Vegetarian-friendly curry restaurant in Dongmyo: Namaste couple set

Today I want to introduce a spot that's perfect for after wandering the Dongmyo flea market or Cheonggyecheon stream ~ an exotic date course too, this Dongmyo Station curry specialist, Namaste Dongmyo Branch!!

Where is Namaste Dongmyo Branch, and what are its hours?

First off, it's right in front of Exit 5 of Dongmyo Station, where subway lines 1 and 6 run, so transit access was really good, and nearby there's the Dongmyo flea market and the currently-hot Dongdaemun stationery and toy alley selling slime and popping boba, so it's a great stop to swing by after a date wandering around haha

A Dongmyo Station curry restaurant! Namaste, a Dongmyo Station favorite with 9 straight years of Blue Ribbon

• Address - 2F, 18 Jibong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours - Daily 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00)
• Amenities - Reservations, group bookings, takeout, wifi, easy payment, parking

Namaste, this Dongmyo Station curry restaurant, has had a Blue Ribbon for a whopping 9 straight years since 2018 — real proof it's a genuine favorite, so if you're in the area I'd definitely recommend stopping by at least once haha

Inside Namaste Dongmyo Branch: atmosphere and seating

The seating inside Namaste Dongmyo Branch is mostly 4-person tables like this, and walking in, you're greeted by an exotic yet upscale interior that feels like you've actually traveled to India — distinctive, and it looked great for a date too.

What the menu offers and how much the couple set costs

The menu had all kinds of options to enjoy — set menus, à la carte dishes, and side dishes to eat alongside —

and there were also several drinks and alcohol available, so you can just order to your taste haha

We went with the couple set ~ Couple set, ₩50,000

This is the full spread of the couple set — 2 curries, 3 side dishes, rice, plus naan and lassi, so it was nice being able to enjoy a wide variety of Indian food

First to arrive: lassi, garlic naan and the side dishes

First, the lassi had that distinctive sweetness and nuttiness that cut through the punch of the curry, and it was good; for sides we got pickles and seasoned onion, and the tanginess was nice ~ for rice I prefer turmeric rice but the plain white rice wasn't bad either, and the naan was garlic naan, nutty with a subtle garlic aroma rising up — I liked it.

Tandoori chicken and chili shrimp in the couple set

Then the tandoori chicken and chili shrimp came out too, in a portion just right for two people to share, and I really liked the composition itself haha

The chili shrimp had a genuinely spicy kick that stood out — the shrimp were plump, and the crunch of the vegetables stir-fried alongside them blended in really well ~

The tandoori chicken wasn't overcooked — the outside was a bit charred and dry, but the meat inside was really tender ~ and I liked the clean, savory flavor.

Samosa, the Indian fried dumpling

And then the samosa, an Indian-style dumpling, had such a rustic shape that I was really curious what filling was inside

Cutting it open and taking a bite, inside were ingredients like potato and green peas mixed together with curry, and the nutty flavor of the root vegetables was really good, plus the added umami of the curry made the samosa really appealing too haha

How spicy is the chicken makhani at Namaste?

Then for curry, we got chicken makhani, and the chunks of chicken in it were really large, and the spices hitting your nose were really appealing.

Can you see these huge pieces of chicken?! Rather than a strong spiciness, it had a gentle heat and a savory flavor that stood out — an easygoing chicken makhani that was easy to enjoy without any burden!!

The chicken pieces were large but so tender and paired really well with the curry — genuinely delicious haha

And eating it piled onto that nutty garlic naan ~~ the combination of naan and curry haha isn't that the whole reason to seek out Indian food ~

Eating it with rice, the curry's flavor itself was so good that I really enjoyed every bite haha. Rather than being especially unique or distinctive, the food overall had good balance and a steady, basics-done-right flavor, so it's a taste anyone could come with and enjoy without any strong likes or dislikes ~

The vegetable curry that stole the meal

And then I also tried the vegetable curry, which had broccoli, potato, tofu and other ingredients inside — since I like meat more than vegetables, I ate it thinking, will this actually be good?

But the spicy curry flavor spreading across my mouth and the vegetables, softly cooked yet still keeping each of their own textures, blended together so well that it ended up being the tastiest dish I ate that day haha

Today I visited Namaste, this Dongmyo Station curry restaurant, for dinner, and the atmosphere that hits you the moment you step inside really did feel like India — and true to a restaurant that's earned 9 straight years of Blue Ribbon, the quality of the food was quite good. From the basics-done-right curry flavor to the great combination with the sides, it was all so good that if you ever find yourself out and about in Dongmyo, this is Namaste, a Dongmyo Station curry restaurant worth stopping by to try.