Hyundai Motor Group Serves Up Culinary Innovation with Chef Corey Lee as New Restaurant ‘Na Oh’ Leads Unique Customer Experiences in Singapore

Hyundai Motor Group Serves Up Culinary Innovation with Chef Corey Lee as New Restaurant ‘Na Oh’ Leads Unique Customer Experiences in Singapore

  • Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore introduces ‘Na Oh’. A unique Korean restaurant led by three-Michelin-Star Chef Corey Lee, opening on June 15
  • Na Oh aims to be cultural hub for Korean cuisine, craft and design. Features collaborations with Korean artisans
  • Restaurant to offer seasonal menu based on Korean fermentation and ingredients from HMGICS’ vertical Smart Farm, providing a unique seed-to-table experience

SEOUL/SINGAPORE, June 13, 2024 – Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) is excited to announce the opening of a new Korean restaurant, ‘Na Oh,’ with world-renowned three-Michelin-Star Chef Corey Lee. The restaurant, located at Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS), will open on June 15, aligning with the reopening of HMGICS’ customer experience programs.

Na Oh, which means ‘moving from inside out’ in Korean, is more than a restaurant. It is a cultural hub for Korean cuisine, craft and design, showcasing the work of Korean artisans. Under the culinary leadership of San Francisco-based Chef Lee, Na Oh brings a modern touch to traditional Korean cuisine, marking Lee’s debut project in Southeast Asia. 

“We’re excited to bring this unique culinary experience to our Innovation Center in Singapore,” said Sungwon Jee, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company. “By working with Chef Lee, we’re blending Korean tradition with global innovation that represents what modern Korean culture is all about.” 

The restaurant offers a unique dining experience. Every detail of Na Oh reflects Korean tradition, from the interior design to the tableware, uniforms and historic preparation techniques reimagined for the modern day. The restaurant has partnered with traditional artisans in Korea to create an authentic experience. 

Chef Lee’s 4-course prix fixe menu includes the option to choose Jinjitsang, a traditional Korean meal served with various side dishes. The menu will be updated throughout the year, highlighting creative dishes based on Korean fermentation and seasonal ingredients. 

Chef Lee’s inaugural summer menu showcases his innovative take on traditional Korean dishes. The menu features Mulhwe, a seafood dish served in an icy kimchi broth; Naengmyun, cold beef noodles; and Samgyetang, a chicken dish flavored with ginseng. 

The Samgyetang, a favorite summer dish in Korea, evokes the nostalgic taste of homemade broth and slow cooking. The Naengmyun features freshly made buckwheat noodles served in a broth prepared from dongchimi and long-simmered beef stock, accompanied by thinly sliced, sea-salt cured beef strip loin. This dish offers a refreshing and modern twist on a classic Korean favorite. 

Na Oh’s menu uses fresh ingredients grown in HMGICS’ vertical Smart Farm, offering a unique seed to-table experience. This fully automated, robotics-driven farm cultivates nine different crops, including ice plant, red coral lettuce, Swiss chard, mustard, kale, romaine lettuce and mizuna. 

“Partnering with Hyundai has been inspiring, allowing us to combine its cutting-edge innovation with our reimagined Korean cuisine,” said Chef Corey Lee. “Na Oh will introduce a fresh, accessible take on Korean cuisine to Singapore’s food lovers, merging casual and fine dining elements. Hyundai’s commitment to enhancing the HMGICS visitor experience has allowed us to offer high-quality dishes and meticulous preparation in a welcoming, family-friendly setting.”

Na Oh will be open from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Reservations are recommended and can be made through the HMGICS website here

Alongside the new restaurant, HMGICS is reopening its customer experience (CX) space with a variety of programs to increase its interaction with local customers in Singapore. This includes HMGICS’ 618-meter rooftop Skytrack, which offers visitors the opportunity for a thrilling ride in a locally produced Hyundai IONIQ 5 with a professional driver. 

Visitors can also tour the IONIQ Lounge and Smart Farm, where they can experience the harvest and enjoy a tasting of the crops. Additionally, visitors can witness the highly automated, advanced manufacturing processes in operation at HMGICS through an immersive 3D Virtual Reality tour. 

These experiences are part of an 80-minute CX Discovery Tour, offered free of charge. Reservations can be made on the HMGICS website and should be made separately to Na Oh dining reservations.