Namu to Shutter, Zero Zero Frozen Pizzas, More

THE SHUTTER - Sad news today from the Inner Richmond: the Lee brothers' 5-year-old Korean-Calfornian gem Namu (439 Balboa St.) will be closing up shop after service on Christmas Eve. Chef Dennis Lee, who owns the restaurant with his two brothers David and Dennis, tells the Chron that they couldn't reach a lease renewal agreement with the landlord, and they're investing so much time and energy into their forthcoming Mission restaurant Namu Gagi, that the closure is the next logical step. At least there's good news on the horizon, and Lee says he will be making a version of the famous Namu burger at their new spot. [ISSF]

SOMA - Zero Zero chef-owner Bruce Hill has started offering flash-frozen versions of three of his popular Neapolitan pizzas, to-go. From a guy who invented a burger press to make the perfect burger every time at Bix, it's not a total surprise, but still, smart thinking there. [The Feast]

ASK ALICE - Chez Panisse recently cooked a big-time dinner at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing as part of the U.S.-China Forum on the Arts and Culture. It wasn't easy. After some convincing, Alice Waters was permitted to remove the florescent bulbs from the Embassy's lights, and burn little satchels of rosemary throughout the grounds. Waters asked all the esteemed guests —including the Yo-Yo Ma, book author Amy Tan and filmmaker Joel Coen—to leave their cellphones at the door. She went on to eschew the expected foie, steak and lobster in favor of a 440-pound pig sourced from what sounds like the only two organic pig farmers in all of China. The local cooks' excellent "dumpling-making skills" partially made up for the hassle. [EBX]

NEW HOURS - Starting tomorrow, Charles Phan's newbie Wo Hing will open for lunch daily from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., serving "a condensed version of the dinner menu." Meanwhile in Jackson Square, Michael and Lindsay Tusk's Cotogna will be moving to continuous service hours on Dec. 1: Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to midnight, and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. Now the FiDi types can get their early dinner. [EaterWire]