Nami Nori

Nami Nori Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: When three alums from some of the very notable Japanese restaurants in Manhattan get together to create a different kind of Japanese spot, you know something special is going to happen. Chef Taka Sakaeda (Bar Masa, Masa), chef Jihan Lee (Morimoto, Kappo Masa) and operations director Lisa Limb (Masa), each familiar with the intricacies of Japanese food preparation at Masa, are behind Nami Nori, a gem on a street filled with small, ethnic eateries. The blonde-wood, minimalist room holds two curved sushi bars and some tables, accommodating 40 diners. Only a few reservations are taken, so prepare for lengthy lines from the steady flow of walk-ins.

Likes: Menu is creative, accessible high-end Japanese with a hint of Korean influence.
Dislikes: Waits can be long to be seated.

Food & Drinks: Seats turn quickly as the sushi team works in beautiful harmony, serving up the kitchen’s featured open temakis, a U-shaped hand roll of sorts that sits in a specially crafted wooden holder. This configuration allows the nori (seaweed) to stay crisp so that the rice and topping can be enjoyed at a slower pace than would a customary hand roll. It also lets the ingredients blend evenly throughout. You’ll want to order a number of temakis, or better yet, go for the chef-recommended set of five as you would in Japan. Showstoppers are salmon tomato with onion cream and chives; scallop, tobiko and lemon with X.O. sauce; and the retro-ish spicy crab dynamite. Vegan versions are offered, too. While the menu itself – including snacks and appetizers like the refreshingly different house salad with nori dressing and rice chips, or shishito peppers with smoked miso honey – is relatively inexpensive, the bill can add up as you explore. Elevating the cost are caviar or shaved truffles, which can be added to any temaki, as can uni from southern and northern Hokkaido as well as the U.S. For dessert, choose an ice cream temaki with fior di latte and red bean paste, or the chocolatey version with candied pecans and caramel. New York-based beer, wine and saké on tap or in cans are served, as are Japanese saké and European wines by the bottle.