Kid-friendly Indian curry set with 3 lassi flavors: Namaste Dongmyo

These days when we eat out with our kid, we try not to just pick familiar menus but to gradually try a bit of variety. This time we went to Namaste Dongmyo Branch in Dongmyo. I'd been to a few Indian curry or Nepalese specialty places before, but this one kept coming up in Blue Ribbon Survey listings, so I was curious.

To cut to the conclusion, our family was pretty satisfied. It was less of a hassle than I expected to bring our kid along, and the curries and lassi were all good overall.

Namaste Dongmyo Branch location and hours

• Address: 18 Jibong-ro, Geumgang Building 2F, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Location: 1-minute walk from Exit 5 of Dongmyo Station
• Hours: Daily 11:00–23:00 (as of search)
• Parking: Nearby paid parking lots recommended

It's really close to Dongmyo Station, so it's easy to find. The area gets crowded on weekends, so the subway seems more convenient than driving.

A Blue Ribbon restaurant, so I was extra curious

On my first visit, what I was most curious about was the taste. Indian or Nepalese food can sometimes be tough to share with a kid if the spices are too strong or the seasoning too heavy. But here, the spices overall didn't feel overwhelming — the flavors were pretty clean and well-balanced.

I could see why it's known as a Blue Ribbon restaurant in Dongmyo — the curry's thickness and the flavor of the ingredients were solid too. We ordered the two-person set, which came with salad, samosa, tandoori chicken, two curries, naan and rice all at once, so it was great for trying a bit of everything.

Both the vegetable curry and chicken curry were great

We tried both vegetable curry and chicken curry, and both were delicious. The vegetable curry was soft and mild, easy to eat with our kid, while the chicken curry had a deeper, richer flavor that went well with naan.

Tearing off pieces of naan to dip into the curry made it fun for our kid too. Instead of just saying 'try this,' letting her dip the naan into the curry herself seemed to make Indian food, which was unfamiliar to her, feel less intimidating.

Three lassi flavors: mango, blueberry, strawberry

We ordered three lassi flavors — mango, blueberry and strawberry. Lassi is yogurt-based, so it's a good drink to share with a kid, and comparing the three flavors was fun. They were tangy yet smooth, and paired well with sips between bites of curry.

It's oddly enjoyable to experience new menus like this with our kid. Chatting about 'which flavor do you like best?' turns it from just a meal out into a little shared experience.

Attention paid even to the ingredients

Inside the restaurant, there were notices explaining that the chicken and certain ingredients were certified raw materials. That's the kind of detail I pay more attention to when eating with our kid, so it was personally reassuring. It was nice that there was information about ingredients, not just the taste.

A good Dongmyo curry restaurant to visit with kids

If you're looking for a Blue Ribbon restaurant in Dongmyo and want to try something a bit different from usual, Namaste Dongmyo Branch is worth it. The two-person set lets you sample several menus at once, so it's not intimidating even for first-timers with Indian or Nepalese food. If you have a kid, starting with relatively mild options like vegetable curry or naan seems like a good idea.

We enjoyed the vegetable curry, chicken curry, and all three lassi flavors, so our satisfaction was high. We went in with expectations just from hearing the name 'Blue Ribbon restaurant in Dongmyo,' and the taste and composition lived up to it — a place that makes me want to come back.