Jongno Indian restaurant for cheese naan: Namaste Dongmyo Branch

A Blue Ribbon–recognized Indian curry spot 😎 Namaste by Dongmyoap

My younger sibling and I were hanging out around Dongmyoap and stopped by Namaste, an Indian-curry specialist famous as a great Dongmyo restaurant. It has apparently been selected for the Blue Ribbon for nine consecutive years, and the moment we stepped in, it had that proper Indian-restaurant atmosphere :) It had been a while since I enjoyed such an exotic mood along with delicious Indian food, from curry to naan. It was lovely for a different kind of meal in Dongmyo.

Namaste’s location and exterior right by Dongmyoap Station

Namaste is practically steps from Dongmyoap Station Exit 5—you see it as soon as you come out. It is on the second floor, but the bright orange sign makes it easy to spot even from a distance.

The building looked rather old, so I wondered whether the restaurant would feel like a long-established old spot as we headed upstairs...

But once we reached the second floor, Namaste Dongmyo Branch had this unexpectedly different atmosphere waiting for us.

Indian décor-filled interior and table seating

A colorful sculpture with an Indian feel welcomes you the moment you enter. I looked up the red symbol beneath it because I was curious: it is Om (🕉️), said to wish for good fortune and blessings in Indian restaurants and locally ;) Maybe it is a little like a dried pollack charm for warding off bad luck or a lucky pouch in Korea? Haha.

There were also stickers lining the wall for cooking-competition awards and nine straight years of Blue Ribbon recognition, which definitely raised my expectations 👍

There was plenty of seating farther inside, so it looked suitable for groups and all sorts of gatherings. Indian ornaments and little decorative pieces filled the space, making it easy to enjoy that exotic atmosphere throughout the meal. We visited late, so there were plenty of open tables and we took the window seat we wanted :)

A wide-ranging menu, from curry to Nepalese dishes

Looking through the menu at the table, there was such a wide range: Indian curries, naan, snacks, lassi, and even traditional Nepalese dishes. Most curries were in the low-to-mid ₩10,000 range, while naan was around ₩2,500–₩5,000, and there were set menus too. If we had come for lunch, we could have ordered the signature thali (Indian-style set meal) to try several things at once—but sadly we came for dinner, so we mainly ordered individual dishes.

• Lamb kadai curry ₩13,500 / Palak paneer curry ₩13,500
• Steamed momos ₩10,000 / Chicken chili ₩12,000
• Garlic naan ₩3,000 / Cheese naan ₩5,000 / Beer ₩5,000

Cheese naan, two curries, and Nepalese momos

Before the food arrived, we started with a refreshing beer 🍻 Since it was nighttime, we went for a light little treat instead of lassi, haha.

Then the curries, naan, and chicken chili we had been waiting for arrived.

Whenever I come to an Indian restaurant, I somehow look forward to naan even more than the main-event curry. We ordered both garlic naan and cheese naan. The chewy garlic naan was of course delicious, with a gentle garlic aroma, but cheese lovers absolutely have to order the cheese naan... It was loaded with stretchy cheese and tasted great even on its own 👍👍 Naan is essential with Indian curry!

The lamb kadai curry was recommended when I said I wanted a curry with lots of spice fragrance. It was a little spicy and nutty, and went well with naan. Palak paneer is a spinach-based curry with mild paneer, an Indian cheese. The green color may look a bit like strange food, but it is smooth and nutty—one of my favorite curries, and one I order all the time at Indian restaurants 😊

We ordered chicken chili to have alongside the naan. It had onion and bell pepper in a sweet-and-spicy-ish sauce, a little like Indian-style dakgangjeong (sweet crispy chicken). It tasted fine, but thinking about wrapping something in naan, I would probably order tandoori chicken from the clay oven next time.

Steamed momo (Nepalese dumplings)! I was intrigued to see steamed dumplings rather than samosas at an Indian curry restaurant, so we ordered them. The meat had a gentle infusion of spices, making them a special little treat :) The two of us ordered several dishes, and after sharing a bit of everything, we left really full and happy ;) Highly, highly recommend the cheese naan!

An exotic meal that suited a Dongmyo date

Namaste Dongmyo Branch is right in front of Dongmyoap Station, so it is easy to reach, and its varied menu—from curries and naan to Nepalese dishes—makes it nice for enjoying a little of everything. As you would expect from a place selected for the Blue Ribbon for so long, the dishes had well-balanced spices and tasted clean and delicious. The restaurant also had an exotic atmosphere, so I think it would make a nice Dongmyo date stop. The signature lunch thali looked well composed and good value too, so I will have to come back for the lunch menu next time.