The Place One of the most exciting new restaurants in the west this year. Na Oh, which means ‘moving from inside out’ in Korea, is a collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) and world-renowned Three-Michelin-Star Chef Corey Lee. Na Oh Singapore is located at Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre Singapore (HMGICS), and it brings a modern touch to traditional Korean cuisine, marking Lee’s debut project in Southeast Asia. 

I love the interior of Na Oh. It is spacious, contemporary, minimalist yet slightly industrial at the same time. There is this sense of openness which is rarely get in restaurants in Singapore. 

Alongside the new restaurant, HMGICS also has a customer experience (CX) space which includes HMGICS’ 618-meter rooftop Skytrack, where visitors can reserve a ride in a locally produced Hyundai IONIQ 5 with a professional driver. 

The Food Chef Lee’s 4-course Prix Fixe Menu (S$78/pax) includes the option to choose Jinjitsang, a traditional Korean meal served with various side dishes. The menu will be updated throughout the year, highlighting creative dishes based on Korean fermentation and seasonal ingredients. Na Oh only uses jang – soy sauce, doenjang, gochujang – fermented using traditional methods and naturally aged. 

I had Chef Lee’s inaugural summer menu during my visit last month which showcases his innovative take on traditional Korean dishes. The menu features Mulhwe, a seafood dish served in an icy kimchi broth; Naengmyun, cold beef noodles; and Samgyetang, a chicken dish flavored with ginseng. 

And to start, I ordered a bottle of Makgeolli to go with my meal.

Here’s what I had from the 4-course menu: 

Homemade Tofu with Aged Soy Sauce 

Buckwheat and Mugunji Jeon & Salad of Today’s Harvested Lettuces 

One noteworthy aspect is the greens used at Na Oh, which is directly from HMGICS’ vertical Smart Farm (you can’t miss it when you enter the building), a fully automated, robotics-driven farm system which cultivates nine different crops, including ice plant, red coral lettuce, Swiss chard, mustard, kale, romaine lettuce and mizuna. I personally love the idea of self-sustainability, and this urban farming concept is awesome. 

Mulhwe – White Fish and Sea Cucumber in Icy Kimchi Broth 

For mains, it is a choice between three options – Golden Queen Rice and Butterfish Gamasot, Seasonal Gyeran Mari, Nabak Kimchi, Dolgim; or Samgyetang – Young Chicken Stuffed with Glutinous Rice, Neungyi Mushrooms, Green Scallion Jang, Chonggak Kimchi; or Pyongyang-Style Cold Noodles (Made To Order) – Beef and Dongchimi Broth, Shaved Raw Beef Loin, Marinated Quail Eggs, Cabbage Geotjeori. 

It was a no brainer for me to go for the Samgyetang, a favorite summer dish in Korea. 

The chicken comes in a big pot which was presented to the table, before the staff helped to cut the meat. Even though the chicken is flavoured with ginseng, I wouldn’t say there is a strong ginseng taste which is not a bad thing for me. Instead, I found myself to be sipping the soup non-stop as it is really quite comforting. 

Alternatively, The Rantee had the Butterfish option, which is also delicious, even though it doesn’t come with any soup. 

Regardless of which mains you go for, it is accompanied by an assortment of side dishes such as kimchi, seaweed and vegetables.

Dessert is a combination of Makgeolli, Strawberry and Toasted Rice, which is somewhat refreshing surprisingly. 

Rants While the restaurant is not small, seating capacity is limited, and it is quite hard to snag a reservation online. There is also only one seating for dinner and lunch. 

Will I Return Again? I love the space of Na Oh. The menu is straightforward, and the best part is that the tasting menu is priced competitively. It is not very mind blowing but it is regardless a good meal for what I paid for. 

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Na Oh 
2 Bulim Avenue  
HMGICS, Level 3  
Singapore 649674 
Tel: +65 6263 1548 

Opening Hours 
Wednesday to Sunday: 11:30am to 3:30pm; 6pm to 7:30pm 
Closed on Monday & Tuesday 

Ranted by The Ranter