Nakama Japanese Cuisines & Omakase

Took my girlfriend here for the omakase for her birthday and WOW. We went at their first omakase time slot of 5 pm on a Wednesday and were surprised to see we were the only people there. This made for the most special and intimate dinner service we’ve ever had as the chef carefully explained every dish and answered all of our questions. There was not one bad dish. The miso cod was out of the world! Also loved the sweet potato cake at the end. I would come back over and over. The hospitality of this restaurant was also amazing, they celebrated with us, laughed with us- truly it was everything you could want in an omakase experience.

We like the sushi, they torched the salmon, so it's not really raw. Wagyu fried rice is very tasty and the portion is not bad for the price. Tempura is not really our favorite, only two pieces of shrimp and the rest only fried veggies. The ramen is good because of the very good broth, very rich and not too thick. It's perfect! The pork is very tender and delicious. Overall, we enjoyed our dinner there. Even though, the store is very crowded, they serve fast. Bathroom is very clean and smells very nice.

new favorite sushi restaurant in Philly! location is super easy to get to being near Reading Terminal and the BYOB aspect is great with wine and spirits around the corner. Haris and Mitsu created an awesome spot with a wide menu. the specialty rolls were truly interesting and a great combination of fresh and savory. Winnie was our waitress and gave perfect recommendations and was overall amazing service! Will be back soon and often

It was our first time dining here, and we honestly had no idea this place even existed until we happened to be in the area looking for good sushi and ramen. We didn’t get to take pictures because we immediately dug in the moment the food hit the table — that’s how good everything looked! We ordered the Ramen Set Deal and were really impressed. The portions were generous for the price, and the quality was chef’s kiss. The sushi was REALLY good — honestly one of the best in the city! We also tried the ramen, and it was delicious. We once visited a Michelin-rated ramen spot in DC, and this was WAY better than that one. The restaurant itself is quaint and humble, which made the experience even more enjoyable. No frills — just genuinely great food. We got The Linc sushi roll, and I will definitely be thinking about it tonight. Overall, this place is a gem. 10/10 — we’ll definitely be back!

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Nakama and overall, it was a fantastic experience. The sushi itself was absolutely top-tier, every bite was fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully crafted. You can really taste the quality and attention to detail that went into each course. Nakama is BYOB, they do offer some in-house drink options (like teas or non-alcoholic pairings), which were also quite good. That said, a few elements of the experience could be improved. The ambiance, in particular, didn’t quite match the elevated tone that omakase typically calls for. The music leaned heavily on rap and other lyrical tracks, which felt a bit jarring in contrast to the refined nature of the food. Also, while the staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, at times they were a bit too present. The staff often hovered while we took each bite, which made it slightly uncomfortable to react naturally. I understand and appreciate their passion, but a little more space to enjoy the food privately would have made the experience feel more relaxed and less performative. All in all, Nakama is a must-visit for sushi fans in Philly, and with just a few tweaks to the ambiance and service approach, it could easily reach that next level of fine dining excellence.

Simply the best Omakase in Philadelphia! The recently opened Nakame Restaurant has owner and long time Philly resident Chef Matsu preparing this wonderful Japanese dining experience for you. He adds his own uniqueness in choices of fish and preparation giving it a surprising delicious culinary twist. The friendly team members are also big Eagles fans with jerseys and pictures decorating the walls. We will definitely be back! If Omakase is not for you, the restaurant also serves delicious home made ramen and other dishes.

What a wonderful little find right in the heart of Philadelphia. The food was absolutely extraordinary. The place is clearly run by a chef who puts passion and love into every dish that he grows. We were completely surprised to find out that there was a Omakase menu which was way out of our budget, but it Was an indication of the passion they have for extraordinary food. Don’t hesitate to come here and savor the wonderful flavors. FYI, the place is BYOB!!!

Staff was friendly and efficient. The waitress tried to unobtrusively pick my wife’s coat back up off the floor. The food was tremendous. Had elegant miso soup with deep smoky and seaweed flavors Three told each one tastier than the previous. Started with a simple shrimp tempura roll but the special sweet and savory sauce added extra to the excellent and fresh shrimp. Then we enjoyed two specials which took it to another level. We enjoyed the Alaskan roll which combined crab with strips of fresh salmon and spicy mayo. Then closed with an iggle roll that combined tasty tuna with mango and avocado and garnished with shredded crab meat and spicy mayo and sprouts

Excellent chirashi bowl for take out! The Nakama team did a great job reimagining this restaurant into something new and distinctly "them!" I am excited to go back and explore their menu. This is a fairly new omakase and sushi spot in the city (opened just a few months prior to my visit). The value of what I ordered felt fair. The fish taste and textures were all distinct, subtle, but shined in each bite. The rice in my chirashi was seasoned strongly, which is my preference for sushi rice on its own but might not be for all. The staff are very welcoming and greeted me with excitement when I arrived. They worked very quickly but didn't make me feel rushed.

Love to visit Philly restaurants while I'm here on a work trip. Can't say much about the service, as I did carry out. However during my wait, the service appeared to be prompt and very pleasant! I'd definitely return as sit-down customer next time. I usually don't expect much from unassuming restaurants unless I'm in a large city, but this place did not disappoint! The fried chicken was so good and fresh, with lots of chicken. The sushi also was so fresh and tasty. Overall vibe was a casual restaurant, even the omakase dining option seemed casual. My only thing is the restaurant is super tiny (seats maybe 20, and 5-6 at the bar/omakase). I'd love to return to this restaurant!

Authentic cuisine bursting with flavor and creativity from a sushi chef who actually hails from Japan and it definitely shows as the quality of the rice and the fish forward presentation with an emphasis on freshness and flavor of the fish without unnecessary gimmicks was on another level compared to other sushi places in the area. Highly recommend Nakama for anyone who is searching for the real deal when it comes to sushi in the center city area. Welcome to the 5-star club Nakama, as it is very much deserved!

Service was good. Staff was friendly and attentive. The rolls were good. Tried one of the special rolls and did the maki special (2 regular rolls and soup). Good portions and rolls were well made and tasted fresh.

Amazing food, customer service, and affordable. Will visit again the next time I'm in Philly!!

Try it while you can still get in! This was the best sushi experience I've had in a while. I will always love Zama & Royal Izakaya, but it's rare to have a restaurant like Nakama. When Kalaya was a BYOB in a tight space, I'm lucky to have gone a bunch of times. Now it's this huge beautiful production with incredible cocktails and a tree in the middle. Nakama is where Kalaya once was. You eat there and you can tell there is incredible attention to detail in every dish. Chef Mitsutaka Harada is incredibly fun, kind, creative, and brilliant. The 17 course omakase was fairly priced (compared to others in the city - of course omakase isn't a 'cheap' thing by any means). Every bite was more delicious than the next. The sushi was up there with some of the most fresh we've had in the city. The sauces in many dishes were so good I wanted to drink them. The hot dishes were equally as good - the miso cod being one of the best I've ever had. We have also done delivery here one time. The miso ramen was unbelievable. The egg in the ramen was cooked to absolute perfection even delivered. The Wagyu fried rice was hands down the best fried rice I've had in my life. (I feel like many restaurants say Wagyu, and I don't always believe it.) There are CLEARLY melt in your mouth pieces of Wagyu in the fried rice. Even the dumplings were great (we had steamed veggie, but I want to try the fried pork dumplings). I really can't get over how perfect every bite of sushi was. The Scallop toro was my favorite. I don't usually eat oysters anywhere that isn't known for their oysters (Oyster House/Pearl & Mary), but even the Washington oyster on a piece of sushi was incredible. It was big, creamy, and delicious. I'm hesitant to even submit this review - because the food was SO GOOD. I met chef at his last restaurant he works at. I was so happy he opened his own restaurant. I sometimes miss the old days where I could go to Kalaya and have a 15-20 minute conversation with chef Nok, one of the most incredible/inspiring people I've ever met. I bring this up because I know that soon there will be a long waiting list to get into chef Mitsutaka's Nakama. I'm personally going to try to take advantage of the fact that I can still get reservations at Nakama right now. Pros: incredibly fresh fish/creative pieces, great hot dishes, lovely conversation with chef, great price and filling bites as far as omakase goes. Even lunch delivery was incredible/reasonably priced. Cons: restaurant is a bit small with omakase in same room as regular seats, not located conveniently for me personally (even though it is WELL worth ubering/driving/walking to), it's BYOB (I always forget to B(my)OB to BYOBs). You know a restaurant is going to be incredible when every con you can possibly think of is based on the current space. If they ever open another restaurant with a liquor license and omakase in a private room, Nakama could be as good as any restaurant in Philly or better. Try it while you can still get in!