A NEW CHAPTER OF MEMORIES

Chef Louis Han refreshes the dining experience at Nae:um, his one-Michelin-starred contemporary Korean restaurant, with a refined culinary vision and posh interiors.

- TEXT KENNETH SZ GOH PHOTOS JOHN HENG

From a young age, chef Louis Han had a strong urge to travel the world. Growing up in Seoul, the 35-year-old South Korean did not speak much English, so venturing abroad was a surefire way to pick up the language and immerse in other cultures.

And travel, he did. First, to Lebanon, as part of an eight-month stint as a cook with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force, which was part of his national service. Abu Dhabi soon followed, where he spent a year cooking at an Italian fine-dining restaurant in a hotel.

And finally, he landed in Singapore in 2016, as part of the opening team of Meta restaurant. What started as a two-year cooking stint extended to almost a decade, in which he opened Nae:um, a one-Michelin-starred contemporary Korean restaurant in 2021.

After four years, Nae:um is ready to shed its cosy chogajib (mudhouse in Korean) look for a more elegant and upmarket ambience, reminiscent of a giwajib, the stately homes of Korea's noble class. After a two-month renovation, the 24-seat restaurant sports a more clean-cut look with Hanji paper-like textured walls, earth-toned furnishings, and soft Barrisol lighting.

“The restaurant looks more graceful now. It also reflects how my culinary approach has evolved, which is more playful, inspirational, and mature.” He injects with a laugh: “It’s like becoming more well-fermented.”

DISHING OUT LIFE EXPERIENCES

Han is channelling his colourful life experiences in Nae:um's revamped menu, which takes on a retrospective “storybook” format. Each dish represents a chapter of his life, an ode to the restaurant's nostalgia-laden name.