Singapore is seeing an influx of Korean brands recently, from 71-year-old buckwheat specialist Gwanghwamun Mijin to popular Yoghurt chain Yoajung. While Gochu is not precisely a brand from Korea, it’s opened by the folks behind popular concepts like D’RIM, MODU and Kimchi Dining.
Gochu: Meaning Pepper in Korean
It is located near the Driving Range of Orchid Country Club, and it seems like the brand has spent quite a bit of effort on its interior. Going for a cave theme, the entrance of the restaurant is a cave walkway, complete with cave sound effects.
Inside, the restaurant has walls that look and feel like actual cave walls. Although the scale of this isn’t as impressive as the Cavern restaurant, I do applaud their effort in creating an aesthetic dining space for customers.
Back to the name of the restaurant: Gochu. The word Gochu in Korean means pepper, specifically chilli peppers.
You must be wondering, omg is it all spicy food?
Don’t worry, not all the food here is spicy.
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Menu at Gochu
The restaurant is split into a lunch and dinner menu. You can expect simpler dishes like stews for lunch, such as Galbitang Bansang ($30) and Gochujang Stew Bansang ($22). You also have noodle options like a Smoky Chicken Udon ($18) and Suyuk Ramyeon ($14).
For lunch, we tried the Pork Rib Kimchi Jjim Bansang ($28) and Beef Cheongguk Doenjang Stew Bansang ($24) and were quite impressed. It’s been a while since I’ve since soup consistency that’s befitting of the term ‘jjigae’ and ‘jjim’ in Singapore. Usually, everything is quite watered down, but the ones here are thick and full in flavour! Perfect with a bowl of rice.
The Beef Cheongguk Doenjang Stew is a must-try, very different and nuttier than your usual KBBQ stews,
The Black Soy Cold Noodle ($22) is a refreshing option for those who prefer something cold, but I would say it’s a decent take on the iconic Kongguksu. It does come with a side of salt for those who might find it bland, or you can even ask for a side of sugar, depending on how you like your Kongguksu.
There’s also the Chilli Pickle Noodle ($18), which is surprisingly refreshing despite its name. There’s a nice, slight sweetness and spiciness that makes you want to slurp the noodles down.
Must Try at Gochu Singapore
Some sharing items you can get include a Zucchini Pancake with Dried Prawn ($16), Grilled Rice Balls ($12) and Boneless Fried Chicken ($18). But, if there’s one you need to try when you’re here, it’s the Spicy Big Crispy Stuffed Chilli ($12).
With a name like Gochu, it’s obvious to anyone that you have to try their pepper dish. They weren’t kidding when they said spicy because this was spicy as hell (at least for us). But apart from the spice, the pepper had a juicy interior stuffed with meat, very satisfying! You can see the juices come out as you cut into the pepper.
It kind of reminds us of the one you get from Mangwon Market.
Gochu Dinner Menu
For dinner, you’d be able to find a KBBQ menu, as well as Grilled Pork Ribs. These pork ribs might seem simple, but they’re actually sous vide before they’re grilled over a binchotan and oakwood fire.
They come in 2 flavour options, a Sweet & Savoury one, along with a Spicy one. Much like the stuffed pepper, the spicy one has quite a kick and it makes you wonder if they’ve added capsaicin to this. However, the sweet and savoury one had such a nice smokiness from the grill, which we highly recommend!
Korean Restaurant in Yishun
While its location is not exactly the most accessible, we do think Gochu deserves a spot on your dine-out list. The food is pretty solid, and the interior does help add a few points!
Gochu Korean Dining & BBQ
1 Orchid Club Rd, Golf Driving Range, Singapore 769162
Mon-Fri, 11 am-3 pm, 5-10 pm, Sat-Sun, 11 am-10 pm
*This article is based on a media-tasting event, but all opinions expressed about the food are entirely our own.
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