Neighbourhood Korean BBQ
Tucked away in the leafy Bukit Timah neighbourhood, Nami Korean Grill House offers a cosy Korean BBQ experience away from the CBD hustle. From the same team behind the highly rated Hanjip Korean Grill House at Clarke Quay, Nami specializes in premium meats. From high-grade Wagyu to carefully selected cuts, all the meats are expertly grilled and served with attentive care in a relaxed, rustic setting.
Since opening in 2023, they’ve built a loyal following thanks to the quality of their meats, flavourful banchan, and their famously crispy seafood pancakes. They’ve just refreshed their menu, adding new lunch items and premium meat options, which we’ll be highlighting in this post.
The Difference is in the Banchan
One key distinguishing feature of any Korean BBQ restaurant is its banchan. These free-flow side dishes can often be the deciding factor for patrons choosing one spot over another.
At Nami, the Crispy Anchovies with Peanut have that exact addictive quality that keeps you coming back. Their fresh kimchi is also unlike most other places. It is made daily rather than left to ferment overnight. The wong bok (cabbage) retains a satisfying crunch and vibrant freshness.
The chefs take pride in preparing all their banchan in-house, ensuring each dish is always fresh, well-balanced, and artisanal.
Attentive Tableside Service
One of the key reasons for Nami’s success is the exceptional level of service, often highlighted in online reviews. During our visit, we experienced this firsthand. The meats were expertly grilled and beautifully presented on individual plates. Our server paid meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that each cut was cooked to perfection and presented with care.
Meat quality is often what sets one Korean BBQ apart from another. At Nami Korean Grill House, you’ll find carefully selected premium cuts, including Kurobuta and USDA Prime beef.
Premium Japanese Wagyu – NEW!
Nami has recently added A5 Japanese Wagyu to their menu, including cuts like the ribeye cap. Any beef lover knows this is the most tender and beautifully marbled part of the ribeye.
With A5 Wagyu, the marbling is even more pronounced, delivering a rich, melt-in-your-mouth experience. While it’s not something you’d eat in large quantities, it’s the perfect choice if you want to savor that juicy, luxurious burst of flavor with every slice!
Another highlight is the A5 Wagyu Ribeye steak, meticulously trimmed of excess fat. As one of the most premium cuts of beef, it doesn’t come cheap and is rarely found at many Korean BBQ restaurants — making it a delightful surprise at a casual neighbourhood spot like Nami.
Interestingly, because fat is less dense than muscle, a Wagyu ribeye of the same weight as an Angus ribeye will actually appear larger. And with such a well-marbled cut, you won’t be able to eat as much as you would of lean beef. But each morsel hits all the right notes on the palate, delivering a truly indulgent experience.
New Dishes for Lunch
If you’re after a quick lunch, the restaurant has just added four new dishes to the menu.
On a cold, rainy day, you’d want to order the Busan-style Pork Bone Rice Soup (dwaeji-gukbap) which has rice submerged in a hearty, milky broth made from long-simmered pork bones and topped with pork belly, stomach and thinly sliced collar meat. Rounding out the selection are two luxurious rice bowls, one topped with tender Korean abalone and the other with succulent Wagyu. Both are paired with pickled onions, zucchini, and other fresh accompaniments.
For those craving something bold, the new Spicy Pollock Roe Stew comes features both milt and roe in a spicy, savoury soup. This stew is available all day.
Jeju Black Pork and Hanwoo
19 Mar 2026 update: They now serve the sweet, nutty Jeju Black Pork at Nami Korean Grill House too – one of the most memorable things we ate in Korea. It’s great to see this prized pork finally arrive on our shores in late 2025.
Alongside the Black Pork, you can also enjoy Hanwoo (Korean beef). It’s beautifully marbled, but quite different from Wagyu (Japanese beef) in flavour and texture. Read more in my write-up here 👉🏼 here.
Wagyu Oyster Blade
Reservation Special: Free Wagyu Oyster Blade
To celebrate the launch of the new menu, diners who reserve their seats with the code IEATNAMI will receive a complimentary Australian Wagyu Oyster Blade (valued at $48++). This is valid until 30 November 2025.
19 Mar 2026 Update:
Good news! You may use the code WAGYUBEEF to get the same Australian Wagyu Oyster Blade for free when you make an online reservation.
Reserve here -> https://bit.ly/ReserveNami
Conclusion
In a market crowded with KBBQ restaurants, Nami stands out with its tranquil setting, rustic laid-back atmosphere, attentive service, and premium cuts of meat. For those in the Bukit Timah area, it’s the ideal spot to enjoy quality KBBQ in a relaxed environment.
Also read about Hanjip Korean Grill House.
Disclosure: this is written in partnership with Nami Korean Grill House.
