Nae:um

Korean food as a fine-dining language of its own, not a barbecue night with better napkins.

Nae:um is where to take someone who thinks Korean food in Singapore means barbecue and a soju bomb. Chef Louis Han's Telok Ayer Street restaurant builds a tasting menu on his own childhood memories, rooted in Korean tradition and updated with modern technique, and it holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide. Book it for an occasion; the compromise is that it is priced like the starred restaurant it is, and lunch runs only on a few days a week.

The case for it is that Nae:um treats Korean food as a fine-dining language of its own, which few kitchens here do. In late 2025 Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute named it one of three outstanding Korean restaurants in Singapore, and it was on the extended list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2024.

The room changed in 2025, when a revamp brought hanok-inspired interiors, a nod to the traditional Korean house: wood accents, calm and composed. There is a private room called Hideaway for when the occasion needs a door that closes.

The plates are where the memories come in. Look for chilled buckwheat noodles paired with fried dumplings, a very Korean comfort combination dressed for a night out, and Jeju abalone in a pine nut sauce. Dessert is the playful bit: a tuile shell filled with jujube cream and showered with black truffle, which is about as far from a soju bomb as a menu can travel.

How to do it well. Choose your menu before you book: the longer signature menu runs at lunch and dinner, and there is a shorter five-course lunch, with current prices in the facts box. Lunch is Thursday to Saturday only, and a Saturday lunch that runs long is our favourite way to do it. The menus have changed since the 2025 revamp, so check the current options on the restaurant's site and book there directly. It is a short walk from Telok Ayer MRT.

Bring a parent who thinks they know Korean food, or mark an anniversary in the Hideaway. Save the barbecue for another night (there will be one, and it will be cheaper).

Good to know Book directly through the restaurant's website; menus and prices have changed since the 2025 revamp, so check the current options first. Telok Ayer MRT is a short walk.

Nae:um | 161 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068615 | Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer