SINGAPORE – With Singapore celebrating its 60th birthday on Aug 9, the food scene is in overdrive, coming out with all manner of dishes, snacks and drinks for SG60.

South Korean chef Louis Han’s steak house Gu:um has some delectable offerings that seamlessly blend Korean and Singapore flavour s, and three of them s tand out.

First up is Gochujang Soft Shell Chilli Crab ($32). The sauce looks remarkably like Singapore chilli crab sauce, but is made with gochujang (Korean fermented chilli paste) and three other kinds of heat, including red local chillies. It packs quite a punch. Charred kkwari gochu, which look like shishito peppers, are a thankfully mild garnish.

The crustaceans are crusted with sago for extra crunch, and I appreciate not having to get my fingers covered with sauce. The best part of the dish are the three deep-fried tteokbokki. Springy, greaseless and the perfect mops for the pretty spicy sauce. I wish I could have a plate of them.

Another excellent starter to order is Mandu Wings ($18 for two), a tribute to Korean dumplings and Singaporeans’ love of chicken wings any which way. The fat, juicy wings are stuffed with ground chicken, glass noodles and chives, and then deep-fried. They come with an addictive, chunky tomato and gochujang dip that has a mala kick.

To cool down, order Red & White Bingsu ($18). Juicy pomelo bits sit at the bottom of a martini glass, topped with cool yogurt, watermelon and pomegranate vinegar sorbet, and watermelon granita on top. Lime zest adds pep to this endlessly refreshing dessert. My only gripe is that it is difficult to dig into the glass without scattering granita all over the table. Lean in, or rather, dig in, fearlessly.

These dishes are on the menu until Aug 31.

Where: 29 Keong Saik RoadMRT: MaxwellOpen: 6 to 11pm (Tuesdays to Thursdays), 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6 to 11pm (Fridays to Sundays), closed on Mondays. Until Aug 9, the restaurant is open from 6 to 11pm on MondaysInfo: Call 8831-6308, or go to

bit.ly/guum

or guum.sg

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