Fried momo and family dinner near Dongmyo Toy Alley: Namaste Dongmyo

I went to Dongmyo, Seoul with my family over the weekend. Dongmyo has a great flea market and a toy alley my kid loves. When dinnertime rolled around, we looked around for something to eat and found an Indian-Nepalese restaurant right in front of Dongmyo Station. Let me introduce Namaste Dongmyo Branch, where you can try something a bit different — Indian-Nepalese food.

Location and hours, right at Dongmyo Station Exit 5

2F, 18 Jibong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Namaste Dongmyo Branch, a curry spot near Dongmyo Station, was easy to find since it's right in front of Exit 5.

They're open Monday through Sunday from 11:00 to 22:00, with last order at 21:00. There are 2–3 parking spots beside the building, but on weekends it's hard to park because of the street vendors, so you'll need to use a nearby paid or public parking lot.

This place has won an award at the Korea International Culinary Competition. With so many Blue Ribbon marks around, the taste is basically guaranteed. A genuine Blue Ribbon find in Dongmyo.

The 2nd-floor Indian restaurant atmosphere

The Indian vibe hits you strong right from the entrance. There's a mysterious feel to it. A restaurant that gets you excited before you even sit down.

The atmosphere is really lovely for an Indian restaurant. It'd be great for a date, and just as good for family gatherings or get-togethers with friends.

It genuinely feels like you've stepped into India. The interior is clean and the owner was kind. It turned out to be run directly by an Indian owner. I think he was speaking Hindi — it was my first time hearing it in person, which was fascinating.

Even the water cups are pretty, and the decor is done up in Indian style. The interior is unique and stylish — a great restaurant for a special occasion or anniversary.

The couple set and ordering fried momo

Our order arrived. We got the couple set and fried momo. The couple set comes with 2 samosas, chicken tikka, shrimp chili, chicken masni, vegetable curry, plain rice, and garlic naan.

Vegetable curry and chicken curry

The vegetable curry was so good — packed with vegetables inside. The chicken curry had a soft, gentle texture. This was my first time trying traditional Indian curry, and the spices weren't overpowering at all, so even a beginner like me could eat it without any worry.

Shrimp chili and tandoori chicken

Shrimp chili and tandoori chicken. Indian curry wouldn't feel complete without tandoori chicken. The shrimp chili comes stir-fried with vegetables and was spicy. The tandoori chicken has that chicken flavor everyone loves. Stuffed into naan along with the curry, it's amazing.

Samosa with raisins inside

A hefty samosa. Samosa is an Indian fried dumpling filled with potato, peas, and raisins. Having raisins in there was unique. Crispy on the outside, with soft potato you can feel inside.

Lassi as the set drink

The set menu lets you pick a drink — tea, lassi, or yogurt — and we went with lassi. A tangy, sweet drink that really perked up our appetite.

Garlic naan and mixing it into rice

The garlic naan was chewy and delicious. We dipped naan into the curry, and also wrapped vegetables and curry inside it to eat.

The combination of curry and naan was just great. We mixed curry into the rice too, and that was delicious as well. The chicken and curry felt soft while still coming through with a nutty flavor.

Freshly fried momo

The fried momo came out fresh and hot from the fryer. Crispy on the outside with a curry-flavored inside. It was unique to try an Indian-style dumpling so different from Korean mandu. Indian-Nepalese food isn't something we get to try often, so it was great to be able to shop in Dongmyo and also enjoy delicious Indian food. If you're heading to Dongmyo to shop, I'd recommend stopping by Namaste Dongmyo Branch for the great atmosphere and a taste of authentic Indian cuisine.