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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Near North SideGrand (Red)
Merchandise Mart (Purple Express, Brown)
Clark/Lake (Pink, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple Express, Orange)
"wowza. i love this place. ive eaten here twice and ordered the same thing - center cut filet with mashed potatoes and spinach with a nice…" read more »
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The menu was not over the top creative or trendy, however the straight forward approach was appreciated. After a write up in CS mag on Carrie Nahabedian I wanted to make a reservation, but with so many choices to dine in Chicago it took a couple months. Service was great and quite the coincidence we recognized our waiter from powerhouse (closed). Wine list is expansive and offers wines from many regions. Style was contemporary and the ambiance was upbeat, but my fiance and I still could carry on a conversation.
I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ordered, as did my fiance. And of course I stole a bite or two, and I concur it was tasty.
The standouts:
the risotto - perfectly cooked, risotto is usually heavy because of the parmesan, but this risotto was light and delicate, a very clean dish.
gnocchi with short ribs - the veg in this dish is amazing, elevating the whole dish.
Wild "Purdy Family" Great Lakes Whitefish - perfectly cooked.
custard cake - yum!
a little ho hum - the spanish inspired bread pudding
I've driven past this amazing restaurant on many occasions and always wanted to try it out. I was invited there for lunch one day and wondered why I hadn't been there sooner.
Once I stepped inside I knew I was in for a treat. The decor and ambience was a study in dramatic contrasts: cream-colored walls and white table cloths against dark wood floors and chairs, for example. We were seated facing Clark street and were able to enjoy the city's afternoon hustle and bustle , while relaxing in an almost austere, yet friendly dining environment.
Although Naha boasts an impressive and critically acclaimed wine list, my lunch companion brought two bottles of wine which our server and sommelier extraordinaire, Wanda, presented and served with great knowledge, professionalism and personality. Based on the wine we had, she made great recommendations for pairings.
On to the food...where do I start? For an appetizer, I had the Maine scallops with vanilla bean and other tantalizing spices and I swear, if I didn't fear a night at 26th and California, I would have slapped everybody in the restaurant...they were so good. I chewed nice and slow to enjoy every savory, mouth-watering bite. I sampled my friends tasty risotto and almost fell out of my chair with delight!
Because I love rich, pungent spices, I chose the North African tagine of braised chicken thighs and let's just say my taste buds are forever indebted to me! This dish was the perfect blend of flavor and texture and I was extremely happy about my choice. However, my friend's roasted quail was begging me to sample it so I felt obligated to try a taste. Once again, my palate graciously thanked me. You're quite welcome--I loved it too.
The decor, the ambience, the food and the savvy, server stylings of Wanda, made this a stellar dining experience. I've already been back!
First off our service was pretty slow and not so helpful. We asked what our waiter recommended and he said everything was good on the menu. Comments like that may work at Applebee's but the last time I checked Applebee's doesn't serve entree's for $40+. We actually flagged down another waiter and asked him the same question and he was more than helpful and engaged with us to help us choose. So in that respect we may have just gotten unlucky with a bad server.
If you're looking for hip, fun ambiance and decore this is not the place. My girlfriend and I went there on a Friday night and half the place was empty and there was no music.
All and all if the food blew me out of the water I would be able to forgive the cons of this place. The food was good. It was for sure innovative and different. It just didn't blow my socks off. The portions were really small and I simply didn't see the value in it.
It's the kind of dining experience that forces you to slow down and stop and smell the... risotto with oxtail and mushrooms with chard and dandelion. When it finally arrives.
Lots of waiters, but no food. Luckily, the wait is worth it. My risotto entree was creamy, savory, and satiating. The basil martini was citrusy and reminiscent of a mojito or margarita.
Dessert was the chocolate "bar". Notice that every option on the dessert menu has atleast one word in quotations. Like... is it not real? Or "real"? Are "the" quotations supposed to make the option more "intriguing"? Might I add that the choc bar got Iron Chef Cat Cora "raving" on the dessert edition of Food Network's Best Thing I Ever Ate.
Slow, but steady service. Our party of 6 sat in a comfy half booth-half circular table. Roomy enough that hypothetically speaking, if your feet don't touch the ground when you're sitting in the booth, there is plenty of room to subtly sit cross legged comfortably. And good luck with parking. My parking-dar landed me at the $2/hr metered area on Hubbard by the Hubbard/LaSalle intersection.
What a nice surprise - I made some assumptions that Naha would be similar to other tourist-friendly places in this neighborhood (read: more bark than bite). Not so - thumbs up from me.
Boozey-Booze: Some of the better cocktails I've had in Chicago recently. Between our friends, we tried a Bulliet Bourbon lemonade-ish cocktail with some fizz, a basil + Tanq drink that was perfectly balanced, and a few others that I didn't get to. There's a full bar with an impressive selection of 'harder-to-find' boozery.
App: Hawaiian Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with Arctic Char and apparently some caviar tucked in someplace. Very fresh, great presentation, and well done.
Entree: "Lacquered" duck breast. Seriously. Sounds pretentious, but what can I say, I loves me some quakers. Served with figs and a port sauce - I chose wisely.
Dessert: Something called the autumn sundae which was pumpkin ice cream + berries. The ice cream was good, but overall it got a "meh" for me.
Service was excellent, with careful attention to detail. Our server prompted us to let him know up front if we had time restrictions (we did, someone was catching a train), and that he would space the courses out to make sure we hit our time (which we did almost to the minute without any sense of rushing).
I'll be sure to come here again - great for small to medium sized groups or a date.
I do not throw around the 5 Star rating very much, but in this case, it is well deserved! I took my Mom, Grandma, and Brother out to dinner here last night for my Mom's birthday and it couldn't have been a more enjoyable experience.
For the appetizers, we ordered the tuna tar tare, baratta cow's milk cheese, corn soup, and gnocchi and each was outstanding. The baratta cheese was one of the best pieces of cheese I have ever tasted, it truly melted in your mouth. The corn soup had a perfect balance of sweetness. The gnocchi's flavor was perfect and the tuna tar tare had amazing balance.
We also were given the scallop appetizer and risotto with oxtail entree compliments of the chef (we have an outside relationship with Carrie). Both were very good, but the scallop was one of the best dishes I've had anywhere.
For entrees we had the halibut, ribeye, duck, and squab with foie gras. We all tried each others main courses and every one of them was excellent. The ribeye was as good as any steakhouse I have ever dined at, you could literally taste the flames from the open fire it was grilled over. The halibut had a softness to it that I have never experienced in the usually firmer fish. The duck was outstanding, with a nice cumin flavor added to the natural smokiness. Finally my squab was cooked perfectly and the BBQ flavor of the foie gras was an outstanding compliment.
We declined dessert because we were so full, but were still brought several samples as well as some desert wine compliments of the chef. All of the desert was wonderful, especially the steamed meringue and olive oil ice cream.
Overall, this is one of the best restaurants I have dined at, not just in Chicago, but anywhere. While pricey, the cost can easily be justified when dining here for a special occasion. Every dish we tried, and I'm sure every dish that we didn't as well, is absolutely outstanding. I will definitely be back to Naha.
Naha's food proved an outstanding combination of comforting warmth with gourmet sensibilities. The service was solid and friendly. I'll definitely be back.
I went here without making a reservation first. The woman at the hostess stand was not very welcoming. There were loads of tables open and she said that all they had was the bar tables and outside. It was nice out so that choice was easy. Really though, I wanted to give this place 5 stars but the host definitely ruined that.
Thankfully our server, Brady, was phenomenal. Knowledgeable on the foods and wines all while being a cool guy. The spicy tuna appetizer was incredible. Wild Alaskan Halibut made over Cremini Mushrooms and other fix-ins was also amazing. The house Blueberry yogurt and espresso was a perfect way to end the meal.
This was, without question, one of the most flawless meals I have had in the city. It was so good that I am honestly shocked that anybody could give this three stars or less. Everything. Was. Stunning.
First of all - the decor is very peaceful and earthy. The music was soft, there were pillows on which to recline, and it sort of felt like dining in a forest - in the middle of the city. Loved it.
Service WAS very slow - I will give them that - but I'm not such a complete jerk that I'm going to pitch a fit and give a place 1 star if my drink takes 10 minutes. The place was packed on a Thursday, and I know they do lots of private dining. Maybe they need more servers on the floor, but still. Americans are in SUCH a hurry to eat their dinner at lightning speed and then bolt. Whatever happened to lingering and enjoying a meal and conversation? Just eat a slice of bread and wait for your entree like a decent person.
We began with the gnocchi and corn soup appetizers. WOW. and WOW.
Gnocchi - This dish was an absolute explosion of perfect flavors. There was gnocchi, prosciutto, cheese, Spanish chorizo, almonds, greens, and broccoli and cauliflower, all coated in a deliciously rich sauce. The description I just gave does this dish no justice. It's to die for. Big portion too! Share it.
Yellow Corn Soup - this soup was basically the essence of roasted corn, in a bowl. The flavor was so deep, so rich, it was like the best corn you've ever had in liquid form. Another dish not to be missed - although they are kind of ALL not to be missed.....
My entree was the quail with pork belly. Oh. mah. gawd. The quail was, admittedly, a very teensy bird, but there was still a good amount of meat on it, and the meat was succulent and delicate. The pork belly was just insane. It can't even be described! The flavor was tremendous and unique, and I wished I could have more even though I was full from the big piece of it on my plate. The coddled duck egg and all the other items on the plate (potatoes, greens, etc) were perfectly seasoned and unbelievably well-matched. Everything on the plate could be eaten together in the same bite, the flavors matching harmoniously.
My boyfriend had the ribeye, and it was the best steak he'd ever had outside of an actual steakhouse. It was a big piece of meat - he couldn't finish it - but the outside was nice and lightly charred, and the inside was juicy and endlessly flavorful. It really was an extremely well-cooked and well-seasoned steak....he didn't use the seasoned sea salt provided because the meat itself was so perfect.
We were too full for dessert, but I did enjoy my Verano cocktail. You've never tried anything like it, I guarantee. The apple-celery flavors and smooth tequila made it a memorable and refreshing drink.
Expensive, but worth every penny. What a treat for my birthday dinner! I wish I was rich enough to come back every time the menu changed!
Truly amazing! I've been to Naha multiple times now, and each time they've outdone themselves.
The food is absolutely amazing and the presentation is top-notch. I am by no means a connoisseur, but the entire dining experience was everything I would imagine a 5-Star experience to be.
They have a very diverse menu that has been updated each of the times I've dined there, and I have yet to be unimpressed, let alone disappointed. I was a sorry to see they no longer offered the seared tenderloin during our last visit, but the pork chop was indescribable. I had no idea something so 'simple' could be so 'complicated', but I can honestly say that I've never had a dish with so much 'going on'...each bite was absolutely wonderful.
In addition to the superb food, the wait staff is very knowledgeable and very personable so despite the modern/trendy decor, you don't get that overly-pretentious vibe but a very relaxing and peaceful atmosphere.
This is a place I would recommend to anyone and everyone, time and time, again.
Time: 5:25 pm
Just 1 block south, the line is growing at Frontera, the bar is packed. The wait is now 2.5 hrs.
So we strolled down to Naha, there was a couple waiting outside. The doors were locked. The place doesn't open until 5:30pm. Fine we'll wait.
It is now 5:35 pm. Door still locked, 4 people outside waiting to get in. Staff can been seen lingering around the bar. Hello? In this economy?
We left.
I've had only wonderful + great experiences here. And, killer-delicious especially FISH, reliably incredible, but other dishes I've tasted are really good, too.
Service? I've only had wonderful service, really friendly and helpful, with great suggestions, for wine and pairings. And very helpful in my experience, like, remember and really keep in mind if you need to get out of here in time for something else.
I really, really love this place if I want to treat myself, or, if someone else wants to treat me to a kind of fancy-pants place, and an outstanding meal. I can count on the food being really amazing, which is nice to be able to do.
Excellent food. I had the pork chop, which was cooked perfectly and had great toppings and excellent polenta. For dessert I ahd the summer sundae, which was an excellent combination of dried peaches and bourbon ice cream.
the service was much slower than it needed to be. I ate at the bar, and the bartender disappeared for long stretches. It took a while for the food to come. It's a nice clean, modern space
Disclaimer: I have not eaten at all of the top restaurants in the city...yet. Also, I think I have said what I am about to say next about another meal in a yelp review, but I'm too lazy to check...so here we go.
My meal at Naha was the best I have eaten in the city so far. The flavors were dialed in and flawless. They were understated when they needed to be and slapping me in the face when they knew it was their time to shine. The service was flawless. The experience overall was everything I could ask for.
For my first course, I chose my favorite: tuna tartare. It's difficult choosing your favorite app, because well, when it's your favorite, you've tried a lot of different versions. Naha's tuna tartare was a work of art, both aesthetically and flavorwise. I didn't want to touch the plate when it arrived because it was so beautiful, however, I was hungry. The tartare had a perfect amount of acidity and the flavor did all it could to compliment the taste and texture of the fish without taking over. The accompaniments were new, interesting and quite delicious. My companion chose the seared scallops to start. While the presentation was not quite as beautiful as my tartare, the flavors dominated! Perfectly seared scallops (a given at a seafood restaurant of this caliber) and amazing flavors. There were multiple layers of flavors and I really enjoyed how the scallops finished off with a lingering chocolate taste.
After awesome first courses, I am always worried the main course will let me down. Not at Naha. I chose the halibut because I am a sucker for cremini mushrooms and anything involving the word "froth". Ok so this dish was again a perfectly cooked piece of fish (again, we're at Naha.) The crust on the fish was light and did nothing to take away from the flavor of the fish itself. I don't recollect what was under the fish very well because I was so excited about the mushroom froth. I love froths and foams because they add subtle flavors to dishes in an unobtrusive way. The mushroom froth brought a light mushroom taste the fish without making the crust soggy. My companion chose the soft shell crab and the dish changed my views on soft shell crab. I used to think that soft shell crab was merely a cheap trick that smart sushi chefs used to convince Americans that they liked sushi. The soft shell crab at Naha melted in your mouth. The sauce had a perfect level of sweetness to compliment the sweet crab meat.
Unfortunately, we didn't save room for dessert...so that will have to wait until next time! I can't wait to go back.
Love this place. The food is sophisticated and layered but completely unpretentious. I've eaten here for both lunch and dinner and never been disappointed. Service is solid. My only complaint is that the ambiance feels a bit "cold." Doesn't reflect the inventive, yet homey tastes and textures of the food.
Amazingly Delicious Dinner!
I am still comparing restaurants to Naha.
I loved the style of the restaurant. The plates were quirky, spirally designs and not the usual dinner plate. Every single appetizer, entree and dessert was exceptional. I wished I had room in my belly for seconds of everything.
It makes complete sense that the chef received and/or was nominate for a James Beard Award.
Please go! I'd go back! :)
The food is top notch. However last time i went there they did something so cheesy it almost makes me never want to go back. They did not tell me they were going to charge me if i split my meal with my friend. well there were a few miscellaneous charges on the bill and i was shocked at such a nice restaurant they would be so money hungry, that was really low class.
Naha has been on my "Places to Visit" list for the past 4+ years, so I was stoked to finally make it on in. Here's my quick recap:
Naha (+)
--------------
-Our food was simply outstanding. My friend & I shared the scallops with grapefruit, endive, and vanilla bean. Incredible medley of flavors working together, yet letting the sweet, delicate scallop flavor shine through. Vanilla & Scallops? I'm a fan!
-My venison was amazing! Cooked to a beautiful med rare with a huckleberry reduction. It was so tender and flavorful that I couldn't stop eating it! I highly recommend this dish.
-St Germain cocktail :) Deeeelish! I mean, you can't go wrong with sparkling wine and elderflower liquor.
-Heavenly sorbets & ice creams....Naha's chocolate ice cream kicks Hagen Daz to the curb.
Naha (-)
--------------
-The VIBE?? Where was it? Did I miss it? You know how you enter a restaurant & there is a certain buzz lingering throughout the place to get you all relaxed/excited/in the mood to chow down? Not at Naha. It was so weird; I've never experienced that before.
-Pricey! Bring your trusty Visa or Sugar Daddy (Average app. is around $20, and entree around $35).
-Music = WTF?! No really, WTF?!??? Janet Jackson, circa 1988, was playing. I wish I was kidding...
Try the venison & scallops--and you may want to bring your I-Pod (unless you like Janet Jackson).
Amazing dinner!
Open, window-encased room made this restaurant inviting from the moment we stepped in. Tables were spaced apart just enough to give a modicum of privacy, which is always appreciated when seated at a banquette.
Service extremely efficient....water glass never more than half empty, and the pacing was perfect.
Our lovely bottle of Emeritus 2006 Pinot Noir kicked it off just right. It was so good, I found some online afterwards and ordered three bottles for delivery.
Our meal consisted of:
*Sweet Pea Soup - smooth, fresh, tasty
*Farm Egg "Benedict" - MAJOR DELISH!! Cannot say enough about this dish. Every component from the muffin to the goat cheese to the very flavorful tomato to the scrumptious egg was sensational. The surrounding bean compote just added that much more. Must order!!
*Soft Shell Crabs - Scored the last entree order of the night! Two crabs fried and topped with pinenuts, served with quinoa and various herbs. Yum.
*Ribeye of Beef - Nicely charred flavor on the surface. Very juicy and tender...so much flavor! The accompanying "Tarte Tatin" of onions, cheese and bacon was outstanding! Imagine a savory puff pastry topped with all that goodness....ooooh!
I guess we were already done in for so why not just go all out and order two desserts. We had the Chocolate Delice and Pineapple Cheesecake. Really, they both were excellent, but I preferred the Delice just because it pairs great with coffee (plus it was plenty for two).
What a wonderful wonderful meal! You Chicagoans are lucky folk.
Restaurant Week 101
Fact #1
Fine dining restaurants dislike Restaurant Week because it attracts an entriely different customer segment---namely the price sensitive customer.
Fact #2
Restaurants don't make money on Restaurant Week. If you're Charlie Trotter or Daniel Boulud or Thomas Keller, then your check average is $100-$300 per guest. So imagine trying to remain profitable at a $32 check average.
Let's do the math:
Assumptions:
Turns: 2.5 (normal), 4 (Restaurant Week)
Check Avg: $100 (normal), $47 (Restaurant Week: $32 and $15 for wine)
Maximum Seating Capacity: 100 seats
The revenue is $25,000 a day versus $18,800 for Normal versus Restaurant Week, respectively.
The bottom line is that fine dining restaurants rely on margin not on volume. Most high-end restaurants have few seats. So Restaurant Week hurts these businesses because they cannot fill the restaurant with enough seats to offset the lost margin. This is why they lose money.
One could argue that the "loss" could be viewed as an advertising expense that generates awareness and promotes the restaurant. This is absolutely WRONG. First, restaurants like Charlie Trotters have enough publicity; they don't need Restaurant Week. Second, the customers that dine out at Restaurant Week are not loyal repeat customers. In other words, Restaurant Week customers tend to be unprofitable because they cannot and will not spend the requisite money needed to keep these restaurants profitable. In my example, customers need to spend $100 on average for the restaurant to have a positive cash flow.
Why am I belaboring this point?
Restaurant Week should never be used as an indication of what to expect; it's an entriely different experience predicated on what the restaurant can afford at $32 for 3 courses.
THE REVIEW
NAHA won the James Beard Award (culinary equivalent of the Oscars) for Best Chef in "Great Lakes" in 2008. It is an industry darling frequently cited as a culinary destination in Chicago.
The dining room is simple and clean. Imagine the interior of a nice Soho art gallery. The restaurant charges $40 and up for main courses. They have an award winning wine list. The restaurant is packed on weekends. Clearly, they must be doing something right at those prices considering we're in a recession.
This place is four blocks from my pad. I was really excited to dine here. A group of friends and I ate here last night. Despite everything I just said about Restaurant Week I was disappointed. That's why I'm giving NAHA the benefit of the doubt with3 stars. I would give it 1 or 2 stars otherwise.
First, service is the one thing that should NEVER change. Restaurant Week affects the food. It should have no affect on service. NAHA loses points for this. Our table ordered 2 bottles of wine. The server never refilled one single glass.
Second, the restaurant has no common sense. They allowed food cost to dictate portion size. You have to be smart during Restaurant Week. By nature, Restaurant Week attracts value oriented diners. So they are basing their experience on value for price---even at the $32 level!
The smart restaurants design a special menu just for Restaurant Week. This way, the diners get an experience that is more representative of the restaurant.
What did NAHA do?
They based portions on food cost relative to check avg: $100 versus $32. I felt like each course had only 1/3 of the normal portion on the plate.
The first course choices were:
Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Wild Boar Bacon
Green Salad with apples Great Hills Blue Cheese
Coddled Organic Egg with American Proscuitto and Frisee Salad
I know what it feels to be anorexic. The egg with frisee and proscuitto portion was laughable. It was a shame b/c it tasted terrific. Imagine one small egg over easy with one quarter of a slice of bacon. The freakin' frisee looked more like a garnish than a main component. Really? Eggs cost like 5 cents.
The soup is the way to go. It is the only option that serves a normal portion size.
Dinner choices were:
Pan Roasted Whitefish with mustard, Beluga lentils
Cannelloni with ricotta, whitefish caviar, and melted leeks
Roasted Quail with braised Kurobuta Pork Belly
Again, the portions were ridiculously tiny. My quail main course was the most pathetic feeble looking dish I've ever seen on a plate. The pork belly must have "escaped." I was like the big bad wolf, "Little Piggy, come out. Come out wherever you you are."
Dessert was a bit more reasonable. All desserts looked great. The chocolate delice was a favorite. The cheesecake was okay.
Dinner came out to $65 with tax and tip per person. Not one single person in my group said they would return.
Will give another try after Anorexic...I mean Restaurant week is over.
N-not enough food
A-at $32 if you're
H-hungry unless you're
A-anorexic
My finance and I came here for lunch during Restaurant Week, it was a $22 a person special menu. What a great deal for this place. The portion sizes were a pretty good size especially for lunch. And the food was great. I think the cheesecake dessert was delicious, maybe my favorite part. Service was kinda slow, but they were packed for lunch and I might not be the clientele they are trying to win over with amazing service.
i might go to Naha again outside of restaurant week but the chances are slim. It was a excuse to try a more upscale place.
Really!?!
Really, Naha!? Despite your recent rave reviews and 4 star rating on Yelp I was thoroughly disappointed with your poor Restaurant Week display.
Really?! Naha, how long had our food been sitting in the window, under the hot lamps, turning to mush before someone wearing a nuclear power plant suit had to deliver our entrees? Really!
Really?!? Did you not notice that I ate two bites of my food, because it was an atrocious mess? Really? Probably not because we saw our server twice: to take our order and to pick up his tip. Really? Do the bus boys do all the work your your restaurant?
The portions? Really? Naha, you left me starving. I had a bite of my boyfriend's quail and one potato wedge and that was about half of his meal. Really?!? Was I paying for food smells?
Really Naha, I'm really disappointed in you, and I won't be back. Really.
3
4
I have walked by Naha a million times and have always wanted to check it out. After reading some reviews, we decided to go there last Saturday.
First impression: solid...The staff that greeted us were very friendly and it's a nice looking room.
Second impression: solid... we sat at the bar while waiting to be seated and ordered a couple of the specialty cocktails. The bartender was cool and the drinks were quite interesting... i had something that had like 10 liquors and bitters in it...
Third impression: solid again, our waitress was witty, attentive but not all up in our grill...
Now... the not so good part.. the food. My companion (read: girlfriend) ordered a steak based on the preparation and the sides it came with. The meat showed up way over cooked, full of gristle and generally unappetizing. it came with with some twist on potatoes Au gratin that was hiding under the steak and was mediocre at best. I ordered squab which i will admit was a bit of a gamble, but that's what Naha is supposed to be about, pushing the American culinary edge with seasonal ingredients. Well, apparently Chicago pigeons on LaSalle are in season because that's about what i got. the only saving grace was a fantastic Malbec (Broquel if memory serves) that we ordered. But after dropping considerable coin i do not want to have to go home and make a frozen pizza.. that's how not good it was.
I don't know if we caught them on a bad night, if we ordered the wrong things based on our palettes, or if the folks in the kitchen have lost their touch. But i am not going to drop another 2 hundy to find out...
I am giving it 2 stars for the gracious hostess, the cool bartender, and our unerring waitress...
Now HERE is a place that knows how to do restaurant week!
Make your selections good enough that people would want to come back for a full price meal!
Service was great, decor is sooo nice, I can't say enough good things about Naha.
The three course restaurant week meal was filling and satisfying. I will tell you that everything we had was good. The cauliflower soup was the first cauliflower soup i've ever had that I didn't find too salty.
My main dish, the quail was sooo moist and delicious, and was presented extremely well.
Dessert- I had a fruity tort, I think it was called, it was quite good but I thougth the other two desserts were better- A cheesecake with frothy stuff on top AND tapioca balls. When I read the description I was like HUH!? but it was actually quite good!
Also the chocolate dessert was delicious.
I stopped in the other night just to eat a quick meal at the bar. I wasn't planning on making a big production of the meal or anything, but I should know that I lose all willpower in here (but only when it comes to food - don't be taking me here and expecting to sell me timeshares in Arizona).
I sat down and was reminded that the bar has a special lounge menu in addition to the regular menu. I don't think I've ever ordered off the lounge menu before, so I gave it a good look-over.
After a bout of consideration and re-consideration, I gave in to my culinary desires and threw the idea of a light dinner to the wind. I started with a sugar pea soup that was, as is always the case with their soups, amazing. Sometimes I think I should just go in some time and get four orders of their soup - and this was one of those times. Next I had their smelts, which I love. They'd be easy to eat with chopsticks, although like most non-asian restaurants Naha doesn't carry chopsticks (and yes, I did ask). As a third course, off the lounge menu I had their tuna and avocado dish. I'd never had that before, but it was perfect. It was kinda like a rustic guacamole with sashimi-grade tuna mixed in. It was perfectly seasoned, and served with the perfect number of "chips" (fattoush crackers) - I didn't have tuna-avocado or chips left over at the end.
I also had the bartender pair wine with each course, and he did a great job with it. Naha seems to always do a better-than average job of pairing wine with their food. Service was cordial and professional, attentive but not overbearing, and I left a very happy, very full man.
I took a friend for Restaurant Week, and their selections for their special menu were perfect. The… Read more »
I have been dying to eat at Naha for years and I finally got the chance a few weeks ago when I had some guests in town. I was not impressed with the service, our waiter was trying way too hard to make jokes and would not let up about us getting bottles of wine. They do have good cocktails and when you order one, like a greyhound, you get a glass of vodka on the rocks and a separate carafe of grapefruit juice (that was the best part of the experience).
I ordered bay scallops and they were a bit over cooked and chewy. Desert was the worst though, I was horrified with what we were served.
It was disappointing.
Carrie Nahabedian has always been a kitchen maestro. I first learned of her work when she was at the Four Seasons (or was it the Ritz-Carleton?). Every so often, the brunch would have a foie gras station that would be hers, and she was masterful at it.
Fast forward to her opening her own place: Naha. A beautiful dining room with an elegant menu full of wonderful complex "nouveau" offerings, even at lunch. Yes, she seems to make one of the top burgers in Chicago as well, but don't go just for the burger; wonderful salads and other fare are available as appetizers and the entrees are solid but with refinement, such as their open-faced soft shell crab sandwich.
I went a week ago for lunch after my original choice turned out to be closed for a private party (and was barricaded by CPD and others, hmm...). We called ahead to make sure Carrie was in the kitchen, since we figured that was the best chance of our "really, no sodium at all" requirement being heard. Although it was not on the menu, we asked if there was any foie gras available for an appetizer. Turns out there was, and she made a luscious salt-free preparation for it, one of those cherry reduction sauces with fresh Michigan (or was it Wisconsin?) dark cherries. The only thing missing was my inability to afford a glass of Château d'Yquem, and I'm not really supposed to drink right now anyway. This was my first foie gras in maybe a year and it was a small portion but so delightful and masterfully made! I was also going to try to have the non-cured half of the ceviche, but it turned out that they pre-soaked all of it, not just the cured fish.
Fast forward to the main course. Here's where I hit a snag. I ordered a salt-free prep of the soft-shell crab, after being assured the crab itself wasn't pre-spiced with salt, and my companions got a regular crab and a burger without cheese and bun on the side so I would be able to try it. When the entrees came, mine had a lovely little vegetable in lemon side prep and skipped the pepper aioli. I took one bite and instantly knew: there was salt in the corn meal breading of the crab. I confirmed this by digging out a piece of crab without coating for a second test bite, and it was smooth and mellow, with a trace of salt from where the coating had been. We immediately flagged our waiter down and mentioned this. His response was, "Oh, no, there's no salt in the corn meal. I checked." At this point my companions had tried a bite to verify and they both agreed it was salty. Unfortunately, he didn't attempt to take my concern back to the kitchen nor address it, and before I could push the point I was sort of silenced by one of my companions. Instead I swapped with her and she had my crab and I, her burger, which was tasty (albeit a little cool at this point). We also ordered a dessert, one of those "dark chocolate five ways" things,and while it was tasty, it didn't really hold my interest. (There were many good dessert choices but most clearly would contain salt.) They also had a wonderful cheese selection but I can't do those right now, either.
I wanted to love this meal - and I did worship the foie gras, the attention to detail, the refined but casual atmosphere, the choice of Hildon still water, the *idea* of the crab and its taste - but the fact that a high-end restaurant did not allow me to engage in a deeper parlay with the kitchen about my concerns but rather dismissed them troubled me.
So, you should go. I just might not be able to again - except for the occasional foie gras splurge. It's really a great restaurant.
What is the perfect antidote to a string of rainy Chicago days and a neverending, midsummer pile o' work? Why, Naha, of course. Just stepping inside makes me feel instantly more zen, and the hostess and bar/waitstaff are unfailingly polite and helpful. I am a huge fan of the inventive drinks (one in particular, though the name escapes me off the top of my head) features cherries soaked in bourbon. I could see myself living off of this drink in winter (or, during chilly summer days). The food is excellent, as well, especially the signature salad (referred to on the menu as a beautiful salad) and fish dishes. Next time, I will save room for dessert (or start out with dessert and work my way backwards) as the selections looked divine. NB: Naha also does wine pairings and will work with you, so I've heard, to accommodate your order with the perfect pour.
On my first visit here, I stuffed myself.
I came here on a date and I have no idea how much he actually spent, but it must have been a lot, since we had at least three courses and each one was paired with some kind of wine.
Foie gras had recently been un-banned, so I had some kind of small hen with foie gras as my entree, but I also had foie gras as an appetizer. I can hardly remember what the other course was (was there another course?), but I do remember leaving the place in somewhat of a daze. Not only was I stuffed (REALLY stuffed), I was also pretty drunk.
I really like these kinds of fancy restaurants because the ambiance is casual, yet calm like more formal places. I'd go here by myself, or with a friend with whom I could have a nice conversation, or even with someone with whom I didn't need to talk too much, but not with a group. The place just doesn't seem conducive to having large, flamboyant parties, but that's not a bad thing.
Maybe next time I'll just have one meal, and enjoy it on its own, with maybe just ONE drink, instead of eating and drinking 'till I'm almost unconscious.
Restaurant week choice for me that disappointed. I can't say anything really stood out to me. The good things: the cauliflower soup, the seafood, and any dessert other than with chocolate. The bad: the quail and the chocolate desserts. I do like the fact they use fresh and local products and you can taste that difference. I just wish there was something that made me want to ask for more of it. Environment is very private and yet with an open floorplan. The service I think is what may have ruined the taste of the food for me...the table next to us was getting their dishes much faster than us and had gotten there later. By the time they left, we were wondering where our desserts were and if we were ever going to get them. If somebody wanted to go back, I would try it again.
I went to Naha for Restaurant Week and they offered the best menu for a discount week I have ever had. The portions were large, and the friendly waiter encouraged us to purchase their cheese plate, which is amazing. If you have never ordered it - you won't regret it! They serve ample portions of multiple different cheeses with lots of accompaniments. I can't wait to go back. It is fine dining but without any snobbery - a great place to go with friends or take out-of-town family. It is also perfect for a date night, which is how we enjoyed it!
here is wonderful place for all food aficionado's. the food is over-the-top and wine selection is beautiful. the serve latin cuisine's form all nation's of the the carribean and south america!.
My husband and I went here for Restaurant Week last year. We also went to one-sixty blue. Naha disappointed us primarily because we felt that we were treated differently than diners not using the Restaurant Week deal. The waitstaff was curt and our courses were brought out with inordinate speed.
We were also not thrilled with the food. My husband's butternut squash soup was exciting on the first bite but quickly became overly salty. Actually, we found that salt was a problem for most of the dishes. (And my husband has an extremely high tolerance for saltiness!)
The weirdest thing for us was the way the menu was written. Quotation marks were used with disturbing frequency. No one wants to eat "natural" chicken.
I am in love...LOVE...with Naha.
It has been my life's quest to find the most perfect cheeseburger and Naha has it! I had heard that they make a good burger, but was skeptical. Now I know, this is THE best burger I've had in my life! :)
Before I tip-toed into burger heaven, I tried the melon soup. There are some flavors that are hard to understand why they go together and I am in awe of anyone that can put them together. Someone at Naha figured out that a chilled melon soup with crab meat, mint, almonds, and red chili would be phenomenal and it was. When I finished my soup I actually said to my lunch pal "I'm really sad that I'm done with my soup."
For dessert I had the greek yogurt custard, which was good. What blew me away was that the custard was served with fennel sorbet. In a million years I never would have thought of fennel as a sorbet flavor. It was so delicious!!
I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch at Naha and can't wait for another reason to go back.
It seemed as if the server was stretched a little too thin, considering the price point for the restaurant. Meal was quite good, only two complains my Gnocchi was burnt and we sent it back but received no management visit, or compensation for the dish, at $17.00 it was a costly mistake on out part to not complain further. Also, despite our request for a special dessert to be brought out for my sister-in-law's graduation that never arrived after a little prodding of both the server and the manager, and we decided to scrap the idea. Appetizers we enjoyed the following appetizers, Tartare of Hawaiian "Yellowfin" Tuna, Organic "Living Water" salad and Yukon Potato Gnocchi, Braised Oxtails,
Entrees were Wood-Grilled 18 oz. Prime Ribeye of Beef, Whole Roasted "Dressed" Squab,Foie Gras and Crisp Potato Cake, Roast Becker Lane Pork chop and Wild Alaskan Halibut with a "Fondant" of Cracked Blue Crab.
I have been here twice for lunch. One time I was extremely hungover, but it was still an enjoyable experience because it is such a mellow place. The first time I was there we had the mezze platter with olives, hummus etc which was very good. I love platters with lots of different things to try. For lunch I had the Southern Fried Chicken Salad with yes fried chicken, glazed pecans, buttermilk dressing, love. -- it probably has more calories in it than a double cheeseburger, but tasted way better. Very very good. The second time I had the tartare of tuna and trout to start which was pretty good, not my most favorite. I ordered the hamburger which is supposed to be one of the best in Chicago. It was very good, but I have had just as good at other places. The fries are amazing. They don't have plain old iced tea, but this red stuff which I really don't like.
A side note, the chef walked out during lunch and was very very good looking. Like I had to restrain myself from busting into the kitchen good looking.
I have been wanting to try this restaurant for a while now, so was really excited to go with some co-workers for lunch. The waiter took forever to come to our table just to get our drink order. We literally waited over 25 minutes to get our drinks! We ordered a few appetizers and entrees, which took over 45 minutes to get! We wanted to order dessert but did not have time as we were there for over two hours simply due to how long it took to get our food. The food was good, but due to the horrible service I will never be back.
I did a lot of research on good Chicago restaurants before choosing this place, and I did so even despite some negative reviews here. I based my decision on it being nicely devoid of gimmicks and super-trendy menu items. And also, even though this was for a birthday dinner for my husband, I wanted to make sure it had vegetarian friendly options for me.
Our entire experience here was amazing. We used their $10 valet parking as we were coming from fairly far. When we walked in we were both really delighted by the decor. The window seats with pillows on them looked lovely. Wish I had those in my home! We were seated right away and had a really, really attentive waiter and associated staff the entire evening. J and I were having fun watching how quickly our napkins were re-folded when one of us got up to go to the bathroom. When our wine glasses got low, someone refilled them (we never had to pour our own wine the entire night, and the bottle we chose, a white wine from Alsace, was awesome.) The water refills kept coming as well.
But of course, the food is the reason we're there. It was absolutely amazing. We were both kind of swooning. The portions here aren't huge. That could bother some folks because of the prices, but we were delighted because it meant we could try appetizers, entrees, and deserts. Neither of us, including tiny appetite me, left with a doggie bag, but we were both full.
J started with the "Tartare of Hawaiian "Yellowfin" Tuna" (see the menu posted on their website) and I chose "Yukon Potato Gnocchi". The presentation was so lovely that we wished we'd brought a camera. Someone in the back was clearly having fun! Our entrees were the Duck and the Cannelloni. My eyes actually crossed with glee upon tasting the Cannelloni, and my incredibly picky husband called the duck "obscenely good".
Our deserts were a lemon tarte and an angel food cake. Also amazing. The sorbet that came with them was so light and creamy.
The ambiance was perfect while we were here, the service lovely. This was on a Saturday night, too. Highly recommended.
The scene:
Me, at the library of U of C doing research for one of my papers and grading students' essays. And chatting with Erin P. And my husband. You have to get entertained in such circumstances, believe me.
Me - Bummer! We are not going anywhere for restaurant week!!
Erin P - Well I just got us in tomorrow at Le Colonial so it's still possible!
Me - Hmmm....I'd like Reuben to surprise me and make reservations!
Erin P - Do you need me to do something about it?
Me - (huh?!?!? that is so sweet!!) I should be able to make it work...
(to hubby) you know...Erin is going to Le Colonial tomorrow....
Reuben - Oh yeah?
Me - ..........................................
(five minutes later) I made reservations for tonight at Naha. 8:30. You will thank me later. Don't be late.
I run out of the library with a pile of books under my arm (and managed not to drop any of them, hurray for me), jump in my exercise suit asa I get home, work a big sweat before stuffing my face with the wonderful delights I am anticipating (you have to do what you have to do), jump (again) in the shower, get ready and wait for the return of the prodigal husband. Yay!! en route!
We have to wait a little when we arrive but there is a lovely waiting area with comfortable couches and a nice view of downtown. The place is packed - mostly younger crowd. A lot of beautiful dresses and sharp gentlemen. Oh wow. When we are finally escorted to our table we immediately order two specialty drinks and dig in the menu.
For me:
- RICH WINTER CAULIFLOWER SOUP, CARAMELIZED CAULIFLOWER, CRACKED HAZELNUTS AND WILD BOAR BACON - served at the table. Light, velvety, dreamy...the hazelnuts infuse their aroma to the whole dish and pair perfectly well with my martini. Delicious.
- PURDY FAMILY GREAT LAKES WHITEFISH, HEN OF THE WOODS MUSHROOMS, BELUGA LENTILS, ROASTED PARSNIPS, GRAIN MUSTARD AND CHIVES - the fish is nicely crisp on the outside but still very moist. The parsnips are unbelievable......the lentils....I could do better but it's been so long that I gulp them down. With sophistication of course.
- MILK CHOCOLATE DELICE, CARA CARA ORANGES AND HAZELNUT CREAM - I am a chocolate freak and can hardly resist any chocolate dessert. It was good and quite substantial (as opposed to the entree) but NOTHING in comparison to Reuben's sweet dream.... he opted for the cheesecake scented with rum and toasted coconut custard, and served with a dollop of the best pineapple sorbet I have ever had and tapioca pearls. That was probably one of the best dessert I have ever tasted. Exquisite enough to make me forget everything about chocolate....well... almost.
Nice little touch at the end: along with the check, our waitress brought us two blackberry pates de fruit and two passion fruit chocolate truffles... the latter were to die for. And back to chocolate wonderland.
I just wish it was restaurant week every month.
Update: I'd like to update this to say that the chef responded to this thread over on http://lthforum.com. I'd encourage you to go look at the site and find the post to see his response. I've not changed a word of my review (except a very minor edit that didn't change the content) as this truly reflected my singular experience there, but I thought it was fair to give the chef his due.
So last night we ate at Naha. Why on earth this place got an award at all is so far beyond me. The service was laughably bad and the food was just ok. We got there at about 8:30 or so without a reservation but the dining room was only about 1/2-3/4 full. We asked if there was room for us and they said absolutely. We sat down and waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually our server dropped the menu and took our drink orders, which nicely enough were returned with lightning speed. OK, looks like it's going to be ok, or is it....?
Then we waited...and waited....and waited... to place our orders. OK, as an aside, I know we've talked about using quotation marks on menus, but Naha is completely insane. We counted two dishes that didn't use quotes in their descriptions. Listen, if you're going to call it "Korobuta" pork then I'm going to assume you aren't really using Korobuta pork, especially when your waiter is completely flippant about it when I ask.
Fine, we get our orders taken, two appetizers... and then we wait. With an empty glass in front of me we wait...and wait, and finally I've had enough and I flag down a waiter and ask to see the manager. Our food is finally dropped right as the manager comes by- at this point I was ready to send our food back and walk out. The manager made no apologies for the wait on the food and told us that the chef was unhappy with our food and it had to be remade, that's why the wait was so long. First, I call complete and utter bullshit on this- one of the appetizers was soup and the other was a pretty simple gnocci. Also, my gnocci came out luke warm- so if this is the best they can do this is terrible. I mentioned to the manager that if that was the case then someone should have told us so we weren't sitting there with empty drinks just waiting.
So what would have been the obvious reaction to this from any decently trained manager? Apologize and either take a drink order yourself or send a waiter over right away to take another drink order, or even better yet, send something over to the table. Nope, gotta wait another 20 minutes or so to see a waiter. The next waiter comes over, asks how things were and laughs about how it took so long to get our appetizers. A laugh? Really? We just talked to the manager, do you think we find this really amusing?
We finish our apps and wait...and wait...and wait and I flag down the waiter again and ask him to drop the check. He does so with our second set of apps which were just ok. Again, my food was served luke warm.
I left a 10% tip (something I NEVER do) and walked out. The manager caught my eye as we were walking out and couldn't be bothered to get up from his glass of wine at a table to apologize.
This restaurant should be completely and utterly ashamed of itself, it's staff and management. Maybe they are already resting on their laurels from their award. In any event, this should be avoided at all costs.
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