Nami Korean Grill House Review: New BBQ Restaurant With Wagyu & Prime Cuts, Traditional Korean Dishes
Feeding the ever-growing love for Korean food in Singapore is yet another KBBQ joint - NAMI Korean Grill House. Created by the same folks behind the popular Hanjip Korean Grill House, NAMI is tucked away in the quiet Greenwood neighbourhood and takes on a more relaxed vibe inspired by South Korea's popular Nami Island.
The restaurant's interior design is kept simple and fuss-free, with cosy, dim lighting and a splash of nature with faux autumn leaves wrapped around a pillar.
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
And good news for those who prefer to have the grilling done by the experts, the staff at Nami Korean Grill House will do all the work, barbecuing the meat to your desired doneness.
First timers who want a taste of the different meat cuts can go for the platters. If you're in the mood for pork, get the Kurobuta Platter ($98 for 450g), which comes with three types of pork. Prefer beef? Go for one of the Beef Platters ($138/$148 for 500g) that have a mix of wagyu beef, short ribs and beef brisket.
Or get a mix of beef and pork cuts with the premium NAMI Platters ($168/$148 for 600 - 650g).
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The beautifully marbled Wagyu Striploin ($68 for 200g) was the standout star of our meal. Succulent yet firm and with a robust flavour, this prized meat was good enough on its own. Dip it in the salt, sweet tari sauce or ssamjang for extra flavour.
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We also loved the Marinated Boneless Short Ribs ($45 for 150g) for its tenderness and deep beefy flavour enhanced by the smoky char from the charcoal grill.
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The fatty and juicy Marinated Pork Collar ($35 for 150g) was scored which gave every piece a burst of fragrant sweet and salty flavours. Curiously, the marinate reminded us of Chinese-style char siew!
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
Like any respectable Korean BBQ restaurant, NAMI serves up complimentary, free-flow banchan including spice-packed Kimchi, refreshing and palate-cleansing Pickled Radish, and a sticky mix of Anchovies & Peanuts. The side dishes change daily with some available only in the afternoon or night, like Lotus Root - a dinnertime exclusive.
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To complete your meal are a wide range of traditional Korean dishes like the light and fluffy Steamed Egg ($10) and Pancakes ($20 - $22) with a choice of seafood, kimchi, potato or chives.
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The Kimchi Pancake ($20) was a little underwhelming as it lacked that coveted crispy edge and could've done with stronger sour and spicy flavours.
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There are also hearty soups like Ginseng Chicken ($30). The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender as promised, but the ginseng taste was milder than expected. If you're not a fan of that potent herbal taste of typical ginseng soup, NAMI's rendition will be a comforting fix that won't overwhelm your taste buds.
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A unique dish worth trying is Marinated Prawns ($48). This delicacy has raw prawns soaked in a mild soy sauce. After getting past the initial skepticism, we were pleasantly surprised as the prawns had no trace of fishiness. Instead, they had a natural sweetness combined with the saltiness of the sauce, and a lovely bouncy texture that was firmer and more palatable compared to marinated raw crab.
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Wash all that down with some soju! NAMI offers Chorong Chorong Soju ($18/bottle, $48 for 3) which is a much milder and sweeter soju and comes in a variety of fruity flavours like apple and lychee.
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NAMI is currently running a promotion where you can receive a complimentary plate of Wagyu Beef Brisket worth ($32++) with a minimum spend of $100++. All you have to do is make your reservation via Chope and apply the code 'NAMIBRISKET', then flash the Facebook post or Instagram post when ordering.
The barbecued meat at NAMI was stellar and left us reminiscing about it fondly. Still, the restaurant is in a pretty ulu area that's an 11-minute walk away from the nearest MRT station. If the journey there is inconvenient, you might be better off heading to the more accessible Hanjip (Clarke Quay MRT) instead.
More barbecue joints in Singapore:
- Meow Barbecue: cat-themed BBQ at Bugis+ has premium quality meat and cute cat paw desserts
- Waa Cow! Yakiniku: affordable BBQ with wide variety of unique dipping sauces including truffle and mentaiko
- OMMA Korean Charcoal BBQ: Singapore's First Wood-Fire KBBQ Has 5 Types Of Wood
