Seoul Restaurant

Seoul Restaurant is a family-owned Korean barbecue restaurant on the third floor of Conrad Singapore Orchard. Beef and pork are grilled over charcoal at the table, with Korean side dishes, stews and pancakes alongside.

The business goes back to 1997, when the family opened its first stall in the old food court at Amara Hotel's shopping centre. More food court stalls followed, then restaurants in Tanjong Pagar and at CHIJMES. In 2014 it moved into the Regent Singapore on Cuscaden Road, the hotel that has since been renovated and renamed Conrad Singapore Orchard.

What to order

There are three ways to eat here. The à la carte menu offers a range of meats for the grill alongside classic Korean dishes, and a staff member is assigned to your table to do the grilling. The all-you-can-eat buffet has more than 40 items, made to order, running from A5 Wagyu beef and Iberico pork to Korean pancakes and stews. There is also a seven-course Hanwoo tasting course built around top-grade Korean Hanwoo beef, for groups of two to four.

The restaurant names these as its signature dishes:

• Seoul galbi: boneless beef short rib in a soy-based marinade
• Deungshim: Korean-style beef ribeye with fine marbling
• Samgyupsal: pork belly grilled slowly over gentle charcoal heat so the edges crisp up
• Raw marinated crabs: a classic Korean seafood dish
• Kimchi jjigae: a warming stew of fermented kimchi and vegetables

Each guest gets a personal set of banchan rather than shared plates, and the side dishes are refilled. The Hanwoo course ends with doenjang jjigae, a soybean paste stew, followed by fruit and ice cream.

The setting

The restaurant uses natural charcoal flown in from Korea. Each table has an exhaust built in, which draws smoke down and away from diners. The aim is to keep the room free of smoke and smell. Diners can also turn the heat of the charcoal up or down.

On à la carte tables, staff take care of the grilling and change the grill plate between cuts. Private rooms are available for celebrations, business meals and corporate groups.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: reserve online through the restaurant website or by phone. Private rooms are given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Minimum spend: there is a minimum spend per diner, and it is higher in the private rooms.
• Hanwoo course: it is served at weekday lunch only (not on public holidays), and the whole table is expected to order it.
• Allergies: tell the staff about allergies or dietary needs, and the kitchen will try to help.

Nearby

Conrad Singapore Orchard is at the top end of Orchard Road, so dinner pairs easily with shopping. Hotels within a short walk include The Singapore EDITION, The St. Regis Singapore and Four Seasons Hotel Singapore.

For more meat-focused meals, see our list of steakhouses and grills, or browse Thai, Korean and other Asian restaurants. You can also find more places to eat around Tanglin and Dempsey. Menus and bookings are on the Seoul Restaurant website.