Taste Korea in Chennai with Nasi and Mee’s Special Menu

This past week, we visited the newly launched Nasi and Mee in Velachery, where the restaurant has introduced a limited-time Korean street-food menu called The Korean Edit. The special menu brings Chennai diners a taste of Korea’s vibrant street-food culture, alongside Nasi and Mee’s signature Southeast Asian offerings.

Chef Sadesh Babu walked us through the menu, explaining the nuances of each dish. Inspired, we started with Jjin-Mandu(Korean steamed dumplings) and Yangnyeom chicken wings. The mandu offered a well-balanced flavor of ginger, garlic, minced chicken, and glass noodles, while the chicken wings were a flavor explosion—sweet, spicy, savory, and umami, with gochujang as the predominant seasoning. “We aerate the flour for dipping the wings by adding soda before frying, giving it a light, crispy texture,” the chef explained.

Next, we tried Gimbap, the Korean rice rolls, and Pajeon(savory pancakes).  “Korean cuisine uses soy sauce and sesame oil in almost all the dishes, and their pancakes are made of a mixture of maida flour, potato starch, spring onions, mix of spices, sesame oil and here in our menu we have added prawns to please the sea food lovers,” the chef says. Though the pancake is too bland, when we douse it with the accompanying dipping sauce, it elevates to another level.  Gimbap featured cooked, pickled, and sautéed fillings, a distinct contrast to Japanese sushi, where ingredients are often raw. The savory, nutty sesame flavour along with minced cooked chicken, carrots, spinach and egg strips, served wtih  spicy soy-sesame dip,steals the thunder. Korean cuisine also encourages diners to adjust flavors with accompanying sauces, creating a personalized eating experience.

For the main course, we skipped the ramen and tried Bibimbap, literally meaning “mixed rice.” Served with assorted vegetables—carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, and cucumber—chicken, and a sunny-side-up egg, the dish was layered with flavor. Each bite offered a harmonious mix of sweet, savory, nutty, and spicy notes, showing why Bibimbap is one of Korea’s most beloved dishes.

For dessert, the menu offered Passion Fruit Panna Cotta, a creamy Italian dessert with a tropical twist. The tangy passion fruit complemented the smooth richness of the panna cotta, providing a refreshing finish to the meal.

The interiors were a visual delight, with exposed rafters and cane light fixtures. striking centerpiece mural added a touch of whimsy, depicting village animals—a stork enjoying sushi, a water buffalo wearing a chef’s hat—blending imagination with cultural elements. The Korean Edit menu is offered alongside Nasi and Mee’s signature Southeast Asian dishes, giving diners the best of both culinary worlds.

@Nasi and Mee, Velachery. 12 noon to 11 pm. For reservations, call: 95914 14947