3-Michelin star Benu chef Corey Lee partners Hyundai to open restaurant in Singapore

STAR Korean-American chef Corey Lee of San Francisco’s Benu restaurant is the latest in a growing influx of major culinary names setting up shop in Singapore, but with a new twist. Instead of taking on local partners to open a hip eatery in the likes of Dempsey or Amoy Street, he’s headed to Jurong – where he is tied up with motoring giant Hyundai to serve traditional Korean cuisine in its new research and production facility.

Set to open in June at Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre Singapore (HMGICS), the new restaurant, named Na Oh (“moving from inside out” in Korean) also marks the South-east Asian debut of Lee, whose restaurant is regularly listed among the top restaurants in the city.

In 2015, he became the first Korean chef to achieve three Michelin stars, long before Korean food became a global phenomenon. Currently, there is only one other Korean chef helming a three-starred restaurant – Sung Anh of Mosul in Seoul.

While word about Lee’s involvement with Hyundai has been circling in the food and beverage industry for months, with Lee himself visiting Singapore in April, it was officially announced by Hyundai on May 14. 

The collaboration is part of Hyundai’s plans to go beyond conventional car-making and turn HMGICS into a lifestyle destination and cultural hub for Korean cuisine and design.  “(Lee’s) innovative vision for food resonates with the innovations embedded at HMGICS,” said a spokesperson for Hyundai.

“Na Oh will be a casual family restaurant, using the same quality produce and techniques of fine dining,” added the spokesman. “It will be open to the public to serve a wide range of customers.”

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Central to Na Oh is a farm-to-table concept which will feature vegetables farmed at HMGICS’ own two-storey vertical smart farm, which can harvest up to 30 kg of produce daily.

“The Smart Farm has been in operation since last November, and grows up to nine different crops within the facility,” said the spokesperson. “Harvested produce is given to customers as a memento of their visit and it will also be featured on the tasting menu of the restaurant as one of our customer experiences.”

HMGCIS was officially opened in November 2023 at Bulim Avenue within the Jurong Innovation District as a global innovation hub to conduct research and development and build electric vehicles. The seven-storey complex has close to 1 million square feet and a production capacity of up to 30,000 cars a year.

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While innovation is the core of the facility, the menu will be focused on hansik, or traditional Korean cuisine, but through a modern lens, said Lee. “It’s been inspiring to bring together the innovation that Hyundai offers with the traditional cooking techniques we have reimagined for the menu.” 

Lee, who opened the modern-Asian Benu in 2010 after a career as chef de cuisine at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, is driving the entire concept of Na Oh from its interior design to the menu, kitchen as well as staffing.

While he will make the commute from San Francisco, the day-to-day operations are managed by a Singapore-based team including Korean chefs from several established restaurants who spent time training in San Francisco in preparation for the opening.

While the exact details haven’t been finalised, Na Oh is expected to serve a fixed-price menu based on seasonal ingredients. Meanwhile, the prospect of shopping for a car and sampling Michelin-inspired Korean cuisine is likely to draw jaded diners to the west end of Singapore come June.