Korean-American chef Corey Lee on what we can expect from Na Oh, his first restaurant in Singapore

Lee admits that opening another restaurant—and one that is far from his home base of San Francisco—wasn’t something he considered for the longest time given that he has his hands full running Benu and Korean charcoal barbecue restaurant San Ho Won (which opened in 2022). “I’ve had a few opportunities to open in Singapore, but it wasn’t the right model for me,” he expresses, letting on that he didn’t want to be another foreign chef here. “I think that there are enough foreign chefs who kind of export their restaurant in Singapore.” 

But he soon changed his mind when he found the right business partner in Hyundai, and the right project he would enjoy doing. He states: “With Na Oh, we weren’t doing just another restaurant that would fit the profile of what works [in Singapore] and what’s been successful.” Rather, it was about merging food, tradition and innovation to deliver a unique and contemporary dining experience.

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As Lee explains, Na Oh, which means ‘moving from inside out’ in Korean, was named as such because “we’re taking elements of Korean cuisine, craftsmanship, and artisanship from South Korea and sharing them in Singapore”.  He then explains that the elegant 40-seat restaurant, featuring a clean and minimalist design accented with silk fabrics, modern light fixtures and ongis (stoneware pots) displayed at the entrance, was the result of Lee’s collaboration with many South Korean artisans—from the “master artisan who worked on the fabric to the young designer who did our lights”.

Instead of another fine dining restaurant in Singapore, Lee decided to make Na Oh more casual and family-friendly where more people can experience “Korean cuisine and a small taste of Korean culture” through a four-course prix fixe menu valued at less than SG$100.

The current summer menu comprises dishes that Lee personally enjoys—among which are the mulhwe, seafood in an icy kimchi broth; naengmyun, made-to-order buckwheat noodles bathed in a homemade beef broth; and samgyetang, a popular summer dish of ginseng-flavoured stuffed chicken. Lee proudly shares that they also make their own soy sauce in the traditional way in San Francisco—a quintessential condiment in Asian cooking which he uses in most of his dishes. 

Innovation also shines not only through the variety of greens he uses, such as ice plant, swiss chard, mustard, kale, and red coral lettuce grown in Hyundai’s vertical smart farm, but also in the modern culinary techniques employed in his cooking. “Making classic Korean food the best way possible doesn’t necessarily mean following traditional methods. It’s about presenting the flavour and spirit of the dish while utilising every advancement in technology, cooking methods and techniques.”

In doing so, Lee relocated six of his team members from Benu, to oversee the operation and ensure the consistency and quality of the food that Lee is famed for. He will personally plan the menu with his team in San Francisco and will regularly travel to Singapore to conduct menu training with his culinary team of 16 before officially launching their new menu. 

In the more than two decades that Lee has been in the restaurant industry, he has also become somewhat of an ambassador for South Korean food culture with his establishments in Singapore and San Francisco that celebrate his heritage. “Restaurants actually play a very important role as ambassadors for our country’s culture,” he shares. As a chef, it is a responsibility and honour he proudly embraces, even more so now with the addition of Na Oh to his culinary portfolio. 

Na Oh
Address: 2 Bulim Avenue, Level 3, Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS), S(640536)

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