The Place An exciting new addition to the buzzing Keong Saik enclave, I checked out the newly opened GU:UM, a Korean-touched contemporary grill concept by NAE:UM Group just a few doors down from Cure. The name GU:UM means ‘to grill’ or ‘to cook over fire’, and I love the interior and dining ambience at the 40-seat restaurant. You get a warm brown and wooden tone from the interior, an open kitchen concept and a fun fine-casual dining vibes. The choice of seats includes the chef’s table with front row views, or the cosy banquette and bar seats. 

GU:UM is not a Korean BBQ restaurant. Instead, you can expect Korean flavours in their dishes with a contemporary twist, where the dishes are prepared and cooked in an open kitchen. In addition to a focus on cooking over a modern charcoal grill, a variety of cooking techniques are also used. 

The Food Choose from an a la carte menu or you can opt for the Guum Sang set menu which goes for S$168++ per person. I would say the a la carte menu is more ideal for small groups, while the set menu is worth considering if it is for a couple.  

I had the a la carte menu and my meal started with the Yukhwae Jeon ($32) which is one of my favourite dishes here. If you love beef tartare and Korean pancake, this is the dish for you. You get a potato ‘jeon’ pancake topped with a Korean-style hand-chopped beef tartare, mixed with onions. I love the crisp texture of the pancake and the overflowing beef tartare topping is simply delicious.  

Another addictive starter is the plant-centric KFC – Korean Fried Cauliflower (S$26). It is a Korean fried chicken-styled rendition of cauliflower with rice cakes and cashew snow, and that yangnyeom sauce (gochujang, onions, vinegar, ketchup, amongst other ingredients) is flavourful yet not too spicy. Deep-fried cauliflower and rice cakes are coated in house-made 

The modern infleuence in the dishes here is evident in the Nacho Dakgalbi (S$26) where toasted sourdough sandwich is served by the side, and the nacho dish here is in fact Korean-style marinated stir-fried chicken with nacho cheese, and spring onions. This is a dish where I am ready to snack while watching my Netflix. 

To balance out the heavy starters, I also had the Square Salad (S$24) – a healthy mix of smashed Japanese cucumber served with cubed Halloumi cheese, watermelon, onions, tomatoes, and hardboiled egg in a dressing of bean paste, chilli paste, and black vinegar. 

Moving to the highlight of the meal, the meats.

The meats here are grilled and you can choose from prime cuts such as the Tajima Wagyu Ribeye MBS 8 (S$188 per 280g), USDA Prime New York Striploin (S$158 per 280g), and Iberico Pluma ($118++ per 300g) — all of which comes with 4 marination choices: galbi, chilli gochujang, or fermented fish sauce or simply salted.  

Each of these sharing plates are served with a side salad as well as banchan, a bowl of mixed ssam (vegetables for wrapping grilled meats) and condiments including ssamjang (Korean spicy dipping sauce), fresh wasabi and house-made pickles such as red kimchi, anchovies, and jjangajji (pickled garlic shoots). 

I had the Tajima Wagyu Ribeye MBS 8 done simply salted, where the 280g portion is good for 3-4 pax. Great beef flavours which is not overly fatty, and you also get that nice balance from the fresh salad tossed in house-made vinaigrette served with the beef.  

That said, I thought that the Iberico Pluma is more outstanding than the beef in terms of flacvour and value. I had mine which is marinated with fermented fish sauce, and you get a very rich flavour and tender texture as pluma is considered one of the rarest cuts from an Iberico pig.  

For some light carbs to go with the meats, I had the Cinderella Noodles (S$24) of cold glass noodles and perilla leaves tossed in gochujang and sesame oil dressing. It is named so by Chef Louis due to the glass noodles having the best umami and refreshing acidic flavour just as the dish arrives. 

Towards the end of the meal, I must say it is worth saving some space for desserts here. The Yuzu Makgeolli (S$16) is a refreshing option with a tender grilled pear and house-made sorbet made from yuzu and makgeolli. 

I thought I would not like the Hotteok (S$18) as it sounds very sweet, but I enjoyed it surprisingly as it has a nice contrast of the warm Korean rice flour pancake filled with cinnamon powder and brown sugar, along with the cold burnt honey ice cream and mixed nuts. The burnt honey ice cream is my favourite element here.  

And if you still have space, the Koguma (S$16) is an interesting take on sweet potato where you get roasted sweet potato served with smoked vanilla ice cream here. 

In terms of beverages, there are options of Korean and international liquor that includes exclusively launched bottles from boutique Korean distilleries such as South Korea’s first single malt whiskey distillery, Ki-One; and distils with locally sourced Korean ingredients such as ‘omija’ or five-flavour berry and mugwort from Buja Gin. 

Rants The dining table is a little tight so if all your dishes arrive at the same time, it can be a tad squeezy.

Will I Return Again? I love the contemporary Korean concept of GU:UM, and I think this is a great dining option to head to with some friends and have a hearty meal. Overall, I enjoyed the dishes I had, and also the nice and buzzy dining ambience.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

GU:UM  
29 Keong Saik Road 
Singapore 089136  
Tel: +65 8831 6308 

Opening Hours 
Friday and Saturday: 11.30am to 2.30pm; 5.30pm to 10.30pm    
Tuesday to Thursday: 5.30pm to 10.30pm  
Closed on Monday & Sunday 
 
Ranted by The Ranter