First Indian curry in Dongmyo, Seoul: yogurt set drink at Namaste

Today I want to introduce a genuinely great Indian curry restaurant my boyfriend and I discovered while on a date in Dongmyo. It's Namaste Dongmyo Branch, located near Dongmyo Station.

Honestly, this was my first time properly trying Indian curry, so I was half excited, half nervous about what it would taste like. But the moment I took a bite, I couldn't believe I'd never tried it before — it was so good that my boyfriend and I kept marveling at it as we ate.

This place has received a Blue Ribbon Survey selection every year from 2019 to this year, so my expectations were already high before I visited. After eating there, I understood why it's consistently been loved. Here's my review of Namaste Dongmyo Branch, a place that was easy to enjoy even for someone trying Indian curry for the first time.

Where Namaste Dongmyo Branch is and what it feels like inside

Namaste Dongmyo Branch is on the 2nd floor of a building near Exit 2 of Dongmyo Station. Since it's so close to the subway, it would also be a great stop after a Dongmyo date or browsing Dongmyo Market.

The first thing that caught my eye the moment I walked in was the exotic interior. It really felt like being at a local restaurant in India rather than in Korea, so my anticipation was already building before the food even arrived. It's a great place to visit when you want to enjoy something different from your usual meals, or want a distinctive date with your partner.

What comes in the Namaste Couple Set?

We ordered the couple set since we wanted to try a variety of Indian dishes at once.

• Samosa
• Chicken tikka
• Shrimp chili
• Chicken makhani
• Vegetable curry
• Plain rice
• Garlic naan
• Drink (choice of tea, lassi, or yogurt)

We chose yogurt as our drink. Being a set menu, the variety of dishes was really impressive. As the dishes were placed on the table one by one, the whole table filled up quickly, and we got excited even before eating.

From curry to naan, rice, shrimp dishes, and chicken, we got to enjoy a wide range — a really satisfying spread for me, an Indian food beginner. It was also fun sharing different dishes with my boyfriend and figuring out what suited our tastes.

New to Indian curry? Start with chicken makhani

The dish I enjoyed most that day was the chicken makhani curry. From the very first bite, I kept telling my boyfriend how good it was.

Maybe because it has butter and cream in it, the curry itself was very smooth and nutty, with deep flavor. It definitely had a different charm from the Korean-style curry I'm used to. The chicken inside was especially tender, blending naturally in the mouth when eaten with the curry.

The chicken is said to be halal-certified and domestically sourced, which made it feel like they paid attention to ingredients. The curry's distinctive aroma wasn't too strong or overwhelming, so I think even people trying Indian curry for the first time could enjoy it. I really loved dipping garlic naan generously into the chicken makhani.

Vegetable curry at Namaste: sweet and packed with vegetables

If chicken makhani has a smooth, nutty charm, the vegetable curry at Namaste Dongmyo Branch had a completely different appeal. It was packed with vegetables, giving it good texture, and the natural sweetness of the vegetables paired really well with the curry.

Even without meat, the flavor was rich and never bland, so I kept reaching for more. Eating it with rice in particular was absolutely addictive.

The plain rice was also a bit different from the rice I usually eat at home. It went well with the Indian curry and had a flavor that's easy for most people to like. Piling curry on top of the rice made it disappear quickly.

Chewy garlic naan, the best match for the curries

The garlic naan we had with the curry was also really delicious. The naan itself was chewy and nutty, tasty even on its own, and dipping it in curry doubled the flavor.

Piling on plenty of vegetable curry and wrapping it with the naan was especially delicious. The subtle garlic aroma of the naan blended with the sweet vegetable curry, and I kept reaching for more.

My boyfriend and I tore off pieces of naan and dipped them in curry, and before we knew it, it was all gone. Curry with rice is delicious, but curry with naan has its own distinct charm, so I'd recommend trying both ways.

Spicy shrimp chili and chicken tikka in the set

While enjoying the curries, we snacked on shrimp chili in between, and that combination was really great too.

The shrimp were plump with good texture, and the spicy chili sauce paired really well with the mild curry. In particular, when the creamy chicken makhani started feeling a bit rich, a bite of shrimp chili refreshed the palate.

I especially liked eating the shrimp chili together with the bell peppers. The crunchy texture of the peppers and the spicy sauce blended well, making it perfect to alternate with the curry.

Chicken tikka is also a must-mention. It's a chicken dish with a different charm from the curries, adding to the fun of trying various Indian dishes. With just one couple set, we got to enjoy smooth curry, spicy shrimp dishes, and chicken — the menu really felt substantial.

A first samosa that won the couple over

The samosa was a new dish for me this time. The outside was fried crispy and the inside was packed full of filling, so the texture on the first bite was really good.

The harmony between the crispy exterior and the filling made it feel familiar even though it was my first time trying it.

Getting to try so many different Indian dishes beyond just curry made me really glad we ordered the couple set.

Does the yogurt set drink go with curry?

For the Namaste couple set drink, we could choose between tea, lassi, or yogurt, and we went with yogurt. It felt like it might have been fermented in-house, and I was surprised at how well it paired with the curry.

At first, curry and yogurt together felt a bit unfamiliar, but once we tried it, the smooth yogurt cleansed the palate nicely. In particular, drinking yogurt after the spicy shrimp chili was a great combination. Alternating between curry, naan, shrimp chili, and yogurt, we could keep enjoying the meal all the way through without getting tired of it.

Would the couple return to Namaste Dongmyo Branch?

This was my first time trying Indian curry at Namaste Dongmyo Branch, and it was much more delicious than I expected — a truly satisfying meal.

The smooth, deep flavor of the chicken makhani in particular still comes to mind. The vegetable curry was also delicious, and dipping naan generously into the curry was such a good combination.

The shrimp chili, chicken tikka, and samosa were all delicious too — nothing in the couple set was disappointing. My boyfriend and I must have said