Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant
57 Tanjong Pagar Road
https://www.instagram.com/dutumsg/?hl=en
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Exquisite Korean Charcoal Barbecue
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 9
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 9
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $68 per person.
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Opened in July 2024, Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant is a Korean barbecue restaurant, specialising in premium pork and beef cuts. Named for the Korean word for 'thick', Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant offers large and thick cuts of meat for barbecue, certainly a satisfying reason for their popularity.
Ambience at Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant is casual and inviting. The brightly lit space is neatly lined with large tables and wide booth seats. Ventilation is good, so there isn't much cooking odour lingering around. Comfortable and conducive for long lingering meals, chatting with family or friends.
Service at Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant is attentive and efficient. Staff help to prepare and grill each order over the charcoal fire grill at each table, helping to shift plates around as they serve. I note there is little opportunity for them to demonstrate product knowledge, but they clean up quickly.
Food at Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant is Korean cuisine, focused on charcoal fire barbecue. Premium cuts of pork and beef are the star here, rounded out with popular South Korean side dishes. Portions are sized for communal group dining. Prices are premium, budget about SGD $68 per person.
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| Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant Signage |
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| Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant Exterior |
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| Dutum Korean BBQ Restaurant Interior |
The Charcoal Grill features white hot Korean charcoal, with a powerful exhaust nozzle overhead. This enables quick searing and grilling of meats and vegetables, which staff kindly assist with, yet prevents much of the cooking odour from escaping.
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| Charcoal Grill |
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| Grilling |
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| Grilling |
The Banchan / Side Dishes here are complimentary and refillable, all were good. The Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage has a juicy crisp crunch to texture, with bright vegetal sweet sour spice flavour. The Kongnamul / Cold Soy Bean Sprouts has a refreshing juicy crunch, with pleasant vegetal sweet nutty flavour. The Goguma Mattang / Candied Sweet Potato is tender and soft, with mellow vegetal earthy sweet savoury flavour.
The Makaloni Saelleodeu / Macaroni Pasta Salad is creamy soft in texture, with enticing grainy milky sweet savoury flavour. The Sosiji / Sausage has a nice bouncy tender feel, with meaty salty sour savoury spice flavour. The Sangchu / Lettuce is fresh and crisp, with lovely vegetal sweet flavour. The Sangchu Geotjeori / Lettuce Salad is well seasoned, with an addictive crunch and deep vegetal sweet nutty spice flavour. The unique Green Onion & Garlic Paste condiment lends a burst of vegetal sweet herbal spice flavour to the meal.
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| Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage |
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| Kongnamul / Cold Soy Bean Sprouts |
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| Goguma Mattang / Candied Sweet Potato |
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| Makaloni Saelleodeu / Macaroni Pasta Salad |
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| Sosiji / Sausage |
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| Green Onion & Garlic Paste |
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| Sangchu / Lettuce |
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| Sangchu Geotjeori / Lettuce Salad |
The Japchae / Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Glass Noodles (SGD $20) is among the better renditions I've had. The sticky sweet potato glass noodles are stir-fried with crunchy carrots, crisp spinach, and your choice of meat; we opted for beef, which was nicely tender. Combined, this has lovely starchy savoury salty sweet vegetal meaty flavour. Good appetizer or side dish to accompany a meal. Good!
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| Japchae / Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Glass Noodles (SGD $20) |
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| Japchae / Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Glass Noodles |
An uncommon dish, the Gamja Jeon / Potato Pancake (SGD $25) was deliciously addictive, I think I ate most of it. The texture is awesome, crisp soft crunchy, not too greasy, while the flavour is starchy salty savoury in taste, similar to a potato rosti. Highly recommended!
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| Gamja Jeon / Potato Pancake (SGD $25) |
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| Gamja Jeon / Potato Pancake |
The Ttukbaegi Gyeran Jjim / Steamed Egg In Pot (SGD $8) features fluffy soft wobbly steamed egg, studded with bits of crunchy carrot and crisp spring onion, served in a clay pot. Has lovely eggy sweet savoury flavour, so addictive. Kept reaching for more. Highly recommended!
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| Ttukbaegi Gyeran Jjim / Steamed Egg In Pot (SGD $8) |
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| Ttukbaegi Gyeran Jjim / Steamed Egg In Pot |
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| Ttukbaegi Gyeran Jjim / Steamed Egg In Pot |
The Eomuk Guk / Fish Cake Soup (SGD $35) is a hearty and comforting dish. The soup base is garnished with tender daikon radish, crisp green onions, and sliced red and green chili, which result in the soup taking on a vegetal salty sweet herbal earthy spice flavour. The Korean style fish cake is springy and bouncy in texture, with sweet salty savoury flavour, yum. Highly recommended!
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| Eomuk Guk / Fish Cake Soup (SGD $35) |
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| Eomuk Guk / Fish Cake Soup |
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| Eomuk Guk / Fish Cake Soup |
The Chik Naengmyeon / Arrowroot Cold Noodles Soup (SGD $18) is nicely refreshing and cold, with the slippery chewy arrowroot noodles having grainy sweet savoury earthy flavour. This was a non-spicy version, garnished with tender daikon radish, juicy cucumber, and half a springy hard boiled egg, all of which combine for vegetal eggy sweet flavour. We added a splash of white vinegar to the soup, resulting in a sweet earthy savoury sour tangy zesty flavour. Highly recommended!
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| Chik Naengmyeon / Arrowroot Cold Noodles Soup (SGD $18) |
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| Chik Naengmyeon / Arrowroot Cold Noodles Soup |
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| Chik Naengmyeon / Arrowroot Cold Noodles Soup |
A good selection of premium Raw Meats for barbecue. The cuts of pork are fired in the oven beforehand to cook them through, then finished on the tableside grill. The cuts of beef are cooked directly on the tableside grill.
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| Raw Meats |
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| Raw Meats |
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| Raw Meats |
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| Raw Meats |
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| Raw Meats |
The Guun Yachae / Grilled Vegetables (SGD $10) is served on a stick, comprising a medley of vegetables grilled tableside. This includes bouncy king oyster mushroom with smoky vegetal earthy savoury flavour, crisp white onions with smoky vegetal sweet flavour, juicy cherry tomato with smoky vegetal sweet flavour, and crunchy red and green bell peppers / capsicum with smoky vegetal sour sweet earthy flavour. Good!
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| Guun Yachae / Grilled Vegetables (SGD $10) |
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| Guun Yachae / Grilled Vegetables |
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| Guun Yachae / Grilled Vegetables |
The Chadolbagi Gui / Grilled Beef Brisket (SGD $29 per 180g) features thin strips of beef brisket with a good ratio of fat to meat. It's tender and chewy with addictive smoky fatty meaty savoury salty flavour. Good!
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| Chadolbagi Gui / Grilled Beef Brisket (SGD $29 per 180g) |
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| Chadolbagi Gui / Grilled Beef Brisket |
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| Chadolbagi Gui / Grilled Beef Brisket |
The Soegogi Yangnyeom Galbi / Grilled Marinated Beef Short Ribs (SGD $48 per 200g) is nicely seasoned with marinade, and grilled perfectly. Has a tender chewy juicy texture, with smoky meaty salty sweet savoury flavour. Highly recommended!
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| Soegogi Yangnyeom Galbi / Grilled Marinated Beef Short Ribs (SGD $48 per 200g) |
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| Soegogi Yangnyeom Galbi / Grilled Marinated Beef Short Ribs |
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| Soegogi Yangnyeom Galbi / Grilled Marinated Beef Short Ribs |
The Peulaim Soegogi / Prime Beef (SGD $48 per 160g) features a cube cut, and has chewy juicy texture with smoky meaty savoury salty flavour. Incredibly satisfying. Highly recommended!
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| Peulaim Soegogi / Prime Beef (SGD $48 per 160g) |
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| Peulaim Soegogi / Prime Beef |
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| Peulaim Soegogi / Prime Beef |
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| Peulaim Soegogi / Prime Beef |
The Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly (SGD $29 per 160g) is thick cut, with a crunchy juicy chew to texture, and a bold smoky meaty savoury salty fatty flavour. Good!
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| Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly (SGD $29 per 160g) |
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| Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly |
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| Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly |
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| Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly |
The Dwaeji Neuggansal / Pork Finger Ribs (SGD $35 per 150g) is already diced into cubes, and grilled tableside to perfection. This has a tender juicy crunch, with deep smoky meaty savoury flavour, and equal bits of fat to meat. Highly recommended!
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| Dwaeji Neuggansal / Pork Finger Ribs (SGD $35 per 150g) |
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| Dwaeji Neuggansal / Pork Finger Ribs |
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| Dwaeji Neuggansal / Pork Finger Ribs |
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CONVERSATION