Louisville’s Celebrity Chef’s New Restaurant Opens Ahead of the Kentucky Derby

Louisville, KY (April 20, 2023) – A ‘presidential’ reservation for the Kentucky Derby weekend will be Chef Edward Lee’s new restaurant, Nami, at 835 East Main Street as the James Beard award-winner will be fresh off preparing the official White House state dinner for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Washington DC on April 26.

Nami is the first restaurant coming from Lee that explores the cuisine of his heritage, and his first restaurant in his home city of Louisville in five years. The menu will feature classic Korean dishes alongside modern interpretations of the cuisine such as Korean BBQ, Bibimbap, Banchan, Mandu, and Pa Jun, as well as highlight items like house-made Kimchi, and more.

Inside, guests can anticipate a space that features collaborative elements from local Kentucky artists that reflect Korean aesthetics. The lower level will house the main dining room, bar, and lounge, while upstairs guests will find dining tables that contain traditional Korean table grills, a private dining room, and a private karaoke room. Attached to the building is Neighbors Noodles, a take-out only noodle shop owned and operated by the same team that will open in the coming weeks.

The kitchen will be helmed by Executive Chef Breanna Baker and Consulting Chef Yeon-Hee Chung. Nami will open with dinner service and will launch lunch in the coming weeks.

Stacie Stewart will serve as 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.

Reservations will open on Tuesday, April 25 on the online platform Resy.

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. The space will include residential apartments and other retail space.

In addition to Nami, the building will boast another Edward Lee concept, Neighbors Noodles, a takeout-only noodle shop operated by the same team.

Butchertown is one of Louisville’s oldest neighborhoods, located just east of downtown, and was the city’s original meatpacking district with butcher shops dominating the area in the 1800s. These days, though one large meatpacker still anchors the area, Butchertown is in the middle of a renaissance and has been spruced up with tasty restaurants, chic boutiques, the city’s first brandy distillery, a state-of-the-art soccer stadium and growing options for shopping, dining and entertainment.