NAE:UM :: 'Episode 6: After Work Hideaway'

Checked in with NAE:UM for its new and refreshed 'Episode 6: After Work Hideaway'. It's the restaurant's take on the familiar Korean pocha (pojangmacha) that many people retreat to, well, after work for lights bites, skewers and loads of beer or soju.

Ignored all the offers of Korean rice wine and such. I really don't like the taste of it. Didn't want soju either. Sake was the wine to go. Or wine. The snacks arrived in their signature themed box, which is always a fun start to the evening. 

We began with appetizers of duck galbi, and an exquisite thin blanket of daikon with yellowtail sashimi, lemon soy and caviar. The somyeon of buckwheat, scallop and white kimchi was still gorgeous. I loved this iteration too. Apparently it was supposed to be cuttlefish at the start of the new menu, but somehow, it became scallop again.

Then it was a jeonbok of abalone, wagyu beef and seaweed. I didn't want wagyu if it came in slabs. I can't deal with the fat in those. The kitchen told me it was minced beef. Okay then. Minced isn't so bad. It was presented so delicately.

We got to the meats. The deep fried turbot with sweet cabbage and parsnip was beautiful. I requested not to have the quail with leek mind and black garlic. I detest the very strong gamey flavors in quail, pigeon and pheasants. They replaced it with red grouper. Perfect. That was beautifully seared with very crisp skin.

When these meats are considered mains, I would prefer to have proteins that I could eat and fill my tummy with, not leave a restaurant dissatisfied and hungry. I'm also at an age where I do not want to compromise on eating things that I do not want to eat. I'm not being difficult in asking for a replacement ingredient since the kitchen already have it.

The sotbap of house-made dubu, braised pork and braised kimchi was comforting. That was soooo delicious. The larger portion of rice was given to ME. The man didn't want that much carbs. Heh. Red kimchi and gochuchang isn't my thing, but I'll deal. It came with a small cup of kimchi soup. I tasted it. As far as red kimchi soup go, it was a really elegant iteration. But it isn't my thing, so I gave that all to the man. 

The first dessert of apple, shiso and fromage-blanc was delicious. I enjoy desserts like this. I picked out the shiso leaves though. The bit of apple was sliced soooo thin. The second dessert was what I've always loved in NAE:UM's offerings — dates and jujube, and unfortunately this iteration came with truffle. The man loved it. I liked it, but I could have done without the truffle.