Dongmyo Indian restaurant private-room date with mango lassi: Namaste

Namaste Dongmyo Branch's couples set, an Indian curry favorite near Dongmyo Station, where the spicy shrimp chili was the real kick.

My partner and I had thoroughly demolished Dongdaemun and walked along Cheonggyecheon like a couple of wandering tourists on our way back. We got hungry and decided to try Indian curry near the station — somewhere we'd never eaten before. Challenge accepted!

Right in front of Dongmyo Station is Namaste, where the couples set for two is ₩50,000 and lets you try a bunch of dishes at once — perfect for my partner's first-ever Indian curry experience. The shrimp chili turned out spicier than expected and ended up being the most memorable dish of the whole meal.

Where is Namaste Dongmyo Branch? 2nd floor right by Dongmyo Station Exit 5

Namaste is on the 2nd floor at 18 Jibong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's right in front of Dongmyo Station Exit 5, so it wasn't hard to find.

It's on the 2nd floor above Bread One bakery — just head up the back stairs. This might be one of the most station-adjacent restaurants near Dongmyo Station.

• Address: 18 Jibong-ro, 2nd floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Location: In front of Dongmyo Station Exit 5
• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00
• Last order: 21:00
• Couples set for 2: ₩50,000

Parking is free on weekdays if the building lot has space, but if it's full or on weekends, you'll need to pay for parking at the Changsin 1-dong Community Center public lot.

Private room seating at Namaste Dongmyo Branch: warmer than the hall, full of Indian decor

Walking in, the interior felt super authentic. The decor really nailed the Indian atmosphere, with statues of various deities placed all around. The walls were done in embroidery too, so it was fun just looking around at all the Indian decorations.

We first sat at a table in the middle, but it was too cold, so we moved to a private room. Turned out the room was actually cozier and nicer. It was also more comfortable for the two of us to sit and eat together — good call!

There was a big country-of-origin sign posted on the wall, so I took a look. The lamb is halal-certified from Brazil, and the chicken is halal-certified and domestic. The spices are sourced from India and Nepal, while the rice and vegetables are domestic.

I thought about ordering à la carte, but since it was our first visit, I wanted to try a bunch of dishes, so we went with the ₩50,000 couples set for two. All the staff seemed to be foreign nationals. The couples set comes with 2 pieces of samosa, 4 pieces of chicken tikka, shrimp chili, chicken makhani, vegetable curry, plain rice, garlic naan, and a lassi. We ordered the lassi as mango lassi.

While waiting, I browsed the menu and saw they also sell gulab jamun and rasgulla, which were once a trend among mukbang YouTubers. I was curious, but my partner doesn't like anything too sweet, so we skipped them this time.

What comes in the 50,000 won couples set, and how spicy is the shrimp chili?

After about 10 minutes of waiting, a generous spread was set down in front of us. The basic side dishes were pickles and marinated onions.

We started with the chicken tikka and shrimp chili first.

The chicken tikka wasn't spicy and was a bit on the dry side. Still, it was pleasant enough to eat without any complaints.

But the shrimp chili was spicier than expected. Seriously buldak-level, and both our lips were swollen haha. When things got a bit too rich, a bite of shrimp chili reset the palate completely — great balance. Personally, the spicy shrimp chili was the most delicious dish in the whole set. I could've eaten a whole plate of just that..

Chicken makhani, garlic naan and vegetable curry at Namaste Dongmyo Branch

The chicken makhani was sweet, tangy, and nutty all at once. Piled on top of the garlic naan, it disappeared in no time. I also tried mixing it into the rice, but personally I thought it went better with naan than rice.

The naan came in 3 pieces, each bigger than two palms put together. Tearing it apart by hand, you could feel the chewy texture along the grain.

I tried the vegetable curry and it tasted more familiar than I expected. It had a flavor somewhat similar to Japanese curry, so I think it would be pretty inoffensive even for spice beginners. Indian curry can seem intimidating at first because of the spices, but this vegetable curry was a relatively approachable flavor.

The mango lassi had a pleasantly sweet yogurt flavor. A familiar taste is a scary thing haha. It paired really well when the shrimp chili got too spicy to handle.

The samosa was packed with big chunks of potato and various vegetables inside. The outside was crispy, giving it almost a pie-like feel. It was plenty tasty even without dipping it in ketchup.

Verdict: a good first Indian curry dinner near Dongmyo Station

If you find yourself near Dongmyo Station craving Indian curry, this place is worth a visit. Especially if you're not sure what to order, going with the couples set that includes several dishes was a solid choice. Being able to try curry, naan, samosa, chicken tikka, and shrimp chili all at once made it easy to figure out what suits your own taste.

Since it's right in front of Dongmyo Station Exit 5, it's super convenient to get to compared to other restaurants near Dongmyo Station. It's reportedly received the Blue Ribbon award several times, so if you're looking for something a little different to eat around Dongmyo, give it a try. Just keep in mind the shrimp chili is spicier than expected, so it's worth noting if you're not great with spicy food!