GOING PLACES

Restaurateur Simon Kim of the Michelin-starred Cote offers insights into opening his Korean steakhouse in Singapore as well as his expansion plans in the near future

- Dudi Aureus

It is easy to appreciate Singapore’s dynamic culinary scene, where fine‑dining restaurants rub shoulders with casual dining spots such as cafés, hawker centres and gastro bars. That is exactly what happened when Simon Kim, the founder of Michelin‑starred Korean steakhouse Cote visited the Lion City two years ago—he was immediately impressed by the culinary offerings and the gourmands. “Everyone [seems to] love to eat here and they’re fascinated by different cuisines,” says the 41‑year‑old Korean-American restaurateur. It also did not matter whether he dined at a hawker centre or in a restaurant; to Kim, the quality of the food, the ingredients used and the chefs’ attention to detail impressed him the most.

A deep affinity for the city ranks high in his checklist when it comes to choosing where to expand the brand. “I must personally fall in love with the place,” he says, which is why, despite his initial plans to bring Cote to a different Asian city, he decided to partner with hospitality company Como Group to launch his first overseas outpost at lifestyle destination Como Orchard this December. Currently, the steakhouse has outlets in New York and Miami—and both have one Michelin star.

He believes that a Korean steakhouse such as Cote deserves a place in our buzzy local F&B scene. “There are a lot of concepts from overseas that aren’t able to localise, but I feel like our ability to adapt comes from our desire [to do better] and our love [for what we do] … then everything else happens organically,” says Kim, who is excited to share this unique dining experience, but with a few local touches, with Singapore diners.