Mike G wrote:I don't think the punctuation thing is picky. Kurobota means Kurobota. "Kurobota" means definitely NOT Kurobota. I would never take it to mean "We really, really mean Kurobota."

"The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." --Mark Twain

Here's a link to their menu: http://www.naha-chicago.com/text/menu.cfm?menuid=22

My point was that, in my opinion, it's pretty easy to figure out immediately upon looking at Naha's menu that whoever wrote it up has no understanding of the proper use of quotation marks. And if someone is concerned that the quotation marks mean that it's not really Kurobota pork, then that person can ask that question. But if that's the worst of the Naha experience, then that's not such a bad thing.

Spring Carrot Soup of "Freshly Squeezed" Carrot Juice...

Tartare of Hawaiian "Yellowfin" Tuna,...

Gulf of Maine Scallops roasted with ... "Sustainable" Greens

Mediterranean "Greek Salad" of Mt. Vikos Feta, Kalamata Olives, Plum Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Torn Mint and Oregano, Warm Feta Cheese "Turnover"

Lake Ontario Spring "Smelts", Lightly Fried with Lemon, Parsley and "Salted" Capers

"First of the Season" Wild Copper River "Sockeye" Salmon...

I like Naha a lot, but it really is hard to defend this comical use of quotation marks. The above is a mere sampling of dozens of silly usages on the website menu. I know this isn't what's happening, but when I see quotation marks around the term freshly-squeezed, I picture a devious line cook winking as he pours from the Minute Maid container.

Perhaps this discussion should be continued in:

Note to menu writers: please lay off the quotation marks

so as not to divert too far off course of the food and service of Naha.

Best,
Michael

BR wrote:But if that's the worst of the Naha experience, then that's not such a bad thing.

If that were the worst of it I wouldn't have written such a scathing review.

Wow and I am mortified..that is all I can say. I heard from a customer today that we had a negative posting on the forum. I must admit, that I am not a huge internet user, so it took me some time to find what I needed, then register, etc, etc.
Of course, I know all about this site since so many individuals in the industry and food lovers use it.
It was a tremendous honor this week to win the James Beard Foundation Award and an even bigger honor that it was presented by Grant. If you haven't heard about his speech, you should, since it was to say the least, incredible.

I apologive with due respect that jpschrist (I believe that was the name, but I may have that wrong) had a terrible evening. I had a terrible day today after I read his review. NAHA is eight years old this year. We did not get to this by making our clients unhappy and giving them less than what they expect. I was an Executive Chef with Four Seasons Hotels for ten years in three properties so the term "exceeds expectations" is what we all strive for. All I can say is, this week has been crazy. This year has been crazy. But that does not excuse poor service, food and attitude.
I am quite unhappy that he left with such a bad feeling for NAHA, I am mortified that I didn't have the opportunity to turn around the situation. As a working chef, I had no knowledge of the conversation that jpchrist had with the servers and manager. But, it was the topic of MY converstaion this evening in the pre-service meeting.

We had a full room last evening and just because he didn't have a reservation does't mean he should have a poor experience. I know he may not want an invite back, but I will extend an invite to him to come dine with us again as my guest. That is what this business is all about, integrity, respect, professionalism and I hope he will take me up on my offer.
Yes, we do use Organic Kurobuta Pork Belly from Iowa. Three bellies a week, fresh.
Yes, I love quotes and italics and having some fun with a menu. It drives my brother in law crazy..he is an english/literature professor, but it is an expression of my personality. Yes, we do squeeze the carrots just before service and make the spicy broth...! what can I say, is this truly a fault or an identity?

I might add that Charlie Trotter is one of the most generous and genuine people you will ever have the pleasure to meet. And if he is buying Drano, then it means that no task is too small for him to consider, thus the life we lead as restaurant owners, and the press paints such a glamourous picture of us!
Thank you for allowing me to be part of the discussion. CN

Handled like a true professional.

Thank you very much for your response- it really is greatly appreciated. And thank you for addressing it with your staff. We'll most likely be back at some point, though no need for us to be your guest.

great pics!
thanks.
dcs

The service discussion really was fascinating. As noted in the first post in this thread, my wife and I have consistently had great service at Naha. And she still talks about the incredible beet salad she had for New Year's Eve. Their service to us that night, with her stuck at home and both of us worrying about the progress of the twins, was something we won't forget.

Bump for an update.

Last night my wife and I ate at Naha for I'm guessing the fifth time in four years. We've had good food previously, and have always had excellent service. We kept returning, even though I always felt like it wasn't quite as good as it should have been, because it seemed like the meal was always close to being REALLY good.

Last night I was proven right. Our meal was spectacular in every respect.

My wife started with the scallop app w/ grapefruit, etc. Great texture (I like that they were roasted), and the flavor combinations were on point. Her entree was whitefish and lobster with couscous, mushrooms and a bit of mustard (!). Great balance and counterpoint.

I had the tuna tartare app (I don't usually order this dish, as it seems to be on every menu in the world and I've gotten a bit tired of it, but Naha's was always very good and it had been updated since our last visit). It was excellent. The arctic char added a great contrast to the sweet tuna, and the onions and creme fraiche brought it all together. It won't be pretty, but I really think the proper way to eat this dish is to just scoop it all into the middle of the plate and mash it up. When you get bites with every element, it's great. My main course was the halibut with carrot/mushroom "fondant" (yes, I hate the quotations too). Great broth, great greens, great everything.

Washed it all down with Georg rose champagne and a 2005 Hanzell chardonnay.

Our server was 100% on the ball with timing, knowledge, and courtesy, and he even comped very well paired dessert wines with my wife's bread pudding and my beet/mint sorbet (which was AWESOME).

So overall, an excellent evening. Two quibbles: it's pretty loud in there; and for my palate, the food in general is slightly lacking in acid. Lots of cream and broth elements, but perhaps lacking a touch in zing. But it's totally possible that's just this reviewer's palate.

Bravo. We look forward to returning.

I was wandering around River North today looking for a nice al fresco lunch experience. I wound up at Naha, and had an excellent meal. The waiter recommended a Greek white, sort of like sauvignon blanc, which was a perfect match to the sunny spring day.

I started with a simple salad of greens, peaches and balsamic.

I had the tuna tartar as my main course, and it was delightful with chive blossoms, creme fraiche and nicoise elements all cut into a tiny almost-brunoise. I agree with a previous reviewer that the best way to eat this is to scoop it all into the middle. I did so without any shame.

I was waffling between the rhubarb parfait and the lemon madeleine cake and went with the waiter's suggestion to try the cake. The lemon/chamomile sorbet was delicious, and the lemon cake had an incredible lemon-y flavor that I just wanted more of!

My waiter, Steve, was excellent, attentive and whenever I said "thank you" he said "my pleasure" and you know what, I believed him!

What a treat! A perfect sunny day, a good book, a great waiter and a fantastic lunch. I'll be back sooner than later.

Street traffic was a bit noisy during the day, but would probably quiet down after the work crowd dissipates at night.

Has anyone posted the Naha menu to this site: http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/

My family and I partook in Restaurant Week this evening at Naha. I love the idea of Restaurant Week, but the actual experience of it has underwhelmed me. I like the energy of new people in the restaurants, but the pace of everything just seems too frenetic. The food comes too fast. And though I generally like the food at Naha, it's a space that suffers when it's more than 1/2 full, as it was tonight. The acoustics aren't great, and there's something distracting about the overall layout of the tables and sight lines. It's a space I enjoy much more looking from the outside in.

I'm not in the best position to comment on our meal tonight since I (gleefully) blew my appetite in the late afternoon with two slices of Tabasco pie. I wasn't at all hungry by the time of our 6:00 seating at Naha. I soldiered on though, and, with the size of our party, we were able to sample everything from the Restaurant Week menu. (See link; I don't want to transcribe all of those quotation marks.)

Beet salad



Tarte Tatin



Smelts



Mushroom Soup



Whitefish



Pork Belly



Brisket



Wine



Parfait



Banana Tart



Chocolate Cake



Dancing Goat Midnight Moon & Bleu Mont 13-month Bandaged Cheddar



Pâte de Fruits & Scotch Chocolates



Like the space, I thought the food tonight felt too busy. I wanted more focus in all of the dishes (except maybe the smelts, which Mama happy_stomach thought worked as is). Nonetheless, I still think Naha offers one of the better Restaurant Week deals. Next year, I'll try to take it easy on the pie.

The spouse and I probably were there while you were on Sunday night.

We agree with you about Naha being one of the better Restaurant Week bargains; this is our second year visiting in February, and after counting the number of over $40 entrees on the regular menu, we'll be hard pressed to visit without this kind of dining program.

We had the beet salad and the tarte tatin, and thought both were outstanding.

We'd strongly recommend the Kurobata pork belly risotto, but were reserved about the Wagyu brisket - we thought it a bit dry, although dense and beefy tasting.

We shared the chocolate hazelnut cake, and found it mediocre - clearly the weakest item we had. And as I recall, last year, my dessert was disappointing, too.

The cheese plate, though - I thought that was outstanding. Wonderful cheese, lovely marmalade, preserves, hazelnuts in honey, and toast points worked beautifully.

For beverages, two things caught our palates. They had a Woop Woop sparkling Shiraz by the glass, and for those of you who like to push the wine envelope, this stuff was just a hoot. Imagine a good Aussie fruit bomb with fizz - and that's what you get.

It worked surprisingly well with the beet salad, was very nice with the brisket, and was the only thing that saved the chocolate cake. I am planning to get some the next time I'm in a wine store with a broad Aussie selection.

And then, for you bourbon hounds, they made a cocktail that tasted like what a Manhattan would taste like, if only it were good. Take good well bourbon, and infuse it with muddled vanilla beans. Then add a hint of orange bitters (Asturias, I think), and add a marinated sour cherry - and voila, the only bourbon cocktail I've ever had that didn't make me wish for straight bourbon and branch water.

I agree - noise level can make conversation difficult. But we thought the pacing was about right, and service was very professional.

We'll be back next year - unless we find another great deal like Restaurant Week. Rumor is that they may be on Groupon this Friday.

rfleisch1 wrote:Rumor is that they may be on Groupon this Friday.

It's not a rumor. From Facebook via Twitter (I believe there was also a note about Groupon on the paper Restaurant Week menu last night):

Naha wrote:NAHA will be featured as the "DEAL OF THE DAY" on GROUPON.COM on Friday and Saturday February 26 and 27, 2010 in honor of our upcoming 10 year anniversary! Go to Groupon.com and register for Chicago or 27 of the other USA cities. We will be offering a $80 Gift Certificate for $40. Effective March 1 and expires on September 7th, 2010

happy_stomach wrote:

rfleisch1 wrote:Rumor is that they may be on Groupon this Friday.

As promised - $40 for $80 - http://www.groupon.com/chicago/

I've wanted to try this place for a while, so when the Groupon came up in my e-mail, I jumped on it like mad. We went here on Tuesday for my husband's birthday dinner. It ended up being an excellent choice, but brought up an interesting question in my mind.

I had planned on just taking my husband out and leaving our dear two year-old son at home, but my babysitter and back-up both canceled at the very last minute. Per my husband's suggestion, we brought the boy with us. Normally, I would see this as a recipe for disaster. I normally don't take him anywhere nicer than Longhorn where there are enclosed booths and kid-friendly menus, but it was my DH's call, so I went with it. Regardless, when we showed up with the little one, the host desk looked a bit surprised, but the female hostess was exceptionally gracious and even ran downstairs to the office to get my little one a box of crayons and paper.

Our waiter was a different story. He was nothing less than polite, but I noticed that said nothing other than the necessary words to us and retreated hastily once we'd gotten what we needed. That being said, the Child was pretty much on perfect behavior that night. There were a few yelps and moments of excitement, but for an overactive (I do not overstress that) two-year old, he was impeccable. He tried all of the food we had and stayed put almost the entire time. My question is this: is it uncouth to bring a young child of his age to a nice restaurant like that? Obviously, I wouldn't normally do that, but given the circumstances, sometimes you don't have much of a choice. He was not misbehaved. But perhaps there's an assumption or an attitude like, "Why would you bring a young child to a place like this?" Yes? I'll admit that I remember thinking that about six years ago when we went to Courtright's [in Willow Springs] and saw a family with several young children eating there. So maybe I'm just the pot calling the kettle black. My thoughts are that, if your children can behave appropriately, though, why not let them experience it?

OK. I digress. Just something I wanted to get out there.

Our meal was actually quite fantastic. We started off with the tartare [Yellowfin tuna, Citrus Cured Arctic Char and Golden Whitefish Caviar, Hard-Cooked Quail Egg with a Mosaic of Nicoise Garnishes, Aigrelette Sauce and Toasted Brioche] and the gnocchi [Yukon Potato Gnocchi, Braised Oxtails and Shaved Spanish Montelerraina Cheese with Caramelized Broccoli, Tuscan Kale and Marcona Almonds]. The tartare, in my opinion, was out of this world. Fantastic flavor, the fish was tender, rich, a hint of citrus, just perfect. Loved it. The gnocchi was also decent; my son particularly liked it, and ate almost as much of that as he did the bread.

For entrees, I ordered the quail. I can't remember if it came with all the accouterments described on the online menu: [A Farm Plate of Roasted Quail, Crisp Belly of Berkshire Pork, "Coddled" Duck Egg and "Acorn Edition" II Spallacia Ham with Roasted Winter Root Vegetables, Crisp Apple Wafer and Savory], but I really, really liked the quail. It was very well prepared, had a nice sauce with it, just fantastic. I was joking with my son that he'd better try it because it wasn't something we'd be eating all the time. My husband had the ribeye [Wood-Grilled 18 oz. Prime Ribeye of Beef with a Gratin of Macaroni, Great Hill Blue Cheese and Maple Syrup crusted Bacon "Shards", Rich Oxtail Sauce and Murray River "Apricot" Sea Salt]. He was crazy about it. I liked the macaroni gratin, but wasn't crazy about the bacon flavor, which seemed more concentrated in the meat and kind of ruined it for me. But that's more my personal taste. The sea salt was served on the side in a dish.

We ordered a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir with dinner as well (the winery escapes me now) that was fairly decent. Probably could have been poured into a decanter, honestly, but hindsight, and all of that.

We skipped on dessert [save for the chocolates they brought out for my husband's birthday] due to the young one's expiration dates and all, but I did manage to sneak across the street to Xoco for some espresso and churros, both of which were excellent. In fact, the churros were so great, my child practically giggled the entire ride home eating his. Maybe it was just the sugar high talking, but I think we had a good eating experience, overall.

My only other beef about this place is that I feel that they're just priced slightly too high. I mean, I don't consider myself a cheap individual, but spending over $20 for an appetizer is really tough. Our meal would have been over $200 for the two of us if I hadn't bought the Groupon, and I probably would have been hesitant to go if it hadn't been for that, given the price point. The $40 discount brought it down to about what I'd probably have felt was reasonable to spend on a place like that.

That being said, this is a very nice restaurant in all senses of the word. Glad we were able to go and enjoy ourselves.

We hadn't been to Naha in several years, but the wife bought the Groupon when it was offered a while back, so we used it for dinner last night.

It's really refreshing when all we hear about are chefs opening up new outposts, endorsing products, learning to better use social networking tools, etc. to see a chef in her restaurant keeping an eye on things and working a room. We saw Carrie Nahabedian working her restaurant hard last night, keeping a watchful eye on things and checking in with various tables to see how they were enjoying their meals.

I started with a burrata served as part of a crostini panzanella salad. The cheese was decadent and the salad was wonderfully fresh, but the little bits of crostini were a bit hard to eat. For my main course I had the farm plate which consisted of some crispy pork belly, a roasted quail, and a coddled egg served in sort of a "cup" of prosciutto. Somewhere a PETA member wept, but this was a pretty tasty plate of food. If I had to knock the dish it would be that almost everything on the plate was some shade of brown with the exception of the egg. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Dessert was a warm custard cake with blackberries and apricots. Tasty, but the cake itself was a bit dry.

Service was friendly, professional, and unobtrusive. The dining room was only half full at 8pm on a Saturday night but gradually filled up over the next hour or so, that was good to see.

Nice to see Naha mentioned ... it's a favorite of mine and the spot where I schedule all business dinners. Last week I had a dinner with an important business contact who I had not previously met - and who was detained and arrived quite late. The staff at Naha were gracious but also lightly funny about this, making what could have been awkward into a friendly and comfortable situation. When my guest arrived they picked up the change with skill ... shifting the timing of the meal I had by then ordered for myself to catch him up gracefully.

And my waiter, when hearing that I wanted a sweet vermouth on the rocks while waiting (my go to drink for years for business events since it doesn't leave me muddle headed) suggested he bring me their favorite vermouth - and served me Antica - nicely done and appreciated since too often vermouth apperitif's are greeted with disdain by wait staff - or dismay. I can't count the number of times I'm been served either dry or manhattans or something rather than what I ordered.

Along with the wonderful bread, we both had the corn soup which was pure pleasure ... light, tasty and the morel were perfect.

I was really in the mood for risotta so ordered a wonderful salad and the risotta with BBQ chicken, Porcini, Kale and shallots and it was all perfect and a very happily satisfying dinner. I can't remember which fish dish my guest had but he was very impressed and we shared the Oeufs a la Neige with summer fruits and red wine ice which was stunning. Again, so light yet so delicious.

Having eaten at Naha about 10 times ... and planning to eat there many more ... I have to say that any missteps with service or food that folks have reported surprise me. We've had very minor miscues once or twice but they were *very* minor and I have always found the service not only knowledgeable and adept but also with a dash of casual in the best possible way. They consistently make me feel that my meal and experience matter - and that they will go the extra bit, not in a smarmy high service way but with a very genuine sense of hospitality.

I have one more groupon so happily, I need to return soon ... and I can't wait.

We had an amazing meal at Naha on Friday. I had never been so when I made the reservation, I asked if they had a tasting menu. The host answered that they would happy to construct a tasting menu but that most people ordered a la carte. When we arrived at the restaurant, they had made a note that we had asked about a tasting menu and asked us if that we still the case. We said yes, which turned out to be a really wise decision. We had a six course menu and we each received different courses (almost all of which were smaller portions of menu items). Since we switched plates halfway through, we got to try 12 things (+amuse and mignardise). Not a single clunker of the bunch which was pretty impressive. The highlights for me were the sweet corn soup amuse, a perfectly seared prosciutto-crusted scallop in a sauce featuring vanilla bean (which sounded odd to me but really worked), the foie gras with fennel, apricots and elderberries, the duck breast with cherries (and especially the duck fat-fried potatoes they were served with) and the brioche-crusted halibut. Of the dessert, the almond pave with a puff pastry crust and a berry sauce sprinkled with kettle corn surprisingly trumped the chocolate 'bar', though both were fabulous. Service was terrific, we loved the wine our server helped us choose (a 2007 Ecard--Cotes du Beaune) and the wines we had by the glass. I was really pleased with the tasting menu. As much as I enjoyed each dish, I felt like the portions were enough and I was happy to move onto the next (well, a basket of the duck fat fried potatoes would have been nice). Anyway, I highly recommend the tasting menu at Naha as a way to experience the restaurant (it's probably wise to call and mention it first as it's not advertised on the main menu).

Naha finally, for the first time, a few weeks ago. And an interesting experience it was. We went for a belated birthday celebration; we enjoyed the food, although we would have appreciated a somewhat quieter place and another server. We arrived a few minutes early for a 7 pm reservation and were immediately welcomed and ushered in next to the inevitable large group. Oh well. We were seated next to a window on Illinois (street that is). Interesting foot traffic.

Our server showed up promptly and was engaging and efficient, if a bit abrupt (by which I do not mean in bearing so much as time spent; he never spent a moment more than necessary and as soon as he accomplished what he was there for, he sped off as if exceptionally busy. He may have been later, as the section filled, but he certainly wasn't for the first hour or so. But more of him anon.) Bread was promptly delivered (a honey/cumin, a sweet fennel/white raisin, and ciabatta); all were noticeably fresh and none were even remotely warm.

I found nothing on the entree list that absolutely wowed me so ended up choosing three appetizers. In the event, it turns out that one of the apps used to be on the menu as an entree, so there I guess I was partly in synch with things. Both the Lovely Dining Companion and I opened with the same app (the former entree).


Scallops

Since it's listed in their online menu in a somewhat different version, I'll do my best (omitting the adjectives and quotation marks from what has to be the hand's-down worst offender among all Chicago menus: descriptions are so way over the top as to be parodies of themselves). Each plate had two beautifully seared scallops with a disc of coppa ham steeped in vanilla. There were little piles (sorry, I don't know the fancy word for "little piles") of candied orange peel and syrup, caramelized onion, and a couple slices of wonderfully poached pear. This was, for me, the stellar dish of the evening. Scallop usually matches beautifully with vanilla and with citrus and this was no exception. The disc of coppa ham atop the scallop was very heavily redolent of vanilla and also made cutting the scallop hard. Remove it, slice a piece off to accompany the rest, and all went well. The portion (thanks for asking) was perfect and it's hard to imagine anything whatsoever about this dish that could have been better. Meaty scallops, cornucopia of flavors perfectly matched, rich without overwhelming the palate. [Swoon]


Potato gnocchi

To follow, I asked for the following two appetizers in this order: first, potato gnocchi, a few slices of wild boar sausage, a generous helping on small cubes of Spanish dry-cured chorizo, all topped with shaved Montelerraina cheese. Oh, lest I forget, accompanied by caramelized broccoli and Marcona almonds. Then, for my virgin attempt at foie (it's taken many decades to get past Mom's liver and onions), the "Hudson Valley Foie Gras and a 'Tarte Tatin' of Poached Quince, Huckleberries and Rose Hips." The server suggested that he serve my foie at the same time the LDC got her entree, sturgeon with blue crab. As is the case with so much at Naha, it was a pretty busy plate. In addition to the sturgeon and the crab, there was "Butternut Squash with Celery Root "Mousseline", "Hen of the Woods" Mushrooms, Young Turnips, Granny Smith Apple Broth and Chervil." (I do devoutly wish that someone would explain to them the proper use of quotation marks and the fact that you need not describe in exquisite--and excruciating--detail every single item on the plate. No one says you can't use it all, but God knows the menu doesn't need to include it all. I swear: I half-expected a description to include, "Bathed briefly in 'Lake Michigan' water with a 'sprinkling' of Morton's 'Kosher' Salt then poached in a Mauviel 'copper' pan over a Viking 'stove' using 'Peoples Gas' natural 'gas.'")

Now then: to the foie. My first time. I feel like such an innocent. My previous experience of liver, with mighty few exceptions, was mom’s liver and onions. Beef liver, fried. For a long time. The onions were pretty good, caramelized and all. But they had this livery flavor from cohabiting with the liver for so long. That taste: not so much. And the liver was everything it should never be: dry, chalky, strongly mineral-ly. And so I suppose it’s no wonder that it took me about four (actually closer to five) decades to find my way back to this intriguing little (or not-so-little) organ. I knew that the foie would be seared in a hot fry pan. I knew that little else would be done to it. And I had my memories. Quince, now that’s a plus. Huckleberries, that’s fine. Rose hips? Who could object? But the star, front and center, would be LIVER.


Sturgeon

The presentation was lovely. It’s hard to imagine a more inviting plate; whoever’s in charge of plating in that kitchen is quite talented. He or she could probably make a head on a pike look delicious. At some point, manners dictated that I begin. LDC was already working on the sturgeon and the crab. Her dish looked lovely and tempting and delicious. And by all accounts thereafter, it was. But then, hers was fish. Mine was LIVER. But I forged on ahead. Took a “corner” piece from the foie, swiped up a little quince, took a deep breath, and popped the fork into my mouth. (The deep breath served the dual function of allowing me not to have to breathe for a moment and thus not to have to catch any whiff of a liverish scent.)


Foie gras

I waited. How long, I wondered briefly to myself, before the gag reflex kicks in? What will the texture of this thing be like? What will that very first taste of liver actually…? And amid the millions of questions swarming around in my mind, a thought intruded: Hey! This isn’t bad. Why, there may be something to this foie thing after all! It’s rich. It’s creamy. It…it…it doesn’t taste like LIVER at all! (Well, maybe a teeny, tiny, bit….) And so I enjoyed it. The quince worked wonderfully with it. I enjoyed the texture. For the most part. The flavor was delicate and the only time I found myself less than happy was in the deeper recesses of the lobe, the places where the liver was (necessarily) less well-cooked. Raw even. There the mouth feel became a bit more challenging (remember: I'm a foie virgin) and brought childhood back into the picture. But still, I enjoyed the dish. In fact, as I think about it, I might even have to try it again some time.


Gateau Basque

And then there was dessert. I ordered the “gateau Basque” although why a custard cake is peculiarly Basque eludes me. The “cake” was essentially a cupcake with a custard interior; my subsequent research suggests that it often has a fruit accompaniment, sometimes inside. In this case, the fruit accompanied on the outside. Pears and a ball of ginger ice cream atop a very creamy polenta. (Those are pomegranate seeds in the picture.) In the event, the dish was enjoyable: no revelations, no repeat likely, but enjoyable.


Concord Grape "Delice"

The LDC inquired about the Concord Grape “delice.” This was a new noun to us; I gather that the meaning was intended to be literal: “a delight.” (Googling the words “delice” and “Naha,” I now discover that the restaurant has employed the word on occasion to just this purpose.) The heart of the dessert was described by our server as resembling cheesecake. In fact, we both found it far more akin to panna cotta in lightness. It was very grape-y, a plus in LDC’s book and since was the one ordering it, she was very happy. (The "coins" are sliced green grapes and tiny discs of yogurt and the straws are sugar.)

A note on the service. Before ordering, I asked the server whether there would be any problem ordering three apps instead of an app and an entrée. He responded without hesitation: no problem whatsoever. And so I ordered the three apps noted above. The first was served at the same time that LDC received hers. Obviously no issue. The second was served about five to ten minutes following the first. Again, no issue. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. After thirty minutes or so, I flagged down the server. He said that LDC’s entrée and my third app would be out in two or three minutes. Five minutes later he came over and said that he understood that I was upset. He then launched into a lengthy explanation that because I had ordered three apps, the third of which was supposed to coincide with LDC’s entrée, our order moved to the back of the line behind all other orders. (I still don’t understand what that means.) And thus, apparently, I should have expected this delay. How the second app could have been served so promptly given that “system," he didn’t explain. He also made abundantly clear that the whole issue wasn't his fault in any event since the servers are at the mercy of the kitchen (his almost exact words).

I was unhappy but I got over it. Yes, the servers are at the “mercy” of the kitchen (though I still find it odd that he would bring that up unless he was afraid I’d take it out on him via his tip). But the second app came on time. So I’m confused. I was unhappy but I didn’t want my annoyance to ruin a celebration dinner and, besides, there was nothing I could do about it. But what irks me is his behavior after all of this. I managed to get over it but he apparently did not. The remainder of his visits to our table were extremely brief—even briefer than before, if possible. In addition, his descriptions, comments, and answers were directed almost exclusively to LDC. I felt invisible. If he was worried about his tip being in jeopardy before the explanation, his behavior afterwards just begged for a little “correction.” (FWIW, in the end, I tipped a shade under 20%.) He seemed put out that he had to continue to serve us after I had had the temerity to be impatient.

Is 30-40 minutes between courses a long time? Yeah, I think it is. But even if the answer to that is, “no, it isn’t,” then why was my second app served so promptly? My third app was the foie gras and LDC’s entrée was the sturgeon. These are not time-consuming dishes to prepare or plate. (And for the curious, the dining room was mostly, but not completely, full.) More to the point, if this was a risk that I was running, why not avoid any potential unhappiness and explain this to me at the very beginning when I ordered? What am I not understanding here?

Bottom line: we liked the food, in some cases quite a lot. We both absolutely loved the scallops. LDC really enjoyed her sturgeon and her dessert. Although I liked the gnocchi, the plate seemed a little busy. Given the basic ingredient in the gnocchi (potatoes), I was a little surprised not to see more of them. But taste won out and it was a very tasty dish. The foie, well, I enjoyed it as much as I think I’m capable of doing. I’m certainly not going to hold them responsible for my mingled feelings about it. I mean, after all, it's not their fault that it's liver. With absolutely no basis for saying so, I suspect that I won’t likely encounter too many versions that I will like more. The liver was absolutely unctuous and it married beautifully with the quince. Still, as happens in situations like this, the service “issue” stays with me as much as the food. I can’t imagine not returning, given how much we enjoyed the food and the minimal likelihood of having the same server.

Chiming in to relay an experience similar to Gypsy Boy's regarding the slow pace at Naha. Went for a special occasion dinner, ordered an appetizer and entree each. Apps took a good 45 min, and entrees arrived after a similarly painful wait. Visits from our server were few and far between. I tend to be understanding regarding service issues like these as long as there is some acknowledgment by the staff that something's amiss. But our server remained defiantly aloof and oblivious. Similar to GB"s experience, he seemed to begin running off while we were still placing our orders, which seemed odd given that the restaurant was not full when we arrived.

While I'm not all that good at hiding my annoyances, the 70something couple immediately next to us seemed ready to overturn tables with rage (presented with a steak knife, the Betty White lookalike seemed to gleefully consider alternate uses for the utensil). As the discontent gradually spread from table to table, our server didn't seem to take note that his section was on the verge of insurrection.

I expect longer waits when a restaurant is "slammed" but at a restaurant of Naha's supposed caliber, these sorts of pacing problems indicate unforgivable structural problems in the kitchen.

While I tend to prefer honest, even slightly distant service over the effusive gladhanding that I often get at "high end places," the aloof service was a real deal-breaker. What's worse is that this was a special occasion and we informed them of it. Sadly, *because* it was a special occasion, I was precluded from voicing my concerns to management, so as not to further ruin the mood.

Food was good, but not commensurate to price or reputation. I'd suggest future patrons inform them of an imaginary pending engagement like a play or opera with a fixed starting time. Maybe that would help.

Can't say I've ever had a pacing problem at Naha. My dinners there tend to be 2-2.5 hours, which is fine with me.

Thank you for the warnings about pacing and service. I wasn't really concerned, but I don't love Naha, so I cited the reports here to change celebratory dinner plans with a friend last night to Blackbird, where we had an outstanding meal. Thanks for giving me an out.

Naha did, in fact, knock it out of the ballpark last night.

No special menu, no jacked up prices, no service flaws...just a classy, low key way of ringing in the new year.

We arrived for our 9:30 reservation a couple minutes late but were seated promptly by a smiling and friendly hostess. Our waiter (I don't remember his name but we've had him before) was knowledgeable, unobtrusive, and always seemed to be near our table when we needed something.

Food was absolutely great. I started with a risotto with chicken, squash, black truffles, and chicken cracklings that was rich and satisfying. My main course was a lacquered duck with duck fat fried potatoes and huckleberries that was perfectly cooked. Our waiter described the dish as "steak-like" and he was right. Also plenty of sweet/salty contrasts on the plate. Dessert was chocolate ice cream with bits of coconut macaroons mixed in, which was a perfect way to end the meal.

Our table lingered over port and dessert wine until about 1am, never pushed or rushed to leave. All in all, a great night.

Just got home after a Restaurant Week 2011 visit to Naha, and again the title of this thread is proven absolutely accurate.

Pacing was very good, three courses in an hour and forty five minutes, no noticeable delays between courses, and very attentive service. Tonight's specialty cocktail, a variation on the classic pina colada, was a very fine, tasty concoction.

The food, ah, the food, hit a grand slam. I had a shrimp and grits appetizer, which had bold flavors and light as a feather grits, while my wife had the standard Naha beet salad, which was nicely sized, perfectly dressed, and very tasty.

Main courses were outstanding. I had the Wagyu beef brisket with Beluga lentils, slab bacon, roasted parsnips and root vegetables - it was a revelation! Melt in your mouth beef, earthy lentils, smoky bacon - every taste bud was busy, and every texture sensed. Marvelous preparation and display, top notch ingredients - I cannot recommend this more.

Yet it was exceeded by my wife's main course, the "upgraded" entree of roast quail, grilled foie gras, wild rice, golden raisins, sliced chestnuts, served with bitter greens and a concentrated, complex, jus. Stunning - just stunning! The quail was tender, and flavorful, with not a hint of dryness. The foie gras was as good as we've ever tasted. I saw her eyes close, and a look of ecstasy cross her face. I had a taste, and it was intense, and wonderful. Words really don't do this dish justice. It'll probably be the best thing we eat for the entire year.

I had a very nice cheese course for dessert, while the wife had a nice piece of chocolate mousse cake, with Naha "cracker jack" (caramel corn and popcorn). Cute, flavorful, and perfect after the savory courses.

For $77.00 (without the drink) - this was the upscale value of a lifetime.

I fear that the other two restaurants we plan to visit this year during Restaurant Week have a very, very high bar to overcome.

Arrived at 5:27 pm for a 5:30 pm reservation and the door was locked. Haha, not a big deal, although I felt mildly silly peering through the window and waving at the hostess to let me in. She was very gracious though and apologized.

Bread service was okay - NAHA gets their bread from Red Hen Bread. The basic Italian (or French?) country bread was pretty good, but the caraway bread with dried cranberry was even better. The pumpernickel was too salty for my taste though.

Our waiter informed us that our menus were new and just printed last night.



I started with a simple salad of beautiful greens, Moonglo Farmstead goat cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds and Pedro Ximenez Sherry. I loved the goat cheese, and they gave me the perfect amount to complement the salad. I really liked how they put the cheese to the side, so I could determine when and how much I wanted to go with each bite. Some salads that feature cheese overdo it on the cheese, to the point where I can't even taste the vegetables I'm eating. The pumpkin seeds added a nice crunch and the sherry was the perfect light dressing.



My friend had the salad of organic red beets, curly frisee and watercress, kohlrabi and "beauty heart" radishes, Old Kentucky Tomme goat cheese, candied "Tracey's" pecans, apple cider and honeycomb vinaigrette and loved it.



At the recommendation of our waiter, who reminded me that it's just the beginning of halibut season, I tried the wild Alaskan halibut with "yellow-footed" chanterelles, sugar snaps, English peas, young carrots, Russian banana potato puree, salad of early spring pea shoots, grain mustard and tarragon. This was a wonderful dish, really allowing the flavor of the fish to shine. Simple, but wonderfully executed with beautiful ingredients.



My friend's lacquered aged Moulard duck breast and wood-grilled ramps, mountain huckleberries, young turnips and broccoli rabe with NAHA Prairie Flower honey (from Heritage Prairie Farms) and port. He said it was a bit too salty though.

For dessert, our waiter highly recommended the NAHA sundae. Since he was so enthusiastic and usually when the restaurant's name is in the name of the dish, it means something special, we both went with the sundae.



While it looked lovely, it didn't quite live up to expectations. The housemade banana ice cream was good but the other components didn't quite come together. The toasted cashews seemed a little out of place and the salted caramel overwhelmed the fresh bananas. The vanilla wafers paired better with my espresso than the sundae itself.





Palmiers were served with our espressos, and I love palmiers so I immediately perked up. However, these weren't the flaky yet crisp delights I remember from Paris. Thee palmiers were hard and stale, not flaky at all.



With the check, we were brought a couple of final treats to end our meal. A peanut butter dark chocolate and salted caramel. The peanut butter dark chocolate was lighter than I expected and the salted caramel was cold, like it had just been taken out of the fridge, which really worked. These were better than the sundae.

Overall, I had a good meal, the only disappointing parts were the sundae and palmiers. Everything else was quite excellent and service was impeccable.

Gorgeous pics H4E!!! And that Halibut dish looks divine...spring is HERE!

We had a superb meal at Naha last night. I'm not sure if it's because I commented on Open Table that it was for a birthday or just dumb luck, but the two of us were seated at a nice 4-top in front of the window. We opted for the tasting menu again this time (as noted above, there's no mention of this on the menu). The menu was billed as 6 courses; though we each received the same courses this time (last time we were each given different dishes), we were served 7 courses, plus amuse and mignardises. We also opted for wine pairings--I'm kind of a light weight, so I didn't finish all of my wine but we all the wines were excellent and there was an interesting array of varietals/regions (including a malagousia from Greece labeled for Naha!). We started with an amuse of cremini mushroom and chesnut soup with whiskey cream--delicious and perfect as an amuse because it was quite rich. The first course was an Cortez Island oyster with creme fraiche sorbet and grapefruit; I appreciated this interesting combination and the oyster quality was top notch. The second course was a canneloni with fresh peas and pea shoots, peeky-toe crab and morels--one of my top 2 or 3 for the night (though as I write this, I'm realizing how hard it is to choose my faves) and just brimming with great flavors of spring. Third course was a seared scallop with a thin slice of coppa with vanilla and rhubarb puree; I loved the flavor contrasts here--salt from the coppa, sour note from rhubarb and slight sweetness of the sauce. The fourth course was a piece of Vancouver Island salmon with butter-poached lobster, celeriac, butternut and spaghetti squashes and a granny smith apple sauce; the luxurious lobster was about the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. I don't love salmon (I mean, it's fine) but I was so glad we got this dish because the flavors came together so nicely (and oh, that lobster!). The fifth course was the potato gnocchi with house-made chorizo and braised oxtail with marcona almonds; hard to go wrong with the combination of oxtail and chorizo and I loved the slight crispness of the pan-fried gnocchi. I just loved this dish--it was probably my favorite of the night (along with the duck and lobster bite). The sixth course was a laquered duck breast with a slice of foie gras. I'm not the biggest foie gras fan because it's almost a little too rich to eat lots of it. But this was the perfect use of foie in my book because you could eat a little morsel of it with the perfectly-cooked duck breast. Last came the desserts: bittersweet chocolate bar which I had last time (and thought was equally fabulous) and the salted caramel, banana ice cream sundae with cashews; I really liked the sundae as well (I'm a sucker for salted caramel) but my dining companion thought it was just o.k. ("it's not like a dessert from Mado..."). Mignardise included a pear-dark chocolate and an adorable little marshmallow peep (remarkable for how cute it was, not necessarily for flavor). Service was professional and pacing was right on-target. I continue to be so impressed with the place. For special occasions, I generally like to try a new place but I kept thinking back to my first meal there in September and decided I wanted to go back. And I was glad I did. This meal was really a knock-out--really not a single flaw in terms of food and execution. We both thought this meal easily ranked in our top five fine dining experiences in Chicago.

That sounds so lovely - I'll have to try the tasting menu next time. Do you just ask your waiter for it if there's no mention of it on the regular menu? Did you need to specify that you wanted the tasting menu when you made your reservation?