DRIM is a modern Korean steakhouse at Mandarin Gallery, Orchard Road, Singapore. It is a well-received Korean restaurant ever since they open a year ago. Even popular K-Pop idol and actor, Cha Eun Woo has patronised this restaurant before. Ever since these celebrities have been spotted dining at the restaurant, the restaurant became even more popular than before.
What do they offer?
This is actually our second visit here. During the first visit, we tried their Korean BBQ. The meat cuts were premium and it had left us a good impression. But we did not really enjoy their house-made buckwheat noodles. But this time, I actually enjoyed their noodles alot. I assumed that they have tweaked the recipe and made some adjustments to their dishes because this time round, food tasted alot better and it suits our local palate.
What is unique about DRIM is that they have machineries within the restaurant that churn out their buckwheat noodles and other ingredients. They produce their own sauces, kimchi and other banchan too.
The interior
The moment you step inside DRIM, you’re greeted by a fusion of modern sophistication and traditional Korean design elements. The aesthetic is inspired by hanok, the traditional Korean wooden houses, but with a contemporary twist. The space is pretty expansive and they even have private dining rooms too.
The smokeless charcoal grills built into the tables are a standout feature. It ensures minimal smoke, making it possible to enjoy your meal without leaving with that typical BBQ smell lingering on your clothes. Most of the time, the staff there actually does the grilling.
The Menu
The menu includes BBQ grill featuring various meat cuts like beef short ribs, pork jowl, sirloin etc. There’s another menu that featurres soups (e.g. Jeju Yukgaejang, Galbitang), noodle dishes, side dishes and desserts.
Drinks
They offer Korean alcoholic drinks like makgeolli, plum wine, rice wine and more. They also serve watermelon soju here and Earl Grey High Ball.
If you are not into alcoholic drinks, you can opt for their herbal teas ($9 per pot) like Roasted Sunchoke tea and Roasted Bellflower tea. Both herbal tea carries health benefits as well. They are quite fragrant and pleasant to drink.
Japchae ($29)
For starters, we ordered their Japchae. But in all honesty, I felt like this could be a main itself because the portion is relatively big and the dish itself was delicious. I was surprise that the stir-fried glass noodles has that wok hey flavour, typical of chinese Zi Char dishes. Because of that, I believe it will be a hit among most Singaporeans because this is the kind of flavour that we adore.
It has shreds of beef slices and a medley of vegetables in it, including a blobl of white fungus. I was surprised to see Chinese herb in my Korean noodle dish but the flavours worked out well and it was overall delicious.
This is one of those dishes which we would order again.
DRIM Signature Noodle ($33)
This is their signature dish which we had it previously but did not enjoy. Thus, I was quite hesistant to order this again but I am glad that they made changes to the noodles and it tasted alot better. It is a dish I would recommend to others as well.
The housemade buckwheat noodles is served cold and drenched in perilla seed sauce. The cold noodles are refreshing and the texture of the noodles are firm and chewy. At the side, you have beef heel muscle slices, garlic chives, spinach, perilla leaves and perilla leave sprouts which gave rise to this hearty and appetising noodle dish.
Galbitang ($36)
This Slow‑boiled beef rib soup is perfect for a cold and rainy day. A 24-hours slow-boiled comforting soup that has a deep beefy flavour. It is quite clean-tasting and not overly salty. They served this with a bowl of rice and some banchan.
Black Sesame Ice Cream ($8)
There’s only one dessert on their menu and it is their housemade black sesame ice cream ($8). The black sesame ice cream is topped with black sesame crumbs and sesame powder. The price is kind of steep for one small scoop of ice cream but it is quite worth it if you can afford to splurge a little. The ice cream is well-crafted and there’s a deep roasted aroma of toasted sesame that lingers in your mouth. I only wish that it was slightly less sweet. The crumbs adds a crunch to the dessert.
Plum Drink
After our meal, they serve as a shot of plum drink each. It is a palate cleanser and they give this out to diners for free during lunch hours.
Verdict
DRIM is a premium Korean steakhouse where you are paying premium for the quality of food and service. Thankfully, their attentive service are up to expectations. Their staff seemed helpful and would even make the attempt to make the whole dining experience a memorable one. They seemed really well-versed with the menu and could help diners make recommendations.
Overall, food and service is up to expectations and it is worth a visit if you have not visited this restaurant before. We would be back for their DRIM signature noodles, JapChae and black sesame ice cream.
DRIM
Address: 333A Orchard Road #02‑14 , Mandarin Gallery, Singapore 238897
Opening hours:
Monday – Friday: Lunch (12pm to 3pm), Dinner (6pm to 11pm), (10pm last call)
Saturday & Sunday: Lunch (11:30am to 3pm), Dinner (5pm to 11pm), (10pm last call)
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