Nami Nori Opens Postcard Bakery in the West Village - Eater NY
"Hand roll restaurant Nami Nori is opening a tea house and bakery called Postcard, right next door in the West Village, at 31-33 Carmine Street, at Bleecker Street, on February 9. Lisa Limb, Taka Sakaeda, and Jihan Lee — who met while working under for Masa Takayama at three-star Michelin restaurant, Masa — opened Nami Nori in 2019 as a dressed-up temaki experience. Since then, the trio has opened a location in Williamsburg and another in Montclair. At Postcard, Sakaeda is doing the baking. Limb says that the location came about serendipitously, with their Nami Nori landlord, who also owns this space, asking if they wanted to take over. It’s been in the works for a year, she says. The menu features sweet and savory items from $3 to $14 with pastries like miso shortbread, raspberry mochi doughnuts, and black sesame banana bread; cakes by the slice like strawberry mousse cake and koji cheesecake; and chiffon cake fruit sandwiches (an item that’s become more popular thanks to TikTok); chicken katsu, and an egg sandwich. The restaurant’s mochurros, served with lemon curd, and sesame miso chocolate chip cookies will also be available. Like desserts at Nami Nori, everything is gluten-free — joining the ranks of other bakeries that cater to those with dietary restrictions, such as Noglu on the Upper East Side. Japanese teas are sourced by Kettl Tea and include matcha, hojicha (green tea), the loose-leaf sencha, soba cha, and black tea, with optional toppings like Okinawa brown sugar boba, coconut jelly, and housemade syrups. Coffee from AAPI-backed Coffee Project NY is also available. Drinks are $5 to $9. While some restaurants have pulled back on investing in pastry chefs, high-end pastries have continued to thrive and evolve in other formats. Over the past few years in New York, there’s been an explosive rise in bakery openings, with names like L’Appartement 4F and Librae Bakery. Increasingly, restaurants themselves are also opening them: Raf’s operates as a bakery by day, led by pastry chef Camari Mick. Meanwhile, restaurants joining Nami Nori like Nura, Frenchette, and Sofreh, have also plotted bakery standalones, outside of and in addition to their restaurant. The jewelry store showcase feel of the bakery is designed by Sarah Carpenter & Studio, which did HAGS and the Talea taprooms across the city. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday." - Melissa McCart
