At the new Osteria Da Su restaurant in Telok Ayer Street, Korean-born chef Suji Park brings doenjang, yuzu and minari to classic Italian dishes. Osteria Da Su is the first Italian concept from the NAE:UM Group, which also runs modern Korean steakhouse GU:UM.
On a visit to a makgeolli tavern in Korea, chef Suji Park once ate a chilli pepper stuffed with pork. It reminded her of a favourite Korean snack, fried cucumber chilli pepper. Years later, she turned that memory into an Italian-style starter filled with prawns and ricotta. The dish, called Korean Pepper Fritto, is one of the highlights at Osteria Da Su. This new restaurant in Singapore opens at 163 Telok Ayer Street, next door to Korean fine-dining restaurant NAE:UM.
A chef who learnt her craft in Italy
Chef Suji was born in Korea and has cooked Italian food for about 20 years. She started at La Cucina, a Korean first-generation Italian restaurant, where she stayed for four years. Her curiosity about the cuisine’s origins then took her to Italy.
She remained there for nearly a decade. She worked in bistros, osterias and trattorias in Bergamo, Milan and Sicily. Chef Suji also spent three years at the three-Michelin-starred Da Vittorio in Bergamo, and two years at Claudio Sadler’s trattoria in Milan.
“A lot of ingredients used in Italian cuisine were similar to Korean cuisine.” โ Chef Suji Park, on what first drew her to Italian food
She went to Italy hoping to find one correct way to cook. Instead, she found no fixed formulas or ratios, only many factors that shape a dish. That openness still guides her cooking.
The restaurant also grew out of a friendship. Chef Suji has known NAE:UM’s chef Louis Han for 16 years. The two met as college-mates at Korea Tourism College.
Italian base, Korean accents
Chef Suji calls her style “Italian with a Korean soul”. The foundation is Italian, in both technique and recipe. Korean flavours come in small amounts, so that neither cuisine overpowers the other.
The name works in two languages. In Italian, “Da Su” means “from Su”. In Korean, “da su” (๋ค์) means “many people”. Together, they describe an osteria from Su, for many people.
On the menu
The menu follows the order of a traditional osteria, from aperitivi and antipasti to primi, secondi and dolci. It lists about 25 ร la carte items, and the kitchen makes its pasta by hand. Prices are subject to service charge and GST.
Among the starters, the Zucchini Bruschetta ($12) tops sourdough with zucchine scapece, a Neapolitan marinated zucchini, and housemade ricotta. Yuzu replaces the usual lemon. The Korean Pepper Fritto ($14) comes with doenjang mayonnaise and balsamic soy. The Insalata Condiglione ($18), a Ligurian summer salad, uses a soy sauce-marinated egg in place of a boiled one.
Chef Suji calls the Spaghetti alle Vongole ($28) her favourite pasta. Asari clams make the stock, and she removes the shells before serving. Minari, or Korean water parsley, replaces Italian parsley, while cherry tomato confit adds a Sicilian touch.
The Farfalle all’Amatriciana ($24) takes its shape from the restaurant’s favicon. Guanciale chips are brushed with a gochujang bulgogi sauce, and a pecorino cream replaces grated cheese. The Tortelli di Galbi Jjim ($30) holds Korean braised pork in handmade pasta, served in a classic sage butter sauce.
For dessert, the Dalgona Tiramisu ($14) keeps a traditional base of mascarpone and savoiardi. It is topped with shards of housemade dalgona, a Korean honeycomb toffee. The Salame di Cioccolato ($10) follows a recipe from Chef Suji’s Italian neighbour and comes with vanilla ice cream.
Inside the room
The space blends the feel of a traditional Italian osteria with a clean, minimal, Korean-inspired look. Photographs that Chef Suji took during her years in Italy hang on the walls. The restaurant says it wants guests to enjoy food and wine in casual comfort, without the stress of fine dining.
It seats up to 34 people. There are eight seats at the kitchen counter, 16 on banquettes in the main dining area and 10 at lounge seats. Dishes are made for sharing and priced to be accessible.
Opening hours
From 23 to 31 October 2026, Osteria Da Su serves dinner only, from 5.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday. During 1 to 15 November 2026, it adds lunch from 11.30am to 2.30pm on the same days. Beginning 16 November 2026, it opens Monday to Saturday for both lunch and dinner. It is closed on Sundays.
Osteria Da Su
163 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068616
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