Three-Michelin-Star Chef Corey Lee Partners with Hyundai Motor Group to Launch First Casual Dining Concept in Singapore

Na Oh, the eagerly awaited new restaurant by three-Michelin-star Chef Corey Lee, is set to open its doors to the public on June 15, 2024. Located at the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS), Na Oh promises a unique dining experience that blends authentic Korean cuisine with cutting-edge innovation.

A New Casual Dining Venture

Famed for his fine dining San Francisco restaurant Benu, where he earned three Michelin stars, Chef Corey Lee is introducing a brand-new casual dining concept in Singapore. Na Oh aims to provide an inclusive and accessible approach to quality Korean cuisine, offering a 4-course prix fixe menu. Guests will have the option to choose the jinjitsang – a traditional Korean meal setting served with a variety of accompaniments.

A Cultural Hub

Na Oh – which means “moving from inside out” in Korean – will be more than just a restaurant. It will serve as a cultural hub for Korean cuisine, craft, and design, representing a collaboration of diverse Korean artisans. Led by Chef Corey Lee’s culinary vision, Na Oh serves a seasonal menu that references traditional Korean cuisine but is reinterpreted for the modern diner. Traditional preparations, such as fermentation and preservation, are integrated with modern techniques using a variety of seasonal ingredients full of natural energy.

Innovative Menu

The first summer menu, reflecting Chef Lee’s innovative approach to tradition, features dishes such as Mulhwe (seafood in an icy kimchi broth), Naengmyun (cold beef noodles), and Samgyetang (ginseng-flavored stuffed chicken). The Samgyetang, a popular summer dish in Korea, will evoke the now hard-to-come-by flavor of homemade broth and slow cooking. The Naengmyun will include buckwheat noodles made-to-order, with a broth crafted from dongchimi and long-simmered beef stock, served with thinly shaved, sea-salt-cured beef strip loin – a refreshing reinterpretation of one of Korea’s beloved dishes.

Seed-to-Table Experience

Na Oh’s dishes are meticulously crafted using ingredients grown in HMGICS’s own vertical Smart Farm, which produces up to nine different crops, including ice plant, red coral lettuce, swiss chard, mustard, kale, romaine lettuce, and mizuna. This creates a unique seed-to-table experience, enhancing the restaurant’s commitment to freshness and sustainability.

Opening and Reservations

Opening on June 15, 2024, Na Oh aims to become a culinary landmark in Singapore, offering a distinctive experience that celebrates both Korean culture and the innovative spirit of Hyundai. Chef Corey Lee’s collaboration with Hyundai brings a new dimension to the city’s dining scene, promising a unique and immersive experience.

The restaurant will operate from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner and is open to the general public, with advance booking recommended.