked to perfection by COTE’s highly-trained servers. Booths create a sense of intimacy and interactivity among groups of friends dining together.
For private occasions in an intimate space, The Private Dining Room features two grills on the table and a one-way mirror. It feels like a kind of precious inner sanctum, a glimpse into the heart of the creative process, where guests will enjoy COTE’s beloved signatures in this truly immersive journey.
The menu spotlights COTE’s Beef & Leaf® philosophy of serving light and bright vegetables preserved on-site via its “Vegetable Fermentation Lab”. This is COTE’s alternative to traditionally heavier steakhouse sides. At the heart of COTE’s menu are two lavish tasting experiences: The Butcher’s Feast®, and a 10-course Steak Omakase™ featuring Japanese A5 Wagyu (Miyazaki, Japan) and Petrossian Tsar Imperial Daurenki Caviar.
COTE, Brainchild of Simon Kim
Simon Kim, the visionary CEO and founder behind COTE Singapore, has imbued the restaurant with the same culinary excellence and spirit that defines its acclaimed New York counterpart. Renowned for its standards that have garnered several James Beard Award nominations and a prestigious Michelin star every year since its inception, COTE Korean Steakhouse is the sole recipient of such accolades among Korean steakhouses worldwide.
Having started as a 16-year-old busboy in his mother’s New York restaurant, Simon Kim’s journey to owning a Michelin-starred establishment is a testament to his dedication and passion for the culinary arts. In 2013, he ventured into the restaurant scene, co-founding Piora with Executive Chef Chris Cipollone, despite its Italian cuisine focus, the name symbolized growth—a sentiment echoed in COTE, which means “flower” in Korean, signifying blossoming excellence, particularly in its high-quality beef offerings celebrated for their exquisite marbling.
“Simon is a decorated restaurateur I first met in New York in 2022,” says the COMO Group’s founder, Christina Ong. “COTE isn’t like any place I know. There’s performance, showmanship, and seriously good food. Beef is like a religion. You learn about all the cuts and origins. You soak up an atmosphere of cocktails and music, of living life to its maximum.”
Expressing his long-held aspiration to venture abroad, Kim enthusiastically heralds COTE Singapore’s international debut, attributing his inspiration to the city’s vibrant energy, rich culture, and burgeoning culinary landscape. “I’ve always dreamt of taking COTE overseas, and I am incredibly excited that we are officially making our international debut in Singapore. The infinite energy, vibrant culture, and the ever-growing culinary scene of this city have been a constant source of inspiration for me,” says Kim. “Working with the esteemed COMO Group and Mrs. Ong on this homecoming project is a dream come true, and we look forward to bringing our one-of-a-kind COTE dining experience to the gastronomes of this lively city.”
The Best of Korean Barbeque and Classic American Steakhouse
COTE only selects the highest grade of Prime Cuts, American Wagyu, and grass-fed Australian beef. COTE’s in-house, dry-ageing room is both a focal point of the restaurant’s design as well as the menu curation, where a display of different cuts is dry-aged for a minimum of 45 days to intensify natural flavors. All meats are seasoned with COTE’s Signature Gastronome’s Salt™—a proprietary blend composed of British Maldon salt, Celtic sea salt, and Korean thousand-day aged sea salt.
Sharing plates include Kimchi Wagyu “Paella” with its crispy sizzle, and Bi-bim Somyun (cold noodles in gochujang vinaigrette). American steakhouse reinterpretations include Steak and Eggs (fillet mignon tartare topped with Kulaga hybrid caviar), and Korean “Bacon”, featuring house-smoked heritage pork belly, jalapeños, and Korean yellow mustard.
The wine list, featuring over 600 selections, includes biodynamic, sustainable, vintage depth selections from both classic wineries and rare blue-chip producers. The kitchen at COTE Singapore is led by Executive Chef Jinwon Seo, working in collaboration with Executive Director of COTE’s Culinary Operations, David Shim. Beverages are led by James Beard Award-nominated Beverage Executive Director Victoria James and Master Sommelier Mia Van de Wat.
COTE Singapore
30 Bideford Rd, Level 3 COMO Orchard, Singapore 229922
