Fresh Start

The local F&B scene is slowly regaining its footing with these new restaurant openings

- Dudi Aureus

SEOUL FOOD

South Korea is known for its diverse cuisine that goes beyond Korean barbecue, and chef Louis Han showcases this range at his modern Korean restaurant Nae:Um. “My palate has been a mix of Korean and international since young,” explains Han, who grew up in Gangnam, Seoul, on a diet of bulgogi beef on pizza (instead of with rice) as well as his grandmother’s traditional Korean dishes. After stints at notable establishments such as Italian fine dining restaurant Circo in Abu Dhabi and the now-shuttered modern Korean restaurant Kimme in Singapore, his culinary evolution led to Nae:Um, which is the coming together of “all my experiences so far”. Han presents his menus as “episodes” that expound on his food memories; the first edition is a showcase of his favourite ingredients he grew up eating. These include hwae (raw fish) that is often used in a popular summer dish called mulhwae. While it is typically served as a cold spicy raw fish soup, Han updates the dish by preparing a yuzu chilli sauce drizzled onto pristine slices of aged fish, shaved cuttlefish, and koji-fermented daikon encased in Korean sesame leaves.

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