Naha
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Near North Side500 N Clark St
(between Grand Ave & Illinois St)
Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 321-6242
- Nearest Transit:
Grand (Red)
Merchandise Mart (Purple Express, Brown)
Clark/Lake (Pink, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple Express, Orange)
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Valet
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
23 reviews
Neighborhood: Near North Side
"Oh Pump Room, you are taking the honors of my first five star review. Perfect place for almost all nice occasions. Yes, it's a nice, classy…" read more »
65 Reviews for Naha
I am beyond tardy in reviewing this culinary orgy, having loved Naha since it was named Chicago's Best New Restaurant some years ago. The recent James Beard award is another reminder of why Naha continues to thrive in a chew-em-up restaurant market like Chicago. I have yet to have a meal here that was anything short of delightful. The creative food pairings, killer wine list (scotch, too!), first-rate service and peaceful atmosphere just never fail to deliver. And one of the best kept secrets in River North is Naha's wonderful little bar. It's among my favorite hiding spots for a quick post-work cocktail, wine soaked client meeting or quiet chat with a friend.
Naha had been on my list for a long time, but I was waiting for an expense account or a date to go there. (I got the latter). Very inventive menu - definitely not good for people who are uncomfortable with 'out there' ingredients or combinations of flavors. Overall, my meal was good, but it was all exceptionally salty, which was very offputting. Portions were small (my date was so hungry at the end that he actually ate more bread to fill himself up). And the bread itself was TERRIBLE. (OK, I know I shouldn't judge a restaurant by its bread but, well, I do. Naha's bread was uninspiring and its texture showed that it had been sliced many hours earlier and was left to harden in the air). With so many great restaurants in Chicago, this one was just too pricey to go back given my experience there. I'd spend my $ elsewhere before going back.
Update: I'd like to update this to say that the chef responded to this thread over on 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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The last time I ate in this space, it was "Gordon" which I loved. This was even better. Loved the minimalist decor. Every table was filled on this Wednesday eve. I reveled in the carrot soup, which was divine with its touch of crab, baby peas, cilantro, and other stuff. The softshell crabs (and I do mean plural) were a hefty portion, surprisingly, and I ate every buttery bite. Pricey, but worth every dollar.
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Sooo, their menus are printed daily, so they are never identical on two consecutive days. I ordered the Great Lakes whitefish with a bunch of other stuff and the scallops appetizer... Boy oh boy, they were both sooo divine; very unorthodox but delectable flavors, perfectly seared and fried and baked or whatever the hell they do. My friend ordered their trademark dish, the squab with duck liver, which has the craziest presentation. It comes with the legs still attached, and beautifully garnished with herbs and spices and some other stuff I'm sure. It tasted pretty good too, but I'd like it more well-done. Oh, and oddly enough, I think their sauces are the true winners, they are exquisite. The best part of the meal, surely. They have a lot of seafood and birds on their menu, so it's great for people like me, who are not big on pork and beef.
Overall, it is rather pricey food, but it really is very good. I was also by far the most underdressed here, in terms of fanciness, but some of the women definitely wore less in terms of surface area of clothing... I feel like Naha may as well be in the Viagra Triangle. The waitstaff is just fantastic, which is when you know you are really paying for your meal. I'd come back here on a big occasion or a business lunch/dinner, but not often, just too expensive.
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Naha is a Nuh Uh. I most definitely see no reason to go back. The service was painfully slow, the food good, but portions were small and overpriced. Went with a group of seven and our bill was $800 (includes entrees, 6 apps, 2 desserts and drinks). I was under the impression this was a place that had to be tried. Well I did it and will not be doing it again, I can think of plenty of places with better food, better service and better value.
BTW- The service was so slow that he turned the dinner into a 3 1/2 hr "experience".
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One of my most liked restaurants in the River North area. It has some great menu options and the service is one of the best in Chicago. I have been here a couple of times, usually in the afternoon during lunch time and the food and service is pretty up to par with some of the other nice restaurants in Chicago.
The cappuccino was amazing and i really like their dessert selection. Pretty nice place for a good meal!
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So have to admit havent been here in over a year but we came here on a recommendation for a night out on the town.
The main thing I remember was that the food was very tasty and portions were very nice sized, bigger than I thought. I believe wife had a monkfish entree and I had scallops.
Our server was a joy and the main reason I would come back. We opted for a bottle of wine we were not familiar with but was her recommendation. She extended the offer of trying it and if we didnt not like it she would get us a different bottle. Since this was not offered by th glass I felt that was a very nice gesture. She was attentive but not overbearing and fed off of our needs and level to provide great service.
Kudo's and if your looking to drop 250.00 plus for a dinner and nice tip Naha is a solid choice in River North area.
I think Naha is such a classy place. The decor is really sleek and the service is unreal. I've dined here a number of times and each time the menu has been different.
SO F'ING sad that they banned Fois Gras in Chicago (goddamn hicks) because Naha's was THE best.
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NAHA, 3.5 stars...it was really good in certain areas and defo not so good in some other (surprising) areas. Went w a group of eight and we were promptly seated in a nice semi-private corner location, overlooking the main restaurant floor.
Straight away, service was very good, somewhat informative and quite attentive. At times, our primary server seemed a little indifferent (hence the "somewhat" above) but we had two other guys that were absolutely phenomenal and lights out in keeping everyone happy, glasses filled, flatware and plates exchanged etc, the whole nine, they were outstanding (i'm sure there's a proper title they're given, glorified busboy, server assistant, etc not sure, but they were great)
The food: Started w. several apps, all were fantastic but the highlight for me, was the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare, a simply brilliant dish w some amazing flavors....this dish also included a bit of Golden Whitefish Caviar (from Door County, no less, nice local touch). The Gnocci was excellent as were the Scallops and overall the Starters/Apps get a 4.5/5.
The Mains: I chose the Quail as did another guest of our party. We both agreed that this dish came up short. The quail was on the fatty side but that was not the biggest drawback...it came w a "Fondue" of Rose Finn Potatoes, some Boar Bacon, Brussels Sprouts, Cipollini Onions and Tarragon. The Tarragon was clearly too heavy handed and aside from the Quail meat itself, it simply overpowered every other thing on the plate. Not so good...mine was moreso but the other guest thought hers was much the same.
My wife went w the Striped Sea Bass and it was very small in size, i'm talking maybe, *maybe*, 4 oz at best. A stunning looking dish (actually all dishes were impeccable in appearance) but it obviously lacked seasoning, and to me, a huge rookie mistake and not something i would ever expect from a place of this caliber. Another guest had the Halibut, a much more generous portion and she loved it, and apparently seasoned well.
Oddly enough the biggest hit was the $50 Bone in Ribeye (18 oz), a surprising price point outdoing prob every notable steakhouse in Chicago for that size. It was a Prime Cut (they could have chose the "tall-grass fed" Ribeye as well) and both guys ordered it to Med-Rare. Great intense flavor, perfectly cooked and came w. an Oxtail red wine sauce that was sensational, I ate about 5 bites in total, thanks much fellas.
Save for the complimentary b-day sweet plate (in naha profile pic), we chose to forgo the desserts and continue to drink; go figure, big surprise considering the cast of characters I was with, fairly textbook and good. times. indeed.
Will I be back ? Prob not anytime soon, but it was a pleasant enough experience overall and I'd even recommend it w. some minor reservations.
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Although I said RL has the best salmon in the city year round, Naha served up my Best Meal Ever.
It was spring 2007, Copper River Salmon. Baby asparagus, peas, and other greens. Essentially: spring on a plate.
I rave about the meal time and time again. Please make sure to try it.
She also has one kick-ass burger. And I love burgers.
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Only gets a 2nd star because it's a very pretty space and the hostess was quite friendly. After hearing all the hype, we went there for their vaunted burgers and they ran out. So, we literally got the last one but we wanted 2. I thought my beau was gonna have a stroke. I mean, that was the whole damn reason we went to Naha for lunch. Anyway, forced to order something else, my man asked if he could have an entree sized portion of their $14 risotto appetizer. They said "Sure". Ultimately, the risotto and the burger were very average and then the bill came. They charged us TWENTY-EIGHT DOLLARS for the risotto. So, for a bowl of rice, a burger, and two glasses of wine, we ended up with a $75 lunch. Won't return...
Gotta love restaurant week....the chance to try fancy schmancy restaurants for their $31.95 prix fixe dinner specials. Naha, which has been on my list to try for a while now, seemed like the obvious choice to kick off restaurant week.
I was immediately a fan of the minimalist, upscale atmosphere. As for my meal I picked from the restaurant week menu.
Appetizer: A salad with pears and a delicious wedge of cheese (not sure what kind of cheese, but it sure was good!). So fresh tasting!
Entree: Whitefish cooked in lobster sauce. It had a really strong taste that I wasn't sure about upon first bite, but it grew on me as the meal wore on and I ended up really liking it.
Dessert: Dark chocolate cake. Yum, just yum! But this is only for those of you who love super rich desserts.
My fiance loved the butternut squash soup he started with and the pineapple tarte dessert he ended the meal with. He ordered the quail as his entree and was a little disturbed by how raw it was, but then again the waiter did offer to cook it some more when we voiced our concerns.
Service was so-so, but it was the first night of restaurant week so there were probably more diners than usual. When leaving I asked my fiance if this is somewhere he'd like to return and he said "not at their usual prices." And I have to agree that although it was good I'd probably want to go somewhere amazing (May Street Market anyone?) for their prices.
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I wish that half stars were available, as this is really a 3.5. In reality, I consider Naha to be a place to eat so that you can say you did it. While the food is very good, the service leaves a bit to be desired. I suggest this locale to see and be seen and have a nice dining experience, but don't expect to dream over the food.
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While thumbing through some of my reviews I was surprised to find I've somehow managed to skip over Naha. It was a glaring omission I decided to remedy at once since Naha is easily in my top 5 (eh, maybe top 10) places to dine in Chicago.
I love Naha for making birthday dinners, date nights and evenings out such an easy choice. This is the type of place I love to bring out-of-towners, clients and my parents to showcase our city and make an impression. Naha is sleek and upscale without the pretension and stuffiness of a 'dining jacket required' destination... You can come here on a Friday night with your honey and get the same level of service and quality without having to wear a tie or schedule 5 hours for your dinner plans.
The decor is contemporary, but not cold. I'm not sure if it is the influence of their California-based architect, but Naha gives off a definite West Coast vibe to me, dressed-down elegance, simple and classy.
I've visited Naha at least 5 or 6 times and I've yet to be let down by the service. Their staff has always been attentive and extremely knowledgeable on the food and wine selections.. they are trained well and it shows!! I've been educated on new wines from the expansive and well-rounded list and two of my favorite wines now were originally suggestions made to me here. The menu rotates with the seasons and availability of ingredients - you know if something is on the menu at Naha it's because it's the best and freshest of whats out there now... hence the inflated price everyone seems to be griping about. Quality and Complexity don't come cheap unfortunately... whoever said that the best things in life are free was clearly CRAZY!
But what you will get for your money are scrumptious and inventive dishes. I love the coddled egg benedict starter with chorizo, radishes, potatoes and bacon on a frisee salad. I also dig the yellowfin tuna tartare with sturgeon caviar. My favorite entree is the braised short rib and I order it almost every time... the quality of meat is amazing and the polenta and black truffles it comes with are so freaking good they make me blush. The honey lacquered duck always sounds mind blowing, but I've yet to pry myself away from the red meat. Tsk! Tsk!
I've never been too thrilled on the dessert offerings, but I think it's usually because I'm already hiding the popped buttons on my pants at the end of my meal. Everything that I do try at Naha though makes me smile and I know they'll keep me coming back again and again... I'll have to try that duck eventually afterall, hopefully sooner than later.
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I came here for restaurant week as well. This place gets an extra star for having great service (from the coat check and hostess to the wait staff), decor - spacious, and wine selection.
I read some of the reviews on Yelp before going so I was somewhat prepared, and yes as most have said the food was slightly salty. We each tried a different appetizer and it was unanimously decided that the trout was the best (served similar to lox) though I did enjoy my salad with pom seeds. We also ordered the gnocci for the table (off regular menu) and all enjoyed that as well. Whitefish was good but again slightly salty. My brother's quail was ok, but I think he was regretted not trying the risotto with ox tail. Desserts were good - maybe the highlight for me (Pineapple tart or dark chocolate cake - any dessert served with ice cream is a winner to me!)
Overall, the food is not what you would expect. Yes, it is small, creative and fancy but not as flavorful as I would expect.
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My last chance to enjoy Restaurant Week before I headed to O'Hare to go home. The restaurant was quite busy for lunch on a Monday which was good to see. I knew I had come to the right place.
To start I had the chilled Wianno oysters. They came out as a set of 3 and was topped with creme fraiche and candied citrus rind strips. Excellent combo of flavors from the tangy creme fraiche to the sweet candied citrus to the salty oceanic goodness of the oysters.
The entree I chose was the whitefish with slab of Kurobota bacon. I'm basically ordering anything with bacon so I was thrilled to enjoy the Kurobota slab. The whitefish was tasty and buttery but on the small side. But I guess that was to be expected for a special prix-fixe menu.
The dessert was the coup-de-grace (French phrase, wiki it). It was a decadent slice of dark chocolate cake with a scoop of black forest ice cream (chocolate ice cream studded with cherries) and small dollops of pinot noir sauce. I think the cherries in the ice cream might have been soaked in the pinot noir as well. Pure heavenly deliciousness. The pinot noir sauce was something I had never had and was something that set the dessert over the top for me.
I thought the meal was done but an extra gift from the pastry chef was presented to me. It was a plate of a couple small petit fours. One was a cake layered with chocolate cream and the other was a lemon curd sitting on top of a cookie. Pleasantly satisfied by the meal.
The wait staff was on top of things from clearing my plates to refilling the water. Definite value for me and a nice ending to my trip to the Windy City.
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The service was attentive, but our waiter was lame. When we asked what he recommended, he described each menu item in a cheesy way. How is that supposed to be helpful? I didn't let that take away from my meal.
Appetizers we had a greek salad and risotto with truffles. Both were good
Entree we had white fish, halibut, venison, and beef with short ribs. I had the venison cooked med rare and it was perfect. It was 3 medallions in a flavorful wine sauce with berries. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their meals too, but I did not taste any of them.
Dessert we had blood orange sorbet on a financier with chocolate milk or something. Texture, flavor.....perfect!
My parents got a sundae of some sort. I know it was good because they finished the whole thing and were scraping the plate.
I would go back, but I have many more restaurants on my list before I do.
This place was pretty good. Reading others reviews makes the service seem spotty - we had decent service. The food was good, wine was good.
I want to give it 3.5, but I will round up. Do it to say you did, and find some other place to dine.
Absolutely Love this Place....
The experience started out at the bar which was comfortable and completely unrushed. I enjoyed a single cask strength bourbon served with ice and purified water on the side. When finished we asked to be seated and were escorted to our table. The waiter took our orders and was very helpful in choosing a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir which went well with both my meat dish and friend's seafood dish. For appetizers we had the Scallops and Berkshire Pork Belly. For the main course trout and perfectly prepared short rib dish. And a finish with the home made NAHA sundae.
This was as close to a flawless meal I have had in the past year. I highly recommend NAHA for a spectacular meal and any special occasion where the food and experience is more important than the price.
We held a corporate event in their private dining space and Naha really knows how to host a large group. On the service side, they provided coat check and set up a bar. They accommodated vegetarians, people with seafood allergies, and other food restrictions with a thoughtfully crafted menu. People liked the beef tenderloin with goat cheese potatoes and halibut with ratatouille, but several of us actually were a bit envious of the vegetarian gnocchi and other meatless offerings.
If the risotto with heritage chicken and torpedo onions is on the menu, by all means order it! It was my favorite course.
The service was excellent and the food was quite good but I'm not sure it is a place I would go back to for dinner. The decor is really cool and the food is very fresh but when I looked at the menu nothing really grabbed my attention. We tried the tuna tartare and Greek salad for appetizers and the squab and venison for dinner. Everything was good but something was missing. I'm not sure what it is but it's not like Blackbird, Avec or one of my other top Chicago places that I feel like I have to come back for dinner again. I would however like to try lunch as their burgers rate near the best in the city according to some reviewers.
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If One Sixty Blue, Kevin and MK are amongst your favorite dining spots then read no further and make a reservation at Naha because you'll love it!
The Naha experience is best explained with the chocolate amuse bouche. Friends quickly asked me, "what does it taste like?", and my reply, "a Ho Ho, and its good". However, the last time I checked, a Ho Ho doesn't cost $115 per person.
The high end Ala Carte restaurant scene is fiercely competitive in Chicago. The food is good at Naha, but your dollars value is better served elsewhere. Naha boasts an 18 ounce rib eye for $47. Wow, I thought the one at Gibsons was rather good for $36. The 'fresh egg' appetizer was delicious. The plate featured a sweet soft boiled egg on homemade toast, with deliciously sweet cubes of potato, tasty smoked pork, and chorizo. That chorizo was sensational, and the portion wasn't skimpy.
Atmosphere is modern, with pleasant and efficient wait staff. Three hostesses cheerfully greeted my party at the door and a table was quickly available. Naha feels as if it could be transported to midtown Manhattan with large window panes that allow diners to admire the city, and passers-by have a chance to watch the gray haired set feast on expensive food. If Naha were in New York City then you wouldn't think twice about the price, but this is the Third Coast.
Let me be clear that an expensive restaurant doesn't make me shriek; value is critical. For something in the same price range with considerably more originality then please try Blackbird and North Pond. If you can stray further away from the Gold Coast, then Janes, Sola, or West Town Tavern are worth a serious taste.
The next time an invitation for Naha comes my way, na'ah is what I'll say.
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I too went for restaurant week. The hostess was very nice, and while we were waiting in the front area a server came by and asked us if we wanted a drink while waiting. We were seated pretty promptly as well. Our server did not seem to be thrilled to be there (don't know if it was just impatience with us, or if he was just having a bad night in general). I had a Sidecar which was tasty but not very strong and a bit pricey. My appetizer was the acorn squash soup and was excellent, albeit a bit salty. Someone else in our party had the trout, and said it was good but not great (thumb between up and middle), and I noticed it was a pretty scant portion. Another friend had the salad with pomegranate seeds and she enjoyed it. For the main course I had the whitefish, which was much smokier than I expected, and I didn't like it at first but it grew on me. My friend's risotto seemed like a pretty small portion too. For dessert I tasted the pineapple tarte, it was pretty good, but I wasn't as crazy about my dark chocolate cake (and I LOVE dark chocolate). The amuse bouch desserts of a passionfruit tarte and some other chocolate thing left me totally unimpressed.
I would probably give it another shot for a prix fixe, but most likely would not go back for full price.
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Get ready for me to gush! I just had dinner last night at Naha and can't believe the bad reviews of the place that I have read on here. I thought the menu was great. The food was that we had was a great mix of complex flavors that came together and somehow tasted simple, heavy sounding winter ingredients that somehow didn't taste heavy or seem too rich. There wasn't a single bad part of the meal, but the quail I had blew my mind. Food perfection! The server we had was great, the dining room is great and this has jumped tot he top of the list as one of my Chicago favs.
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My company came here for our Christmas party last year. In their defense, my coworkers can get pretty rowdy. But, it was nothing harmful, I promise!
We spent a ton of money with them, and they were nothing but rude to us. The service was slow, and the portions were uneven. I gave them 2 stars because my food was pretty good.
But...we had the basement rented, which included a bar. At some point they decided we had drank enough, and closed the bar without telling us...basicly they cut us off. When we got the bill, there were a lot of "extra" expenses, and it was more than the original estimate.
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riddle me this, if you were to participate in restaurant week in chicago, wouldnt you try to provide a menu that would impress people and leave them wanting to come back to try the regular menu? I came here on friday for the prix fixe meal and I was truly dissapointed. I understand fine dining, quality over quantity, but I feel everything that my table ordered off the menu was just sitting in back under a heat lamp in a production line. I had the squash soup which was ok, the fish and a pineapple tart. Everyone at my table tried different things and no one was wowed by anything. my fish was REALLY bad. It seriously taste like canned tuna, and my friends salad was seriously just bagged romaine and a wedge of cheese. wowie wow wow. we were all still so hungry when we left, we were lucky we drank enough to just go home and pass out.
oh well, maybe im not such a classy lady after all.
and our waiter was kind of a snob, which is a shame, because im a 25% percent tipper no matter what. i should have saved my thirty bucks and invested in a number 2 at the rock and roll mcdonalds.
wont be back.
the bread plate was good and so was the butter. I should have taken that as a consolation prize.
Klassy!
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Good food, but definitely overpriced. 3 meals, 1 appetizer, and 2 glasses of wine came out to $170 before tip. They have a wide variety of gourmet foods on the menu, but I felt like my meal (monkfish) was lacking a little something. My friend got trout, which looked and tasted like salmon that was dry and needed lemon or some type of acid. Service was very good, and overall a nice experience, but i think there are better restaurants for the money.
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We stopped in here after a dinner at Zocalo, looking for dessert. Yeah, it's a fancy place, but they were super cool - they seated us straight away for dessert, brought us the menus, and our server was nice and laid back about the fact that we were just eating dessert, and had been prepped ahead of time by the host. So, a well-oiled machine.
And dessert, well it was fabulous. We had the tarte, which was yummy and had homemade chocolate ice cream along with it. Our friends had the "Naha Sundae" which was a fancily-plated hot fudge sundae. All good.
So, why the middlin' 3 stars? Value. The cup of black coffee I had with my dessert: $4. Our (on the small side) desserts? $15. The tea? $9. For two desserts, a cup of coffee, and a tea, cost us about $50.
Now I knew I wasn't at this place for cheap eats. And the service really was excellent. But the food was good, but not good enough to justify the price.
For the "fancy restaurant" scene that exists in river north, I'm not sure if I'll be coming to Naha for a full-on dinner. I feel my money could probably be better spent at numerous other places.
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I love places like Naha, because I can come home and trash them on Yelp. We got five cheeseburgers, four appetizers and three desserts and it was $200 -- BEFORE tip.
I got the burger because people kept telling me it's one of the best in the city. Really? Do people honestly believe this or do they regurgitate it because some asshole on Metromix wrote it? The service was pretty good but it's not like they taught my kids how to read. For these prices, I'm better off grilling up a half pound of ground chuck and using the difference to buy a new set of rims.
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Yes it's expensive. Moving on...
The service here is wonderful - I've had great servers each time I've been with really solid recommendations for wine pairing. I also love the food. While it's not earth-shatteringly creative, it's consistently delicious and in my book that's the most important thing. Here's what I've had there recently, and I'd recommend them all:
Beet salad with blue cheese, mache, apples
Scallops appetizer
Lake Superior Whitefish with chanterelle mushrooms
Short ribs with roasted veggies
Mascarpone cheesecake
Pumpkin deliciousness that I can't even begin to describe
Yum and double yum. I'd go back tonight if I had the cash to burn, because yeah, it's not an every day sort of restaurant, but it's great for a special occasion.
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The NEW review as of the 21st of February...
the service was excellent, but frankly the food didnt wow me. seriously, it just didnt floor me the way food does at other restaurants.
one main issue with the menu is they REALLY took away non meat items....also the cheese selection, well, selection is a gross exaggeration, it's all or nothing of nine cheeses. for two people that is INSANE.
also the clientle has changed. we sat next to a couple who were arguing over STD results and were swearing at each other. white trash trailer fun.
honestly, my stars went from four to two....i may not go back....
The old review:
great food.
great service.
the room gets a little loud when full.
overall, great place to go.
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I finally made it to Naha and really enjoyed it.
The restaurant is very elegant and modern. The service is fantastic. I started with the scallops with Prosciutto, Sweet English Peas, Pearl Onions and Lavender and had the mezze platter for an entree. The scallops were perfectly done and the mezze platter was top notch. The Feta turnovers were outstanding. Beautiful presentation and extraordinarily tasty.
For dessert, I had the Mascarpone Cheesecake with Chilled Italian Plum Soup and Fennel Sorbet. It was outstanding.
In the end, I loved the food, the atmosphere and the service. I am not sure why Naha is not talked about in the same breath as Blackbird et al, because it should be.
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had high expectations for this place, but was let down. food was all very salty and service as not up to par for such an expensive restaurant. much better restaurants for the price.
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NAHA is Uh Huh in my Chicago dining book.
Prices were reasonable for the quality of food being presented, the scallops appetizer was quite simply one of the most delicious starters that I have ever enjoyed. The NAHA Sundae was delish, with bits of peach crumble to offset the smoothness of the vanilla ice cream.
Our meals consisted of the prime steak. Though average in cost - about $48.00 for this quality of meat, they were a little fatty, as opposed to being well marbled, but overall, they were fantastic. I tend to be one that sticks to steakhouses for steak, however, I knew that the reduction would make this a wonderful choice - and it was.
Service was prompt and friendly, the atmosphere was somewhat relaxed, unlike other restaurants in this league.
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Yes, the decor is nice, but the food tastes like it was rolled in salt and the service is TERRIBLE! The waiter was upset when we sent back an undercooked pheasant, and said, "that's how it's served here." Sorry if the feeling of squishy poultry between my teeth isn't appetizing. We felt rushed and ignored. The best part was the dessert, but that wasn't nearly worth the price tag.
One of the classiest, nicest, most tasty restaurants I've been to. The service was wonderful and the food was even better. The decor is very modern and chic. I feel like we spent the whole night here first eating and then drinking at the bar and then dessert. I didn't mind though, it was quite nice!
I was taken here for my birthday lunch and thought the food was excellent. For my entree, I had the Barramundi and although it was very good, I keep thinkiing about the Naha burger that I had a bite of. It definitely one of the best burgers I've ever tried. We had a few appetizers, there was very tasty tomato salad appetizer that was light and full of flavor. Love the minimal design. Naha is on the pricy side, so unfortunately I don't think I will be going back as often as I would like.
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The food was ok but def. not worth the money. Portions were small (and no, i'm not a glutton) and the flavor was bland. Our waiter was cool- but I wouldn't eat here again.