July 2021, my husband had to head out for NYC for a work trip. Having not taken an actual trip or flight for over 1.5 years, I jumped at the opportunity to tag along. A few days in NYC away from my two kids meant shedding my busy mom work life and taking some personal time to myself, sprinkled with some adult fun while hitting the town with my husband and friends. The trip was fabulous, just what I needed. I did a little shopping, walked around a ton, ate more NYC slices I could imagine, and tried out a few restaurants I had a on my bucket list.
Everyone knows, NYC is a culinary mecca, there's literally all sorts of food gems everywhere. One of my most memorable casual dining experience on this trip was actually one I did solo. Between being at work, around my family, and friends, I rarely do things on my own these days. I relish the days I can take a stroll, run errands, and grab a bite by myself. After doing a little research, I chose Nami Nori as the perfect spot for an easy afternoon out in the West Village. A casual temaki bar that specializes in hand rolls, Japanese inspired snacks and appetizers. Plus it's hip location meant I could go shopping both before and after my meal. Win Win!
West Village, July 2021
When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was the space itself. Everything about it felt soothing and relaxing. It had a lot of natural light, clean lines, wood, and neutral colors. Great first impression.
Then I sat down at the bar and was instantly greeted by an attentive and friendly server. I then chatted up the chef at the bar and discovered he was originally from HK and we shared some HK food favs of ours. I ordered a glass of wine, one appetizer and a few rolls. Let the feast begin.
Fried Calamari Yuzu Soy
Tender calamari, super light batter, with a pop of lemon zest.
X.O Scallop, Tobiko, Lemon
I've never met an X.O sauce I didn't like. It's basically a chili sauce on umami steroids and the play on fresh scallops with dried scallops that are used in X.O sauce really pulls the whole thing together, while not totally overpowering the subtle sweetness of the scallop.
"Everything" Smoked Salmon, Tomato, Onion Cream
I love everything bagel on anything. And to put this Jewish lox and bagels concept into a hand roll feels so perfect for NYC. It just felt right eating this in West Village amongst all the cool and hipster folks around me.
Spicy Sea Bass, Daikon, Perilla, Chojang
Although this was tasty, it was probably my least memorable piece. It felt less complex in flavors than the other rolls and just fell a little flat to me.
Coconut Shrimp, Green Curry, Lime, Cilantro
I initially did not want to order this hand roll because coconut shrimp in a hand roll just didn't sound that exciting to me. It sounded like shrimp tempura made with coconut flakes versus panko. But both the chef and the server recommended it and so I gladly took their advice and tried it. Now I know why it's one of the most popular hand rolls at Nami Nori. This bite was an explosion of flavors. Instead of frying a whole shrimp in coconut, they minced the shrimp into a patty, which resulted in a juicy and more flavorful bite of crispy shrimp. The sweetness of the coconut was balanced out by the citrus from the lime and the herbaceous pop from the green curry. Hands down, one of the best rolls there.
Lobster Tempura, Yuzu Aioli, Frisee
This roll is proof that dining solo, eating at the bar, and chatting up the chef can reap rewards in unexpected ways. One of my favorite reasons to dine solo is that it opens up opportunities for me to chat with the servers, the chefs and whoever is serving me at the bar. If you are dining with friends, you can't really engage in as much conversation because you have to entertain your fellow friends and dinner guests. After getting to know my sushi chef and talking about his hometown and my restaurants, he added a little something something to my hand roll. He handed me the roll, gave me a nod, followed by a smile and said, "Enjoy." I looked down and saw freshly shaved black truffle on top. It was so sweet of him to do and I definitely appreciated that extra truffle bump. And the combination was divine. Crispy juicy lobster with paired with a creamy pop of citrus from the yuzu aioli, followed by the earthy shavings of truffle and crisp nori...ughhhhh..can this bite be anymore perfect?
Toro, Scallion, Uni, Caviar
You can make your own roll by choosing one and adding supplements to it. I like to call this the menage a trois. You know how peanut butter and jelly are meant to be? Just like how coffee and donuts go hand in hand or honey and fried chicken? Well toro, uni and caviar are meant to have a threesome. These three should be inseparable.
Between the great conversations I had with the chef and my server, the incredibly chill and serene space, and the delicious food, my experience at Nami Nori stands out. I'll definitely come back for the food and hospitality and so should you.
Nami Nori West Village
33 Carmine Street
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