Our Gochi-So Shokudo Review
We chanced upon the Gochi-So Shokudo for the first time during our stayaction in Jewel Changi Airport on September 2020 and we went back again to try out few other dishes in their new (rather small) outlet over at Hougang 1 on February 2021. The reason for our return visit? Their Iberico Pork was really tender and tasty!
Why Is Iberico Pork So Special?
According to this article from mmmediterranean.com, Iberico Pork comes from pigs who live freely in the Iberian Peninsula, a mountainous region covering the central and southern parts of Spain and Portugal. You can only find these pigs in this area and they feed on a natural diet of acorns (their favorite food), oak, nuts, grass, mushrooms, bugs, and herbs.
Their meat is red to bright red, quite similar to beef and different from regular pig which is white. The meat has a lot of fat content (due to the acorn), a more nutty flavor and juicier as well due to the natural diet.
So What Did We Order?
Pork Kimchi ($5, Set A)
When we first ordered this item, as part of the set from the Jewel Changi Outlet, we did not know that we had to take it ourselves and it was until all our items were served and we had to check with them then we knew about it. The second time, over at the Hougang 1 Outlet, we were smart enough to take this item together with our drinks.
The Pork Kimchi was a cold dish item, serving size was good enough as a starter. The sauce tasted sour enough and was not that spicy. The texture of the Pork slices tasted like those yellow fish cake but without the outer skin. Kimchi was crunchy.
Cheese Roll Katsu (2 Pieces, $6)
We ordered this Cheese Roll Katsu from the Jewel Changi Outlet. We were a bit disappointed with the presentation when it was served as the cheese was already flowing out onto that metal tray and plate. The fried skin texture was crunchy, the cheese went well with it (alternate choice could be salted egg) and the lemon juice gave a cleaner and sour taste.
Bellota Loin Don ($13.80)
This Bellato Loin Don was ordered from the Jewel Changi Outlet. Luckily, the green garnishes were chucked nicely to one corner which made it easy to scrape them out. Egg was runny enough. Radish tasted a bit too soaked and soft. Rice was well cooked and we could easily mix them (egg and some of the meat sauce) all up.
The key player of this dish was the Pork Loin (btw according to Google, Bellato (in spanish) meant Acorn). When we first picked up a piece of it, the meat was bouncing up and down like a rubber toy. When we first sunk our teeth into it, it was hard but as we sunk it further the meat tore apart easily. The taste was different from the regular pork and we really liked it. The meat also tasted better without the sauce.
Secreto Belly Don ($11.80)
We decided to try out another Don and another part of the pig so we ordered this Secreto Belly Don from the Hougang 1 Outlet. And according to Google and this article, Secreto Belly is a tender strip of pork obtained from the abdominal muscle. The meat has a lot of fat content, juicy with excellent flavor.
The texture of the Secerto Belly meat tasted like Foie Gras, less tender as compared to the Pork Loin. We could also easily tore the meat apart and had the meat slowly melting away inside the mouth. Another great experience of tasting Iberico Pork. The radish was crunchier as compared to the earlier experience.
Only issues we had this time were that the meat sauce was too salty. We wanted to mix the bowl but the green garnishes had already infiltrated deep and mixed together with the sauce. Egg was also not really runny when served and the rice was a bit too wet. Luckily there was sauce at the bottom of the bowl which gave the rice a bit of taste.
Iberico Shoulder Steak ($15.80)
We also ordered a non-rice dish and we went with their Shoulder Steak over at the Jewel Changi Outlet. The serving was big with greens, fries, a saucer of Japanese Curry for the meat and two rather thin Shoulder Steaks.
Other than the meat, everything on that dish tasted normal – fries were bit soggy, curry sauce was normal, greens tasted normal with the light salad dressing. Though the shoulder steak came thin, they were tender with fats on each end. There was also a certain enjoyment running the knife through them.
Collar Steak ($16.80)
We also ordered another non-rice dish on our next visit at the Hougang 1 Outlet and we went with the Collar Steak. The presentation was similar to the Shoulder Steak – the meat, the greens which came with a sour dressing now, better looking fries and the similar curry sauce.
The Collar Steaks came in 3 steak portions. They were thicker but smaller than the shoulder part. When we tried to tear the meat apart with a fork and spoon, it was not easy and we really had to use the knife. But surprisingly when we took a bite directly, we could easily chew it apart with one bite. The texture was tender with a well-mix of fats in it. Taste was good as well.
The next thing we liked was the fries which tasted soggy in our first visit. This time round the taste was different, it was crispy but yet not too oily and salty.
The Japanese curry also tasted much genuine and similar to the sauce used on Japanese Curry Rice. The greens were plenty and normal but the salad dressing was too sour for our liking.
So How To Get To Gochi-So Shokudo?
Jewel Changi Airport Outlet
Address: 78 Airport Blvd., #B1-288, Singapore 819666
Opening Hours:
- 11.30am to 9:30pm (Sunday to Thursday)
- 11.30am to 10pm (Friday & Saturday)
Hougang 1 Outlet
Address: 1 Hougang Street 91, #01-23, Singapore 538692
Opening Hours:
- 11.30am to 9:30pm (Monday to Friday)
- 11.30am to 10pm (Saturday & Sunday)
Note that other than the two outlets listed above, they have other 7 outlets located throughout Singapore to satisfy your cravings for Iberico Pork.