06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
Na Oh — Restaurant Review
What were your first impressions when you arrived?
To get to Na Oh, you have to pass through Hyundai's innovation center in Singapore's west, an all-white minimalist hub filled with robotics demonstrations, hydroponics farms, and a rooftop driving track. This sets the tone for the restaurant itself, a simple, stark, and contemporary space that's focused on pure ingredients and food sustainability. But thanks to the softly lit pendant lamps, clean-lined furniture and framed screens in warm materials like wood and paper, the dining room comes across as welcoming despite how sparsely furnished it is.
What's the crowd like?
Many are curious visitors to the innovation center itself. There are also plenty of local foodies who have made the trek because they've heard that Na Oh is a collaboration with chef Corey Lee, the first Korean to earn three Michelin stars for his restaurant Benu in San Francisco.
What should we be drinking?
The drinks menu is surprisingly extensive for such a pared-down space. There are beers, teas, and a range of alcoholic drinks from makgeolli (rice wine) and soju (a vodka-like distilled spirit) to digestifs. Everything comes from South Korean makers. The Osulloc teas, in particular, are lovely and complement the clean flavors of the food perfectly.
Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.
There's only one four-course set menu that changes seasonally. It comes with three fixed starters and one main course. For the main, you're given a choice from a few options (this usually includes at least one seafood, one meat, and one vegetarian pick). Whether or not you go for the vegetarian menu, all the ultra-fresh greens are a highlight, because they're grown in the building's hydroponics farms. Pay attention to the various varieties of jang (fermented sauces) in the food, too—they're aged naturally on-site using a traditional Korean fermentation process.
And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?
Service is friendly and light-touch. Ask for something if you need it; if not, you'll be left to enjoy your meal in peace.
What's the real-real on why we're coming here?
It's a lesson in clean eating and simplicity. Exploring the innovation center before or after your meal is a fun educational experience, too—just remember to make an appointment for a free guided tour.
