LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Acclaimed Louisville chef Edward Lee will open a Korean steakhouse called “Nami” serving “a mix of traditional and modern Korean dishes” in a new development in the Butchertown area.
The two-level restaurant planned for early 2023 will be part of the apartment and retail building planned by Winebrenner Capital Management at 835 E. Main Street. Lee will also open a takeout-only noodle shop called Neighbors Noodles operated by the Nami team in the same building.
Chef Edward Lee (provided)
“I’ve always wanted to get back to my roots and cook Korean cuisine in a way that represents my heritage but also influenced by my experiences of over 20 years of being a chef in Kentucky,” Lee said in a news release Wednesday.
Nami will feature “classic Korean dishes alongside modern interpretations of the cuisine such as Korean BBQ, Bibimbap, Banchan, Mandu, and Pa Jun, as well as feature items like house-made Kimchi,” according to the news release.
The full text of the release is below:
Chef Edward Lee announces a new restaurant, Nami, a modern Korean steakhouse opening in early 2023 in Louisville’s Butchertown neighborhood. Nami will serve a mix of traditional and modern Korean dishes. This will be Lee’s first restaurant exploring the cuisine of his heritage and his first new restaurant in Louisville in five years.
“I’ve always wanted to get back to my roots and cook Korean cuisine in a way that represents my heritage but also influenced by my experiences of over 20 years of being a chef in Kentucky,” says Lee.
The kitchen will be a collaboration between chefs who have been close to Lee for years: Chef Breanna Baker, who has been an integral part of 610 Magnolia’s kitchen for the past five years and a rising star in the Louisville culinary industry. Baker started as an intern chef at 610 Magnolia and quickly rose through the ranks from being a culinary mentee in The LEE Initiative’s Women Culinary and Spirits Program to becoming the chef de cuisine that helped retain 610 Magnolia’s 4-star rating from the Courier-Journal.
Chef Yeon-Hee Chung is a beloved Louisville chef who ran one of Louisville’s best Korean restaurants. During the pandemic, she collaborated with Lee in a series of pop-up dinners that started a lifelong friendship of food and tradition. Together, this team represents a culmination of culinary excellence and exploration that will be reflected on the menu at Nami.
Stacie Stewart, who has worked with Lee at MilkWood and Whiskey Dry, will be General Manager and Director of Cocktails. The cocktails at Nami will feature ingredients and flavors that pay homage to Asian cuisine and will take notes from trends around the globe while still being unique and thoughtful. Drinks will be designed to pair with food but will be balanced and enjoyable on their own.
The menu at Nami will feature classic Korean dishes alongside modern interpretations of the cuisine such as Korean BBQ, Bibimbap, Banchan, Mandu, and Pa Jun, as well as feature items like house-made Kimchi, and more.
The space is designed in collaboration with Work Architecture and Design along with Winebrenner Capital Management, who owns the restaurant and building, which will include residential apartments and other retail space. The restaurant will have two levels, with the first floor holding the main dining room, bar and lounge and the upstairs featuring traditional Korean grill tables, a private dining room, and a private karaoke room.
In addition to Nami, the building will boast another Edward Lee concept, Neighbors Noodles, a takeout-only noodle shop operated by the same team.
