Last month was the opening day of Namaste, the first real Indian restaurant in our neighborhood. I went there and was pleasantly surprised.
My family has always been a big fan of Indian cuisine and would frequently drive to Seoul or Suwon to get some authentic Indian food. There are several restaurants in Itaewon that we really like and visit every time we feel like having some lamb, chicken, lentil curries or tandoori chicken.
Now we can have that right here in front of Kangnam University! Awesome!
Local Indian restaurant Namaste owner Anwar Kim and his family.
Photos: Eldin Husic
I first met Mr. Anwar Kim, the owner of Namaste, through his bright and lovely children who attend a martial arts class with my sons. I was curious to know more about the Indian boys in my children’s class, so one day we met at the Gugal Respia Park and had a picnic together. That day Mr. Kim taught us how to play cricket, and I played that game for the first time in my life. It was a true global experience to see Indians, Canadians, Bosnians, and Koreans playing cricket together.
A few weeks later, I was invited to his restaurant Namaste. Opening this restaurant had been his dream. Mr. Kim Anwar comes from India. His wife comes from Pakistan. But their home is Korea. Their children look Indian, yet, in every other aspect, they are just like the Korean children I meet and teach every day.
They love Korea and have decided to make it their permanent home. Mr. Kim has given up his Indian citizenship and is now officially a citizen of this country. Having done this, he then made his dream of opening his own restaurant a reality.
Namaste itself is fairly small. It has four tables and it can accommodate 16 people, which, in my opinion, makes it a very uncomfortable place to dine in peace. Mr. Kim’s intention is to deliver his food to you. The place is meant to be somewhere to get take-out. Again, small groups can try the food at the restaurant as well.
A great meal at Indian restaurant Namaste
The food is reasonably priced. Dishes like the vegetarian and lentil curries are 7,000 won, chicken is 8,000 won. My favorite, lamb curry, is 10,000 won. My children’s favorite mango lassi, a yogurt drink, is 3,500 won.
My family tried the lamb korma and spinach and cottage cheese curries, boneless tandoori chicken, plain naan bread, and mango lassi. At the end of the meal there was no food left on the table. Big thumbs up and kudos to the chef!
Namaste is open every day from 11 am to 11 pm and located in front of the 800 block of the Kangnam Village apartment buildings (강남마을).
Stop by! Or order in! Either way, you’ll enjoy it!
Call Namaste at (031) 284-3614.