The East side may be the best side but the West side is definitely shaping up to be the tech side, especially with motor giant Hyundai Motor Group taking its place within the Jurong Innovation District (JID) with the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS).

Yet with all its smart technology and innovation, the chaebol doesn't forget to tantalise our tastebuds (since food is our national pastime) with Na Oh, a Korean restaurant led by Three-Michelin Star Chef Corey Lee.

Taking things one step further, HMGICS even curates an experience taking you from smart cars to smart farms, and even a thrilling ride on the roof!

Combining food, smart tech, and fun all in one, your trip to the West will not go wasted. This is a look into Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore and Na Oh Restaurant.

Experience innovation and sustainability

The HMGICS in Singapore is the group's first-ever global innovation centre, highlighting its vision for innovation and sustainability through a discovery tour.

The 90-minute journey is free for all to experience and can be booked online for one of the six time slots. After an introduction to HMGICS, you'll tour the Smart Farms and learn its potential for enhancing food security in Singapore.

Try your hand at planting a seed with the robotic arm and harvest fresh vegetables of the day to bring home. Then, move on to a Tasting Sessionto savour the crispness of freshly harvested vegetables. To give you an idea of how well they are grown, we tasted one of the best Ice Plants there, with a full crunch and flavour we seldom get to enjoy in Singapore.

Of Cars & Cuisine

The tour continues with a Factory VR Tour where you'll help build the IONIQ cars in the modular and automated production line. What you see in the VR Tour is exactly how the production line looks like, in real life, inside the very same facility.

Don't just stop at building the cars in VR, go for a heart-pumping joyride on the rooftop with the 'Skytrack Experience'. Trained and experienced drivers will take you around the inclined tracks, navigating gravity-defying turns that'll make you hold your breath.

This is a glimpse into how it feels inside a race car, except the maximum speed is only 80 km/h, even if it doesn't feel like it.

Convinced about the prowess of the IONIQ? Then head over to the IONIQ Lounge to customise your vehicle or get some merchandise to remember this experience. 

If you are feeling hungry by now, grab a quick bite at the staff canteen on the fourth floor which has vibes of a cafe or make your way to Na Oh Restaurant on the third floor for some authentic and traditional Korean cuisine with a modern touch. 

Na Oh Restaurant - authentically and traditionally korean

Na Oh, meaning "moving from inside out" is all about showcasing the work of Korean artisans in food, craft, and design. The first thing you'll notice is the rows of Onggi (large earthen pots) next to the entrance.

More than a display, these pots are where the integral Korean sauces used in the dishes are traditionally fermented and naturally aged. Pass the open entrance, you'll be greeted with the simple grandeur of traditional Korean furnishings with a sleek modern touch.

Think ceramic crafts, wood accents, and room dividers and lamps made out of the traditional Korean paper, Hanji.

The showcase of Korean artisanal crafts extends to the glassware and ceramicware that are used in the restaurant. And if you want to know where to get them, the list of collaborators can be found behind the menu.

A different farm-to-table concept

Besides the in-house fermentation, Na Oh also incorporates fresh harvest from the HMGICS smart vertical farms. In fact, Chef Lee works closely with the smart farm to cultivate vegetables which best represent the seasons in Korea in the vertical farm. 

Priced at S$78++ per pax, Na Oh serves up a prix fixe menu that changes with the season. Alongside three snacks to whet your appetite, you'll choose your Jinjitsang (mains with an array of banchan), before ending with a seasonal dessert.

The snacks from the current Summer menu include Homemade Tofu with Aged Soy Sauce, which strangely offers the flavours of steamed egg. But the Mulhwe — White Fish and Sea Cucumber in Icy Kimchi Broth — is such a delightful appetiser that's sweet, sour, and savoury all at the same time.   

Choices of mains include the Golden Queen Rice and Butterfish Gamasot (in local terms, claypot rice with fish), the Samgyetang (Ginseng Soup with glutinous rice), and the Pyongyang-Style Cold Noodles in a Beef and Dongchimi Broth.

Each of them is served with a different set of banchan that complements its taste and flavours. It's hard to decide which one we love best because all of them deliver such clean and precise flavours that please the palate.

But we can imagine reaching for the Samgyetang for a comforting meal, or the cold noodles for a perk-me-up on a hot afternoon. And Butterfish Gamasot is perfect for a hearty experience.

Dessert was a Makgeoli with strawberry bingsu, served with a toasted rice crisp on a stick, yummy! We also recommend checking out their beverage menu for exclusive Makgeolli, Soju, and even Korean digestifs, alongside a selection of Osulloc tea. 

The Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) is located at 2 Bulim Ave, Singapore 649674. 

Na Oh Restaurant is situated on the third floor of HMGICS, p+65 6263 1548. Open 11.30am – 3.30pm and 6pm -10pm Wed – Sun. Closed Mon and Tues. 

This article was first published in City Nomads.