Popular Defunct Sandwich Cafe Korio Makes Comeback With Pop-Up At Zouk Group-Owned Bar Here Kitty Kitty

How the collab came about

While we didn’t expect a quaint hipster spot to collaborate with a nightlife giant, the pop-up came about ’cos Zouk Group CEO Andrew Li managed to try a Korio sandwich at the last minute before it closed.

“I wasn’t a customer as I was never able to get a sandwich. It was always sold out! When I heard it was closing, I slid into their DMs and they replied to me. I was able to try it and immediately fell in love with their sandwiches. It was as good as I dreamt of it to be,” he recounts to 8days.sg.

For the pop-up, Korio’s husband-and-wife owners Myron Tan and Shaz Henshaw are creating a “specially curated menu” with Zouk Group’s chief culinary officer Lorenz Hoja. The German-born chef, who has trained with celeb chef Joël Robuchon in London and Paris, was the executive chef at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Singapore and helped clinch the restaurant’s two Michelin stars in 2016 and 2017. 

What to expect

The menu offers two options each of ‘starter’ sandwiches, ‘filler’ sarnies, dessert doughnuts and spritz drinks.

Starter sarnies come in smaller portions, like the Nordic Craze ($17) with salmon confit, quail egg, creme cheese, ikura and marinated onions on baguette. There’s also the Italian Job ($17), which has burrata, zucchini, parmesan, tomato confit and fresh arugula leaves on focaccia.

Instead of the ring doughnuts that Korio is known for, the ‘Happy Endings’ dessert selection here offers plump, Italian-style loaded maritozzi doughnuts. They come in two local-inspired flavours like Green Magic ($8.50), which has pandan chantilly cream, coconut glaze and roasted coconut flakes, while the Chocolate OD ($8.50) is stuffed with chocolate chantilly cream, chocolate glaze, and shaved kumquat peel.

There’s no coffee served, but you can get tipples to go with your sarnies and doughnuts such as Hail Mary ($20), a Bianco tequila-based concoction with watermelon celery shrub and tomato water.

The menu items are available a la carte, but if you are planning on trying everything, you can get a Three-Course Set ($45) with a starter, filler and happy ending, or a Two-Course Set ($31) with a filler and happy ending.

Korio’s pop-up at Here Kitty Kitty runs from May 16 to Jun 8, Thursdays to Saturdays only, 6pm-10pm (or till sold out). For reservations, click here. 

Photos: Zouk Group/ Korio 
 
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