There's Japanese wagyu, and then there's Korean hanwoo, one of the most prized meats in the world. I first got the chance to try it in 2022 at Seoul's Majang Meat Market, a wholesale destination in Seoul stocking some of the freshest hanwoo cuts at about 30 percent less than in restaurants. My first impressions were that the meat had a deeper red hue compared to wagyu, exquisite marbling and considerably less fat. It also had a deeper and beefier flavour, with a chewier texture.
Safe to say, I haven't gotten a taste of it outside of Korea since, as the export of hanwoo is strictly controlled due to various reasons: low supply, high local demand, the risk of contagious diseases and so on. But that's about to change.
One particular F&B outlet in Singapore has just gotten the green light to sell the Korean beef on its premises. Culina at Como Dempsey made this announcement on its Facebook page on November 27, saying it's "proud to be the first and only specialty market in Singapore to offer this prized Korean beef". Customers will be able to purchase hanwoo at Culina's butcher or enjoy it in dishes served at the connecting bistro. The brand has also recently started selling the rare Migyeongsan hanwoo at its branch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
According to a representative from Culina, the hanwoo sold here is from the brown hanwoo cow (hwang so) from Jeju Island, boasting fine marbling, a buttery texture and rich flavours. As of this week, the price of a Jeju hanwoo striploin with a marbling score of BMS 6 is going for $28.20 per 100 grams in Culina, which is on the higher end compared to Japanese and Australian wagyu in Singapore.
While Culina's in-house butcher is the first in Singapore to stock hanwoo, its adjacent bistro is not the first restaurant to serve hanwoo to local diners. Earlier this June, Korean restaurant Na Oh at the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS), headed by three-Michelin-starred chef Corey Lee, celebrated its first anniversary with an exclusive two-day menu featuring different cuts of Jeju hanwoo beef.
Culina at Como Dempsey is open daily from 11am to 11pm at 15 Dempsey Rd, Singapore 249675.
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