[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/crew-eats-the-crew-at-naeum-share-their-go-to-places-for-a-bite\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/crew-eats-the-crew-at-naeum-share-their-go-to-places-for-a-bite\/","headline":"Crew Eats: The crew at NAE:UM share their go-to places for a bite","name":"Crew Eats: The crew at NAE:UM share their go-to places for a bite","description":"At his inaugural restaurant NAE:UM, chef Louis Han wants to reconcile with his past and pays homage to the culinary experiences he gleaned from going around the world. A former head chef at the now-defunct contemporary Korean restaurant Kimme, chef Han hails from the Gangnam district of Seoul, the cosmopolitan capital of South Korea where […]","datePublished":"2021-10-19","dateModified":"2022-06-29","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/ler-jun-sng\/#Person","name":"Ler Jun Sng","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/ler-jun-sng\/","identifier":320,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/96c2c5ed54668ff02cc041326a58a56424181d9285b8f54cd192dd573e876ae5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/96c2c5ed54668ff02cc041326a58a56424181d9285b8f54cd192dd573e876ae5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1634635865641_Crew_Eats_NAEUM_Feature_Image_John_Heng_1280x727.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1634635865641_Crew_Eats_NAEUM_Feature_Image_John_Heng_1280x727.jpg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/crew-eats-the-crew-at-naeum-share-their-go-to-places-for-a-bite\/","commentCount":"3","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/crew-eats-the-crew-at-naeum-share-their-go-to-places-for-a-bite\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2026-04-28 12:27:28","description":"This content stands out from the rest.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Brown salomon shoes","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/men\/Salomon-Men-Shoes"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/crew-eats-the-crew-at-naeum-share-their-go-to-places-for-a-bite\/#Comment2","dateCreated":"2026-04-24 17:16:19","description":"Great effort, well appreciated.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Salomon x ultra 5 gtx hiking shoes","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/men\/Salomon-Men-Shoes"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/crew-eats-the-crew-at-naeum-share-their-go-to-places-for-a-bite\/#Comment3","dateCreated":"2026-04-23 18:07:57","description":"This was very enlightening.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"nb running shoes","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-tag\/new-balance-men-running-shoes"}}],"about":["Food","Local","Review","Singapore"],"wordCount":1405,"articleBody":"At his inaugural restaurant NAE:UM, chef Louis Han wants to reconcile with his past and pays homage to the culinary experiences he gleaned from going around the world. A former head chef at the now-defunct contemporary Korean restaurant Kimme, chef Han hails from the Gangnam district of Seoul, the cosmopolitan capital of South Korea where he cut his teeth in the culinary arts from the tender age of 14.Chef Louis Han is the chef-founder of NAE:UM. (Photo courtesy of John Heng for NAE:UM)In the decades that followed, he has prepared international cuisines to military officers and dignitaries in Lebanon; worked at Marco Polo, a Mediterranean fine-dining restaurant at Grand Intercontinental Hotel in Seoul; and collaborated with world-renowned chefs such as Joan Roca and Alain Passard. He eventually relocated to Abu Dhabi where he honed his skills at Circo, an award-winning Italian fine-dining restaurant, before moving to Singapore in 2016.\u00a0Following his departure from Kimme in 2020, he returned to Seoul, where he reconnected with Korean food and its culture at the two-Michelin starred restaurant Mosu, picked up pottery and tended to his small family farm. All of which were instrumental in moulding his global sensibilities, developing his culinary palate and most importantly, influencing his cooking style.Hailing from South Korea, Chef Louis Han is presently living with his Singaporean wife in Singapore. (Photo courtesy of John Heng for NAE:UM)On paper, NAE:UM is a contemporary South Korean restaurant. But perhaps for the 31-year-old chef-founder, it is an extension of what he remembers and loves of his hometown and Seoul, where its hospitality, comfort and complex flavours take centrestage.Impeccable yet wholly inviting, the restaurant\u2019s brightly-lit interior boasts plenty of wooden accents, comprising oakwood tables and furniture decked in warm birch tone, as well as an open kitchen for guests to satisfy their curiosities or simply to marvel at chef Han and his team working their magic.\u00a0\u00a0Chef Han describes the restaurant\u2019s menu as \u201cepisodic\u201d because each edition references a part of chef Han\u2019s culinary journey across the globe. Although most of the dishes are irrevocably South Korean, they are innovative and wholly unique with several interesting twists; they are either prepared with some facet of Western techniques or made using Korean ingredients, such as Gochujang sauce, in a surprising manner.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In this series of Crew Eats, we interview the staff of NAE:UM, who are all foodies, and who share with us their favourite dining haunts, comfort food and more.We hear from Louis Han, Chef-Founder of NAE:UM; sous chef Ben Goh, demi chef de partie Kenneth Tham, commis Caleb Gan, Ariel Mojica, NAE:UM\u2019s Restaurant Manager, and Jay Ho, NAE:UM\u2019s Assistant Restaurant Manager.\u00a0(Photo courtesy of John Heng for NAE:UM)Louis Han, Chef-Founder of NAE:UMChef Louis Han brings his globe-trotting sensibilities to NAE:UM. (Photo courtesy of NAE:UM)With several stints in places across the globe, including a two Michelin-starred restaurant, and having collaborated with notable chefs, 31-year-old Louis Han has made a name for himself in the local and international culinary scene. His inaugural restaurant NAE:UM, which opened in July this year, is his next big challenge.On his favourite comfort food, the Seoulite relishes a bowl of Dwaegi Gukbap, a popular South Korean soup made using pork, soy sauce, miso, bone broth and more.\u00a0 \u201cI used to eat this a lot when I was young or whenever I was hungover,\u201d he says.But occasionally chef Han would go scouring for authentic South Korean fares. One of his favourite haunts is Go! KBBQ. \u201cFor more than two years, I worked opposite them, and Go! KBBQ serves really authentic Korean barbeque,\u201d he says. When asked what was the best meal he has consumed, he jokes, \u201cWhen my wife cooks for me, which hasn\u2019t happened yet.\u201d(Photo courtesy of NAE:UM)Go! K-BBQAddress:\u00a076 Amoy Street,\u00a0Singapore 069895Opening hours:\u00a0Monday \u2013 Saturday: 12pm-2:30pm; 5:30pm-11pm; Sunday: 5pm \u2013 11pmBen Goh, Sous Chef(Photo courtesy of NAE:UM)Sous chef Ben Goh has been with the team since NAE:UM\u2019s pre-opening days. It was during a chance visit to Paradise Group\u2019s Chinese noodle bar LeNu, as suggested by his wife who brought him there, that made him fall deeper in love with noodle dishes. \u201cI\u2019m Asian and it\u2019s not surprising that I like noodle or rice dishes,\u201d he says.\u00a0\u00a0With several franchise outlets scattered across the island, Mr Goh praises the LeNu for its consistency. The 33-year-old recommends first-timers to try the Braised Beef Combination Noodle which boasts three types of beef atop a piping hot bowl of beef soup.\u00a0\u00a0(Photo courtesy of Ben Goh)LeNu (one of 11 outlets)Address:\u00a0200 Victoria Street, #B1-22, Bugis Junction, Singapore 188021Opening hours: Monday-Friday 11am-10pm; Saturday-Sunday 10:30am-10pmKenneth Tham, Demi Chef de Partie (Photo courtesy of NAE:UM)If there is a dish that Kenneth Tham, the Demi Chef de Partie at NAE:UM, prefers eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is Nasi Lemak. Otherwise known as a national dish in Malaysia, the fragrant and rich dish is made using rice cooked in coconut milk. It is often served with a side of chicken wing, a fried egg, ikan billis (fried anchovies), peanuts and a dollop of sambal on the side. However, customers may customise their orders from a selection of other small delights, such as fish filet, fried fish and otak-otak (grilled fish cake).The 24-year-old confesses that he is not a fussy eater, but instead is a \u201ccoffee shop boy\u201d who enjoys consuming his meals in a neighbourhood kopitiam or hawker centre. \u201cI tend to go to the nearest coffee shop near where I live,\u201d he says. \u201cPlus, the food is cheap and tasty.\u201d(Photo courtesy of NAE:UM)Caleb Gan, Commis(Photo courtesy of NAE:UM)For commis Caleb Gan, nothing beats sinking his teeth into a crispy slab of fried chicken, the likes of KFC\u2019s or any other South Korean fried chicken diners\u2019. Just like Mr Tham, Mr Gan prefers simple fare and dining out near his home. \u201cI tend to eat at Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can find a decent hot and sour soup here.\u201d Bedok Interchange Hawker CentreAddress: Blk 208B New Upper Changi Road, Singapore 462208Opening hours:\u00a0Monday to Sunday: 7am \u2013 10pmAriel Mojica, Restaurant Manager(Photo courtesy of NAE:UM)\u201cI really miss Sisig,\u201d says Ariel Mojica, the restaurant manager at NAE:UM. \u201cIt\u2019s a Filipino delicacy made using minced pig\u2019s face and belly, and served with garlic, chilli, and pork liver. You can\u2019t find it here.\u201d Mr Mojica, who hails from the Philippines, is an adventurous soul. He adds, \u201cI generally like trying newly-opened eateries and restaurants. I don\u2019t have any favourites but I do enjoy heading to Wine Connection occasionally.\u201dAccording to Mr Mojica, the franchise outlet at Sentosa boasts a terrific sunset view. \u201cBut it was at the Dempsey outlet, which has since closed down, that I first discovered the brand and fell in love with a glass of Riesling.\u201d(Photo courtesy of Ariel Mojica)Wine Connection Bistro (VivoCity) (one of 35 outlets)Address:\u00a01 Harbourfront Walk, #01-152\/153\/154 SingaporeOpening hours:\u00a0Monday to Sunday: 11am – 10pmJay Ho, Assistant Restaurant Manager(Photo courtesy of NAE:UM)Like many Singaporeans, Assistant Restaurant Manager Jay Ho\u2019s go-to comfort food is a plate of chicken rice. But while one would expect him to dole out a slew of recommendations, which often stir up a contentious debate, Mr Ho prefers dining out at French restaurant Bistro du Vin Singapore.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI happened to be walking by when I chanced upon it,\u201d Mr Ho says. \u201cThe food is not overly expensive and the food is nice.\u201d The 25-year-old recommends first-timers to try the Magret de Canard, a traditional French dish consisting of duck breasts (often sous vide, then pan-seared) served atop potato gratin (or with any potato sides), greens and drizzled with some of the restaurant\u2019s in-house gravy. He adds, \u201cIt looks and tastes like a tenderloin even though it is just duck breast.\u201d(Photo courtesy of Jay Ho)Bistro du Vin SingaporeAddress: Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Road, #01-14, Singapore 228208Opening hours:\u00a0Sunday to Friday: 11am \u2013 2pm; 6pm \u2013 10pm; Saturday: 11.30am-2pm; 6pm-10pmJoin the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s\u00a0Facebook\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram, and get the latest updates via\u00a0Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Crew Eats: The crew at NAE:UM share their go-to places for a bite","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/crew-eats-the-crew-at-naeum-share-their-go-to-places-for-a-bite\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]