Never heard of a welcome sake that was from Chardonnay. Unless they lifted the idea from L’Effervescence Tokyo and other high end French restaurants over there where they do a blend of Chardonnay with sake. Did you taste both white wine and sake in your drink?
You tasted the Shichida Hiyaroshi Junmai Aiyama before I did (I just picked up a bottle a few days ago). Last year’s Shichida Hiyaroshi was Omachi and I really enjoyed that one (more earthy and masculine). Aiyama tends to be a touch more fruity if not more aromatic, but very rare to have any sake made from that rice exported, let alone in Hiyaroshi form and also only polished to 75% (many higher end Juyondai are brewed with Aiyama rice). Usually all three versions of the Shichida Hiyaroshi are available in Japan each fall (Omachi, Aiyama, Yamadaho) but it looks like the importer only gets in one of the three each year. I assume you had a sake pairing? How much did they charge, or did you actually purchase the entire bottle (and if so what were the prices of the bottles for all the sake you had?) I barely remember the Shichida Hiyaroshi Omachi, but it was great with seasonal fall ingredients for sure
Shunka Shusetsu Echizen is not a sake that’s available in Northern California.
Thanks for the review. I would have given management feedback on the execution of the dishes you disliked and also the pacing/service. $400 a person is like Sushi Yoshizumi extended menu, tax and service included, a few nigiri add on’s of higher end items (or a corkage or a glass of Junmai Daiginjo) with some change to spare!
Thanks for your great insight! Yah that Welcome Sake is something I never had before. Thinking about it some more, it tasted much more like a Sake that had grape flavor (almost like the Yuzu Sake they served later on, which tasted like Sake with Yuzu in it).
Thanks to you, we definitely have been on the lookout for any of Shichida’s Seasonal Sake! Every Spring I’m looking forward to their Muroka Nama Genshu, and the Hiyaoroshi was a pleasure to drink this year.
We didn’t get the Sake Pairing, we relied on recommendations from their somm, and tried it by the glass this time (normally for these type of experiences we just buy the bottles, but we had never heard of some of these before, like the Manzairaku and the Shunka Shusetsu Echizen, so tried it by the glass to be safe).
The Shichida Hiyaoroshi was $110 / bottle. Their baller Sake on the menu was Dassai Beyond for $950.
And yah, considering the stunning meal I had at Sushi Yoshizumi with so many highlights, n/naka pales in comparison.
Very disappointing to hear but to be honest I’ve always felt the food lacked finesse and this recent review doesnt help to change my mind. It’s like the michelin guide gave her two stars because they felt it was right, when I compare to other 2 or even 1 star restusrants I’ve been too, especially in Tokyo n/Naka is definitely not on their level. Good or them and their business and the food is prob good enough and the plating looks nice enough to impress casual diners who just want to eat there for chef’s table fame and now michelin madness but at their current price point, I’d rather go to Hayato and buy myself a nice bottle.
Thanks for the measured review and the great pictures, as always. I wanted to gift my niece a dinner here, but after your review I will consider another venue.
Thanks for sharing about your meal with n/naka @JLee. I agree with you and I think I mentioned awhile back that we have some food-obsessed friends who travel to Japan and Europe every year. They’ve been to n/naka 4 times, and mentioned a similar feeling that you mentioned: It’s nice plating, some pleasant dishes, maybe a couple of the dishes each time they go are noteworthy, but as a whole, it doesn’t compare to any of the Michelin starred restaurants abroad (or SF or NY) in terms of execution, great dining experience, food deliciousness, etc.
Thanks. You are such a nice uncle to want to gift your niece like that! I would say, n/naka was packed (as you can see from how hard it is to get reservations). Clearly they have a product that appeals to a lot of people. For some folks, if they have the disposable income to spend $400 per person, they should give it a try. Maybe it’ll be right for them?
For ourselves, it’s just not worth it. There are too many wonderful dining spots we’d rather go to, and as @attran99@beefnoguy and others have said, you can have multiple nice meals at some great places for the price of going to n/naka, and get more culinary delight out of it.
I wont go so far as to say they don’t deserve it but at the same time I think they represent the current zeitgeist of Los Angeles dining considering she’s breaking boundaries as a female chef doing kaiseki and translating it in a way that represents the bounty of California produce. I do wonder if the critics like Besha Rodell, when she added them to best restaurants in the world, decide not on the quality of the food but rather based off the spirit of what she is doing? Best Restaurants in the World
it can’t be helped to compared Hayato and n/Naka since they are both kaiseki restaurants but one thing I have noticed is that Hayato doesn’t change its menu noticeably and he doesn’t try to make a unique menu for each repeating guests, maybe one or two courses at most. I wonder if the self imposed goal of trying to not repeat a dish for each returning customer limit the restaurants ability to be more consistent and to be more finessed as well.
Not a whole new menu, but Hayato will often tune or “mod” a dish to fit palates. Go-san tries very hard to make each visit special for frequent repeat guests.
Good points @JLee. One thing for this latest visit at n/naka: Every table around us had the exact same courses we did. Then again, with reservations being so hard to get, it’s not surprising; probably the fall menu was new to everyone anyways because repeat visits are hard to get.
Has anyone tried their vegetarian tasting menu? The sample menu on the website is a few years old. I am very curious about it, since there are not many vegetarian tasting menus at high end places. (I know about French Laundry and L’Arpège but doubt I will go to those restaurants anytime soon)
One person in my group got the vegetarian tasting menu and it wasn’t very good, but that was 4-5 years ago so maybe it has been completely revamped. I also don’t think you would be getting your money’s worth with it to be honest.
Yah that Welcome Sake is something I never had before. Thinking about it some more, it tasted much more like a Sake that had grape flavor (almost like the Yuzu Sake they served later on, which tasted like Sake with Yuzu in it).
I would say, n/naka was packed (as you can see from how hard it is to get reservations). Clearly they have a product that appeals to a lot of people. For some folks, if they have the disposable income to spend $400 per person, they should give it a try. Maybe it’ll be right for them?