After nearly two years of basking in optimistic restaurant media acclaim and a glowing evaluation from our personal Kay West, the group behind Noko introduced just lately that they deliberate to open a brand new enterprise proper subsequent door to their first restaurant. Noko house owners Jon Murray, Wilson Brannock and Chef Dung “Junior” Vo shared the unique opening information with Bites contributor Margaret Littman solely a month in the past, and so they have already swung open the doorways of their new challenge Kase x Noko at 707 Porter Street.
Providing three seatings on the 14-seat chef’s bar most nights at 5:30, 7 and eight:30 p.m., Kase is a whirlwind of nigiri, no less than 10 programs of vinegared rice balls topped with exactly reduce strips of unique fish sourced from sustainable operations round Japan, Spain, Scotland and Alaska together with a toro hand roll, a outstanding A5 wagyu beef and foie gras providing, and a candy chunk of cake for dessert. In all, 14 programs are ready proper in entrance of fortunate diners by two proficient sushi swordsmen below the watchful eye of Vo.
Junior definitely runs the present, sometimes pitching in on a dish and wiping service plates meticulously clear between programs. He is a fascinating host, explaining dishes and checking in on patrons repeatedly all through the 75-minute salvo of scrumptious bites. However let me again up a minute.
The house owners of Noko give the Scene an unique peek at their new omakase idea
Though the meal is unquestionably tightly scheduled, it behooves diners to reach just a little bit early to get pleasure from a pregame cocktail in what’s billed because the smallest bar within the state, a four-chair affair with a customer-to-bartender ratio of two to 1. There are a couple of tables arrange exterior with plans to incorporate these seats as an extension of the bar in hotter climate. The cocktail listing is artistic and playful, the right temper inducer for the meal to come back. A listing of wines and unique and uncommon sakes can be out there to accompany the nigiri service. I counsel benefiting from the educated drinks employees to assist course you thru a couple of sake pairings that may stretch throughout programs.
Most outstanding about this expertise is that the 14-course omakase service is simply $75 per individual, in comparison with different choices on the town at greater than twice that worth! How do they handle to tug this off? Nicely, partly resulting from what an outdated SNL skit defined as “quantity.” The environment friendly mannequin manages to feed lots of people with only some staff with out sacrificing attentive service. And positive, the fish cuts aren’t fairly as actual at different $200-plus omakase eating places, and the slices are a bit thinner, however I discovered the fish to be of wonderful high quality, and the presentation was stunning and entertaining.
Specific highlights included a presentation of fatty tuna stomach that was the end result of a tour of toro from lean to fats. It was proper up there with one of the best otoro I’ve ever tasted. The machi with a dab of charred shishito verde sauce was additionally glorious, as was a scallop with yuzu-pepper paste that took the palate on a fast journey from briny to vibrant to a creamy end multi functional Gobstopper of a chunk. There are a couple of á la carte choices out there, and halfway by the service diners are requested in the event that they want to add any of these or revisit a favourite off the prix-fixe menu for a small further cost. Any additions are served between the twelfth and thirteenth programs earlier than the choices make a flip to the candy facet. It is a very considerate service choice that reveals Murray, Bannock and Vo have put a variety of planning into this new enterprise. That’s not a shock contemplating the center and soul that they exhibit subsequent door at their flagship restaurant.
Nigiri at Kase X Noko
Not as successful was a slice of bonito, or purple skipjack, that had an iron-y bloody taste and was the colour and consistency of roast beef. I admit I may need gone in with a bias from my reminiscence of utilizing bonito solely to bait crab traps on trip in Inlet Seaside once I was rising up.
Nonetheless, 13/14 is an unheard-of batting common that may make you a first-ballot hall-of-famer! I really feel that we skilled extra taste and enjoyable per minute at Kase x Noko than any eating tour in current reminiscence. I predict reservations will refill quick now that they are open, however the choice to be an early chook or an evening owl provides some flexibility. For an entertaining date evening that received’t fully break the financial institution, Kase x Noko is hard to beat!
