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Chef Nao (the restaurant is named after her mother) is truly the most delightful hostess and most wonderfully inventive and artistic chef. Chef Nao and her sommelier husband Kenichiro-san present the beauty and bounty of Japan in the most refined but approachable way. Starting with the welcoming in what might be considered an American “keeping room”, we were greeted warmly and serve a lovely Japanese sparkling wine with a trio of sculptural bites which were nearly too perfect to eat. But that is what camera phones are for. And they were delicious. A tuna tart in a radish flower, the hairy crab and egg cup, and uni marinated with sake lees shows Chef Nao’s love of Japan and the gifts of its land and sea.
And the gifts keep coming. Each course is an exquisite offering of which you devour with your eyes and then your palate. Bonito with cherry dressed with nasturtium petals, a tower of onion rings, uni, and ebi, and unexpected combinations of unagi with fig with a blanket of cheese snow, and monkfish with pineapple that allow each to sing in unison. Japanese beef is always a highlight and Chef Nao deftly presents a lovely example of the rich and tender deliciousness.
Kenichiro does his part to highlight the vines of Japan with beautifully paired native wine selections. From starting with a sparking bottle of “happiness”, a Niigata rose, Pinot Noir from Hiroshima, Koshu from Yamanashi grapes, a sweet sake from Ibaraki with cheesecake ice cream, and a Gewurztraminer to finish the meal.
And the deserts. Each one more magnificent that the last. I confess my was swimming with so many innovative flavor pairings and the wine maybe. So I will let you feast on the photos. Thank you Chef Nao and Kenichiro-san! You made our anniversary so special and memorable.