Riyadh is brimming with renowned international chefs, hoping to make their mark on the Kingdom’s capital. Recently South Korean chef and owner of award-winning restaurants worldwide, Akira Back, opened Namu in the Esplanade Mall along Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al-Awal Road.
Namu offers a range of Korean dishes, including comforting soups and stews suitable for winter, popular street foods listed as starters, and traditional offerings with rice or noodles.
The Korean stews offered in Namu are Sundubu Jjigae, a spicy seafood soup with tofu and egg priced at SR45 ($12), Doenjang jjigae, a savory soybean paste stew with beef and tofu, and BTS Jjiggae, a spicy bone broth stew with beef, rice cakes, and served with ramyeon for SR65.
For starters, there are pan-fried shrimp and chicken dumplings priced at SR49, seafood pajeon, seafood scallion crispy pancakes with soy sauce, and tteoppoki rice cakes with oden and spicy Korean sauce for SR39.
To go on the grill, Namu offers striploin, sliced Austrian wagyu for SR109, US prime brisket for SR89, as well as snow flower short ribs and Austrian short ribs for SR149.
The menu includes popular Korean barbecue meats, including marinated galbi, bulgogi, and spicy marinated chicken.
The barbecue menu offers a jumbo shrimp meal for SR109, and for vegetarians a platter which includes mushrooms, pumpkin, onion, and Korean Zucchini.
The grilling options come with a complementary set of banchan, which are Korean side dishes, one salad, and ssam, leafy vegetables used to wrap pieces of meat and other fillings.
Namu’s dessert menu includes a variety of bingsu, a popular summertime dessert in Korea, made of shaved ice topped with red beans and drizzled with milk, with the option of several toppings.
Namu’s bingsu options include strawberry cheesecake, mango caramel popcorn, tiramisu, honey melon, and chocolate madness — all priced at SR45.
Namu opens weekdays from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., and on Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 2 a.m.
For more information, check the restaurant’s Instagram @namu.ksa.
