Dongmyo flea market date lunch at Namaste, a Seoul Indian restaurant

Today I'm bringing you a restaurant review — this Saturday I went on a date to Dongmyo. Since we planned to look around the Dongmyo flea market and the Changsin-dong toy alley, I searched for a lunch spot and ended up at Namaste Dongmyo Branch for curry.

I'd heard it's been a steady Blue Ribbon pick, so I went in with high expectations. We arrived around noon and there was no wait, but almost every seat was taken — it was busy.

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

Namaste Dongmyo Branch is an Indian restaurant on the 2nd floor of 18 Jibong-ro, near Dongmyo Station. It's open daily 11:00–22:00, with last order at 21:00.

• Open daily 11:00–22:00
• Last order 21:00
• No parking (Changsin 1-dong Community Center parking recommended)

If you're planning to eat and then explore around Dongmyo like we did, the location worked out well for the route.

We visited during Saturday lunch and couldn't sit right away — we waited briefly on the chairs by the entrance. It wasn't a long wait though, and we were soon shown to a window seat overlooking the street. I'd been looking for somewhere to eat near Dongmyo Station, and if you're hunting for restaurants around Dongmyo Station, this is worth keeping in mind. It's especially good because you don't just eat and leave — you can pair it with the Dongmyo flea market or the Changsin-dong toy alley, which makes it a nice weekend date route.

Saturday lunch at Namaste Dongmyo Branch: the room and the window seat

Walking inside, there were more seats than I'd expected. Since it was lunchtime, nearly every table was full, with a mix of families and couples on dates. After a short wait we were shown to a window seat, which was nice for watching the street while eating.

Since we'd come from wandering around Dongmyo, sitting by the window and eating slowly had a real date-like feel. If you're looking for Indian food near Dongmyo Station and want a place that's neither too casual nor too formal, this could work well. In practice, there were plenty of families too, so it suits a range of situations.

What comes in the 50,000-won couple set for two?

Since there were two of us, instead of ordering separately we went with the couple set for two at ₩50,000. It came with 2 samosas, 4 pieces of chicken tikka, shrimp chili, chicken makhani, vegetable curry, garlic naan and rice. For drinks, we could choose 2 from lassi or tea, and we picked mango lassi and lemon tea.

With two types of curry plus three side dishes, this seemed like a great way for first-time visitors to sample several menu items at once. And since the curries were already decided as part of the set, there wasn't much agonizing over what to order.

Three sides: chicken tikka, shrimp chili and samosas

The sides came out first.

First, three side dishes arrived. The chicken tikka felt like a non-spicy grilled chicken breast, and with 4 pieces served, we split 2 each. Each piece was bigger than expected, so it was pretty filling.

The chili shrimp was shrimp and vegetables stir-fried spicy, and it was spicier than expected. I was fine with it, but if you're bringing spice beginners or kids, it's worth being cautious.

The samosa looked like a fried dumpling, with a filling inside like curry croquette. It's delicious while warm, so I'd recommend eating it as soon as it arrives.

How were the chicken makhani, vegetable curry and garlic naan?

Next came the chicken makhani, vegetable curry, garlic naan, and rice. The garlic naan came with 3 pieces.

Let me show you the chicken makhani first! 😆

• The chicken makhani was creamy, easy to eat without feeling heavy, and had chunky pieces of chicken.

• The vegetable curry had a slight spicy kick like chili oil, and it worked even better with rice. It also had a bit of a tomato stew-like feel.

Drinks at Namaste Dongmyo Branch: mango lassi and hot lemon tea

For drinks we ordered mango lassi and lemon tea. The mango lassi came at no extra charge and was smooth and sweet, pairing well with the spicy food.

The lemon tea was served hot with no iced option, but it was nice for cleansing the palate after the meal.

Overall, the couple set turned out to have more food than expected for two people. With sides made of meat and shrimp, plus chicken in the curry too, both the variety and total volume were quite generous.

A date route linking Dongmyo flea market and Changsin-dong toy alley

This time we didn't just eat and leave — we also explored the Dongmyo flea market and the Changsin-dong toy alley together. Dongmyo-ap is fun for browsing the flea market, and heading toward Changsin-dong there's also a toy alley, making it good to combine a meal with sightseeing nearby.

After lunch that day, we continued on to the Changsin-dong toy alley, and having things to see beyond just the meal made it a good date route to move through. If you're looking for a Dongmyo date restaurant, planning the meal and the surrounding sightseeing together seems like a good idea. Especially if you're visiting after searching for Dongmyo restaurants, I'd recommend bundling the flea market and toy alley into a full day out. It was also a nice way to enjoy a leisurely weekend meal out in Dongmyo, just like we did.

Is Namaste Dongmyo Branch worth it? Final verdict

This was my first visit to Namaste Dongmyo Branch while searching for Dongmyo curry restaurants. I'd heard it was famous as a Blue Ribbon pick and went in with expectations, and eating there, I was satisfied being able to try not just curry but chicken tikka, chili shrimp, and samosa all together. The side dishes in particular had good quality, and the curries had different flavors that were nice to alternate between.

That said, the portion is quite a lot for two people, so if you don't eat much, the couple set might feel a bit generous. For families, adding extra curry or rice to the couple set and sharing could work well too. And if you're searching for curry near Dongmyo Station and want to try several Indian dishes at once, being able to sample a variety in one visit is a real plus.

This visit made me feel it's a solid option for anyone looking for Indian food in Dongmyo or a good Indian curry restaurant. If I come back to Dongmyo, I'd like to try the other curries I didn't get to this time, so I'm open to a return visit. If you're looking for a Blue Ribbon restaurant in Dongmyo or want to pair Indian food near Dongmyo Station with a date route nearby, combining it with the Dongmyo flea market and Changsin-dong toy alley is worth trying.