I prefer to write reviews when I've had an overall good experience at a restaurant. In the case of Naha, the food was great but not great enough to outshine the horrible service. Â Considering that Naha is a highly touted Michelin star restaurant, I was very surprised.
Read my complete review at:  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsherryclaytonworks.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F02%2F22%2Fcuisine-naha%2F&s=5d156a0a3602f24078238940d42af4ebac4df015d813c2771bc999742a9da823" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://sherryclaytonwork…</a>
Yelp has become my restaurant bible, so to speak. Despite my usual preference to go to restaurants that have at least a 4 star rating, I decided to try out Naha for restaurant week with a friend. I was underwhelmed
I'm usually not a stickler for amazing service, but I felt very brushed off in this place. I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt that restaurant week is super busy, but it wasn't very full and something like acknowledging me instead of continuing to have a conversation among yourselves while I wait to be greeted is ....not good conduct to make a good impression.
Getting on to the food, which is much more important to me, presentation was there, but taste....not so much. The funny thing is that with each dish, my friend and I felt we should have traded plates. I had the veal pizza (i think that's what it was), the chicken thigh, and the almond cream cake. The pizza was good, but it was somewhat burnt and so difficult to cut (I preferred not to pick it up with my hands, but that would have made it easier). My chicken thigh was literally just chicken skin and fat on top of couscous (which was the go to side dish for every dish apparently). I know that chicken thighs tend to be more fatty, but ....where was the meat? My friend was satisfied, but he's a big fan of chicken skin.
He had the salmon which I tasted and wished I had ordered instead. It is the most expensive thing on the regular menu apparently (we checked) and I guess they save their best item for bigger spenders. Whatever the price was wasn't unreasonable, but if it's an item that they could potentially be known for, I'd suggest promoting it more.
Last was dessert. There was nothing wrong with it, but just like with the other dishes it seems like way more effort was put into presentation rather than flavor or enjoyment or ease of eating.
Went on a crazy snowy night. Â We were early, so we got a drink and lounged in front. Â I really like the couch / pillow area. Â Comfy.
The meal was OK. Â Â The beet salad was great, the duck decent, the cheese plate down-right dull. Â Our server was friendly and actually joked with us- but disappeared when the food started to be delivered. Â I do wish the original waiter would come back to explain dishes... but I digress.
It was good; I'd got back with the hopes that it would shine more brightly when in dealing with Restaurant Week.
We love restaurant week! $30 for a nice bottle of Bordeaux and $33 for a three course prix-fixe? Can we do this every weekend, Chicago?
The salmon was okay. But the pork shank is tender and served over a bed of rich risotto. The desserts were also decadent. All in all, we were able to try a Michelin-starred restaurant for ~$100 with wine - pretty sweet deal if you ask me.
I came with a group of 6 and we visited during restaurant week. Considering the Michelin Star and all the names attached to the place, I expected a lot more.
Food was good. Per the restaurant week special, I had the grits, pork shank risotto, and the cookies. No complaints. The drinks were quite tasty as well.
The service. I've had better at T.G.I.Fridays. Our waiter stopped by a total of 3 times. Once to welcome us and order some drinks, second to actually take our orders, third time to give us the check. The rest of the time we were communicating through the bus boys or food runners. As the first course was being served, one person's soup was forgotten. It took about 10 minutes to get someone's attention before they ran back and got the soup. At that point, everyone's food got to a nice room temperature waiting until all dishes were served. Being we had a large party, a generous 20% gratuity was included to the bill.
While the food was good, it wasn't anything I'd ever crave and come back for. Glad I had the chance to try it. On to the next one.
Our third visit in 8 months and our least favorite because of the pared down portions for Restaurant Week. That being said we still love Naha. It's just so much better if you pay full fare. We had the butternut squash soup (a real snooze for creativity!) with the best part the little pile of pork cheek meat; the corn "grits" w/ mushrooms and crispy kale was very imaginative and the beet salad was good but standard.
Salmon entree was tiny - good but not great; pork shank off the bone was tender with good flavor but strangely served on an overcooked and mushy lake of cheese-topped risotto with spinach. It looked bad and felt too rustic for this place.
Almond financier was tasty but over-baked and a bit dry - a trend here with regards to desserts.
The wine selections were very good $30/$50/$75 bottles for some really decent offerings.
In response to my review of Naha I just received a "compliment" from a "rob c." telling me to stay home. Â Um, really? Â "Rob C.," I would guess, is a) one of those random angry trolls who likes to obnoxiously start arguments on the internet with strangers because he has nothing better to do, or b) a server/bartender/manager at Naha. Â I'm guessing the latter. Â Don't know, don't care, but yes I will gladly stay - away from your establishment.
Review Source:We were there for restaurant week. Our first time at Naha. We will enjoy going again in the future. Â I had the grits, the pork, and the cheese plate. All were very good. She had the beet salad, the veal breast, and the gateau basque. Â Again, all very good. Especially the beets and the gateau. The place is beautiful, and despite being full, a nice experience with good sound management. The wait staff was top notch. All around excellent experience and a new favorite.
Review Source:3.5 star lunch review.
Came here for restaurant week, really nice and spacious inside, and the food was good enough that I will return for a non-restaurant week meal. My three courses...
Acorn Squash Soup - Good and not too sweet, which is critical for me, but was lacking some basic spicing (s&p)
Braised Pork Shank w Winter Veges - I really enjoyed the flavor, but a little chewy.
Almond Financier w Fruits and Creme - Delicious. Best part of the meal. And I'm not a dessert person.
So the hubs and I went here for restaurant week. It's a week we try out pretentious looking restaurants for a deal. This place always seemed a bit intimidating to visit otherwise and I lived right down the block for 5 years.
We signed up to go to lunch because the hubs works nearby and thought he could slip away for a bit. We initially were going to take our baby daughter but opted against it when I realized the hubs had to get back to work. Getting her bundled up and out of the house would have taken longer than to have lunch. It was nice to get away and have some alone time with the hubs.
We had later reservations but the nice host said that if we got there before noon then he could seat us. That was perfect. We were excited about the menu and we got our first course within a few minutes. I ordered the acorn squash soup and the hubs got the risotto with bacon. The tasty chewy bread was good and they  even had a cumin spiced bread that was an interesting surprise. It was still warm too. Delish. The soup was filling. The risotto was amazing. Beautifully cooked. The hubs savored the risotto.
We were excited for our next course. But we waited and waited and waited and waited. By 12:50 our order never came. And we regretfully had to tell the waitress who didn't acknowledge us for about 20 min that we needed everything wrapped cuz the hubs had a meeting. I understand the restaurant was bustling and everyone seemingly arrived at the same time. But it was frustrating as you'd think people were coming in to do lunch during their "lunch-hour" and not "lunch 2-hours".
I ate my skate wing Milanese with wheat berries, raisins and cauliflower at home. It was Luke warm but still incredibly tasty and cooked well. Maybe more chewy than I'd like. But that's probably from sitting in a foil lined paper box 20 minutes after it was really supposed to be served.
We ate the hubs' Turkish spiced chicken thigh with bulgar and citrus notes in it the night after. Sucks that we had to heat it up in the microwave. But amazingly delicious. Still tender. We also ate the desserts the following night. Â We had a chocolate mousse with cocoa nibs and a red wine gelatin. And an almond financier with homemade whip cream that has held up in the box in the fridge since yesterday. Â Both very tasty. Nothing overly as sweet as it looks. But enough to fix your sweet tooth.
This place would have at least gotten 4 stars but the wait was unfortunate. We never had the service that we would have enjoyed. Especially since it was a meal without the baby in a long time. We would've have liked to sit and enjoy our meal with some adult conversation. Â
This service that we did have was great. The waitress was nice (though probably flustered that our orders took so long). The hosts were so accommodating. Our glasses were always full. We really did enjoy the food and would like to return. Definitely not as pretentious as I thought it would be. That's always a wonderful surprise.
Had the lunch restaurant week tasting and it was very average. The service was great however.
Butternut squash soup - lukewarm, not very flavorful and needed salt or something to give it some flavor
Pork belly - overly salted, decent but nothing special
Hazelnut ice cream/mousse with almond meal cake - by far the tastiest part of the meal, really quite delicious
Tasty, elegant food.
Went here for restaurant week and had a very good experience. Its a great place with a very elegant decor and it gets quite busy. The service was fantastic! For starters we had the heirloom beet salad and the corn grits. They were both delicious... especially the beets. Lovely presentation and clean flavors, the quinoa added the perfect crunch. For main course I ordered the Canadian salmon dish and hubby ordered the vegetarian risotto. I am not a great fan of salmon, but I still enjoyed the dish, though I could not finish it. My husband's risotto was good... not excellent just good. For dessert we ordered the chocolate cremeux and the almond financier and they were both mindblowing. It was the perfect way to end the meal. The restaurant week deal is a great way to experience Naha if you are on a  budget!
This is a tough one as I usually don't review restaurants based on Restaurant Week, nor do I typically participate in Restaurant Week. Â However, Naha is a restaurant I had heard great things about, and given their Restaurant Week menu and pricing, it seemed like a great way to try one of the highly touted restaurants in Chicago. Â I'm also torn because while my experience was not as outstanding, my other 3 eating partners had a wonderful experience and that should be known.
We had an 8:30 reservation last Saturday night and after a short 10 minute wait, our party of 4 was seated at a lovely window table. Â The atmosphere was great, white and clean, classy, and packed. Â The wine list is fairly extensive, and they were nice enough to include a special RW wine menu with discounted prices.
As a pescetarian, I was somewhat limited in food options and had planned on ordering from their regular menu as opposed to the Restaurant Week menu. Â From their website, I had spotted some great seafood dishes (halibut, char, lobster, sockeye salmon, etc.), but I was disappointed to see that this week their regular menu was nearly identical to their RW menu with no additional seafood or vegetarian options to choose from, other than the Canadian salmon from the RW menu. Â No problem - this is clearly a restaurant that specializes in their meats and I'm not going to judge them for that.
However, I do feel that if you're only going to offer one seafood entree on your menu, then it better be prepared to perfection. Â And unfortunately, the Canadian salmon was not perfection. Â Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad at all, but Naha is the type of place that you go to have an amazing meal...not an average meal.
I started with the local beets appetizer with quinoa, greens, and a delicious honey and apple cider vinaigrette. Â Delicious and beautifully presented. Â The heirloom beets were perfectly tender and the different colored beets added a nice variety. Â The greens were fresh, the quinoa added a little crunch and grain to the dish, and the vinaigrette was absolute heaven.
My other friends went with the cauliflower soup with crispy pork and the white corn grits. Â The soup was apparently amazing and the grits were "not bad". Â
My salmon arrived next and while the presentation was lovely, the salmon was less impressive. Â Canadian salmon is a bit more pale than Alaskan and Atlantic, so I assumed it would taste less fishy, but I was wrong. Â The skin was seasoned well and pan fried crispy, and the fish was cooked perfectly moist and soft. Â But overall the taste was a bit too fishy and nothing extraordinary. Â The accompaniments were wonderful - the lentils were flavorful and the kohlrabi (similar to jicama) was fresh and crisp. Â
My fiance and a friend both went with the bacon wrapped veal breast which was described as complete perfection and my other friend enjoyed her pork shank risotto as well.
For dessert, I finished with the artisan cheese option. Â The hard cheese was similar to a manchego and very well aged and delicious. Â The soft cheese was a type of brie that blended perfectly with the two perserve/jam offerings and toast. Â The flavored cheese was some sort of medium cheese infused with rosemary but the rosemary unfortunately overpowered everything else. Â Overall, this was a perfect dish to end on, light and tasty and paired perfectly with the last bit of wine I was finishing.
I think this restaurant is in the upper tier of the Chicago select and I do highly recommend it for the majority of you. Â I would love to give Naha another shot outside of Restaurant Week and maybe the experience would be different. Â However, for the vegetarians and vegequarians out there, Chicago has plenty of other options that cater to us.
I can only speak about the Tarte Tatin with pork and the Tagine of braised chicken thigh...but based on that alone, the chef has to be a culinary genius! The flavor combinations within each dish were so varied and complex that you're literally tasting something new in every bite. I would need the menu in front of me to remember what all the ingredients are, but they complement each other so well you wonder why you've never tasted anything like it before.
It was an amazing experience. I'd definitely go back to Naha again. They got comfortable pillows too.
Zero Stars. Our reservation was for 8pm. We arrived at 8pm. We ordered at 8:10. We started eating our entrees at 9:20!! Unacceptable wait regardless of the following bull crap.
The food was fine. Nothing special. $144 for 1.5 scallops, 4oz of venison and 6oz of beef tenderloin. Definitely not worth the price.
Here's where the problem started... I made the mistake of trying to use an expired $80 Groupon ($40 purchase price). WHICH THE PURCHASE PRICE NEVER EXPIRES. EVERYONE knows this! The manager of Naha has ZERO honor and integrity as a businessman and Chicagoan because he refused the Groupon and insisted he would not honor it regardless of what it said on the Groupon or in the fine print. I was told that, "I needed to take it up with Groupon and get my money back from them". When I asked him to put the rejection of the Groupon in writing to ensure I got my money back from Groupon directly... he refused. Pretty shady... Per his own admission he is the one who initiated the original deal with Groupon and knowing the agreement with Groupon that the purchase value of a Groupon NEVER EXPIRES he STILL refused to honor my Groupon. After I paid the check in cash in full they actually had the nerve when I was walking out to ask me, "why you got to be like that?" When I got home and looked up their website the woman who made that comment was the head chef. Seriously? Her exact words I swear to God. I just wanted them to do the right thing and honor their commitments. They further went on to explain to me that "We'll never see you here again..." Â No sh!t !!! Â I would never go back in that place again. There are literally dozens of other places (within 500 yards of Naha) that are better to dine at and which are more reasonably priced with better service in which you don't have to wait one hour to actually eat. If you want a true four star dining experience go elsewhere. Go to Naha if you want an over priced, mediocre meal from a dishonorable business manager and chef. I've never been treated with such disrespect. I'm not sure they even understand the concept of honor or "the customer is always right", let alone what a contractual agreement is. It would be different if I was rude about things or didn't read to them verbatim what it said right on the Groupon that they admitted and knowingly established. I was polite, logical and calm through the entire ordeal. All over a measly $40. Pathetic and shameful.
I went here for my anniversary with my husband and was totally disappointed. Â I'm surprised this place has 4 stars on here and I'm even more surprised that this place has one Michelin star. Â What gives? Â First off, the service here is not good, we barely saw our waiter and when we did it was for about two seconds. Â The food was ok, it wasn't terrible, but it definitely wasn't what I would expect from a Michelin star restaurant. Â I remember I got the halibut and my husband got what's supposedly "the best steak in the city" but in regards to apps and desserts I don't remember at all what we got. Â Not memorable.
Overall, will I be back? Â Doubtful.
Like most things in life, there were highs and lows. Â Luckily, the highs GREATLY outweighed the lows, but the lows did exist. Â
Our Meal:
A fantastic risotto with mushrooms, crab, lobster sauce. Â A delicious whitefish and a beef tenderloin. Naha sundae. Â Aperol highball, Nog to drink.
Highs:
*The music. Â Any eatery that will proudly play amazing alt rock gets +1 star in my book. Â (NOTE: Anyone who disagrees with alt rock at dinner is wrong and should be shunned from society)
*The food was very fresh, seasonal, and tasty. Â The flavors were spot-on and the portions were also very appropriate which I always appreciate finding in the US.
*Our server, Phil, was excellent. Â He was very friendly and attentive but didn't hover or cling. Â For that matter, everyone at the restaurant was pleasant and friendly.
*The decor was gorgeous.
Lows:
*The music. Â As I said before, the music was amazing and I loved it, but it was somewhat disconnected from the rest of the vibe in the place. Â The service staff was in formal uniforms, the food and decor have a formal presentation, the prices are fancy... and then they're playing fun., The Killers, and Foster the People.
*The prices, GOOD LORD. Â I mean, I dine out in a lot of world-class cities all over the world and I'm completely okay with paying for quality but there's a point where sticker shock kicks in. Â They're KINDA there. Â Great meal? Absolutely, without a doubt... but I can get an equally excellent meal for less moolah at Sepia. (Just sayin'...)
*It was hard to get a reservation and we were 2 of 10 guests in the place. Â Also, all 10 of the guests were in the same spot of the dining room and it was unusually loud because one of the tables had a REALLY loud laugher and the others had to speak louder to be heard over her cackle. Â As a long-time server, I understand that it's easier for staff to accommodate everyone if they're closer, but the dining room isn't big enough to necessitate putting everyone adjacent to one another.
Final Verdict: An excellent meal that I would do again, but it would have to be a VERY special occasion.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago, I go there at least once a year for special occasions. Â The decor is very modern, service is very good especially if you don't mind a bit of attitude.
For the food, they have in my view the very best beet salad in town, and for the entree I get either the halibut or the prime ribeye, which is also one of the best in town. Â Limited but good wine list and they can usually point you to some value priced options. Â
Tip: they have a corner table by the window where you can get a great city view.
Definitely earned their Michelin star.
Wonderful hip restaurant with a fantastic decor and vibe. I was actually part of a large party that occupied the semi-private room. They made us a custom (paired down) menu with our name on it - to facilitate serving at the same time. All the dishes were phenomenal! Very complete dishes with amazing flavor profiles.
Not sure if it was the private room we were in or not, but the service was first-class from the start to the end.
I would definitely come back here and enjoy some of the other dishes on the full menu. Â Nice place!
Went here for an office holiday lunch here yesterday. Naha had been on my 'restaurants to try, yet hopefully not pay for' list. Yesterday certainly did not disappoint. The dining room area is not but the area right around the entrance is a huge seating area. There is certainly more area for seating, but the layout doesn't work for more tables.
We started with appetizers and the mezze plate. The mezze plate was really good. A few of us got the Vol au Vent (lobster and rabbit) appetizer and it was really good, but it is a small appetizer only for one person. It was a little uncomfortable when we were eating the mezze plate and the bus boy insisted on taking the plate I was eating over so he could make room for my appetizer. I explained to him that I was still using it and he took it away anyway. Our appetizers (all Vol au Vents and soups) took about 40 minutes to come out. Yikes.
I got the braised chicken thighs and pasta dish for my main. It was excellent. The chicken was so tender (no bones) and it was just delicious. The pistachios added a bit of fun texture too. I thought the atmosphere was fine but I there was a slight air of overpretentiousness which matched a few of the clearly overpriced items on the menu. Service could have been a bit better, but stuff happens. I would go back.
One of the best meals I've had the pleasure of eating in Chicago.
Impressive looking and succinct menu. Â This place is not cheap, but we were in a celebratory mood so no expense was spared. Â Began with the foie gras and risotto appetizers. Â Foie gras was wonderfully flavored, salty sear. Â Portion was disapointingly small for 27 dollars. Â Risotto was topped with braised pork and was possibly the best I've ever had.
For an entree I had the ribeye with a blue cheese gratin on the side and an amazing sea salt to sprinkle on top. Â The salt elevated an otherwise tasty steak to new heights. Â One of the best pieces of meat I've ever had in a restaurant. Â Wine list was in-depth and impressive with about a 250% markup on a bottle of Zinfandel we tried.
Desserts (sundae and pumpkin) were very good if not slightly small ,but I kept comparing the NAHA sundae to the one from ABC Kitchen and it fell a little short. Â Hazelnuts with the chocolate were awesome though.
Overall, a great time at a sort of "under the radar" spot with the Yelp crowd. Â Give it a try, but bring your checkbook.
4.5 stars
I would recommend Naha! Great Atmosphere! Love the clean simple decor!
Italian Burrata and  Risotto Appetizers were excellent. White Fish with Poached Lobster was a notch above good! Warm Cookies Dessert was just ok, the cookies were very small, I expected a bit more punch with the entire dessert presentation.
The main course took 40 minutes, the manager stopped by to apologize. Overall the service was just ok.
I hadn't made it to Naha before this first visit because I was put off by the high prices. However, we were going to be in the area and I was looking for a treat, so I splurged. I'm glad I did -- the food was outstanding (and worth the price), the ambiance is relaxed & urbane, the staff was friendly and the service polished & attentive. I rate the experience 4.5*, which is high for me.
All the ingredients were (as I'd expect) exemplary in their freshness, and all the dishes were up a notch in terms of innovation and delight. And yet everything was delicious and approachable. The "simple salad" featured lovely greens, superb triple cream brie, and sparkly notes like pomegranate seeds. I had brisket: it could not have been better, graced with a luscious pinot noir sauce and perfect seasonal veggie medley. My companion was similarly smitten with her whitefish entrée. A chocolate pavé was elegant, whimsical and truly indulgent; cappuccino was exemplary. Wines by the glass that I tried were all quite nice -- I did not buy a bottle because there were none that I considered affordable (though I admit that the wine list is broad and features some appealing choices).
Though I can't afford to frequent Naha, I'm sure I'll be back for a special occasion -- I had a very nice time!
We were here for a triple birthday celebration and we had a lovely time. The ambience was nice, pretty standard for your one star Michelin rated fine dining establishment. The decor didn't exactly break any new ground, but at the same time... nice, comfortable, traditional.
- Hudson valley foie gras with a tarte tatin of peaches, rhubarb, roasted fennel and anise hyssop: The foie was deliciously prepared, crusty on the outside and delicately melty and rich on the inside. The sweet/savory of the foie itself was nice. Perhaps what made this dish stand out more for me was the actual tarte tatin that it came with. The pastry was fluffy and butter and sopped up the juices so well.
- Roast quail enrobed with artisanal tamworth bacon, kurobuta pork belly, purple majesty potato hash, crimson pearl onions, golden raisins and black currants: My dining partners knew that this dish was for me. How do I turn down quail wrapped in bacon with pork belly flanking the dish? Seriously am I in heaven? The quail was nicely done (deboned to my liking) and the thick sliced bacon wrapping the entire thing ensured that every bite was flavorful. The pork belly was also very well done, on the drier side but the fattiness cut through nicely anyway.
Very awesome place, but priced a bit on the high side, so not somewhere I'm able to go all the time.
After a painstaking search for a place for our anniversary, we settled upon Naha. It has a Michelin rating and is considered to be one of the best restaurants in Chicago.
We were seated near a window at a small, two person table along the wall. The tables were pretty close to each other - so close that the hostess had to physically move the table out for M to get to her seat on the bench. I normally dislike being so close to other diners; however, Naha was pretty quiet and we ended up having a delightful conversation with the Canadians at the table next to us.
Everything that went into our mouths was wonderful - both food and drinks. When I told the server that I was oscillating between two different appetizers, he made a sound recommendation but brought us both the other one anyway. We ordered dessert and the server wrote "Happy Anniversary" on the plate in chocolate sauce. We were so happy to celebrate in such a way.
M has extremely harsh standards for restaurants but declared that Naha was a fabulous choice for our anniversary. We tipped the server extremely well, tipped him again at the hostess station, and then M slept on it and wanted to tip him even MORE. That's how wonderful of a time we had and why it will probably be our new "fancy" restaurant destination.
The reason for the 1 star is the service. The bad vibe and service overshadowed the food. It was very similar to an episode of Top Chef restaurant wars, when everything is wrong. I wish I could get my 3 hours back!
Perception is key here and they do nothing to make you feel welcome. We checked in early by 30 minutes for our reservation, and the hostess didn't start with a great your here. She blurted out " Oh it's gonna be more like 2 o'clock" nothing else just that.
We sat down and while we waited, Â I over heard 2 other couples with reservations earlier than mine. They would ask the host when they were going to be seated because they were waiting 30 minutes past the time. Then they were whisked off to a table, but shouldn't the hosts be more apologetic.
As we are waiting, I heard people check in for there 2 oclock reservations and they were seated.
Now its 10 minutes past our reservation time and I did not want to be waiting 30 plus minutes just as the other patrons.
The host says we will get you taken care of. He adds we have the best table in the house for you. Then they sat us next to a bus boys hutch, and they remarked it was a really nice table. These bus boys were the noisiest I have ever heard! If you put padding on the tables teach the staff to be almost unnoticeable. C'mon I mean really a Michelin star, it's almost unbelievable......
The food wasn't really memorable, what was was the length of time between each corse. Way too long sometimes up to 20 minutes.
All i can think of is with all the restaurants in chicago why did i pick this one? I would never recommend it to anyone.
One question remains. Are they really a Michelin star or was the person who reviewed them drunk?
Not sure what there is to not love here. Â From the clean and crisp decor to the perfect execution of every dish and the great service, everything was great.
Some highlights:
-Alaskan Halibut: wow. Â It's so great how impressive a piece of fish can be when perfectly cooked and lightly seasoned, and then paired with a more complex side (white bean and leek "mousseline"
-Scallops: not surprising that a Michelin star restaurant can nail the execution on scallops. Â Still, rarely have I seen a more perfect sear and caramelization on the top and bottom of a piece of shellfish.
-Greek salad: yes, more simplicity, but everything in this salad was just so damn fresh and clean.
-Soft shell crab appetizer: Lightly breaded but completely crisp, a perfect complement to a corn and bean succotash with a prickly vinaigrette. Â
Would that I could remember more details from this meal. Â A final note: I ordered a gibson (martini w/cocktail onions instead of olives) and the garnish they brought me were house pickled ramps. Â They weren't that good (the pickling hadn't quite taken all the way to the center), but still, I was damn impressed by the innovation.
We loved our meal at Naha's. We went there for lunch. The service was impeccable, the food we had was amazing and the dessert was gorgeous and delicious all at the same time. I was really impressed. And it's a great value for the price (at least it is for lunch) We had just eaten at The Gage for lunch the day before and spent about the same amount. Naha's was hands down superior in every way. We were all in love with our food.
So, I don't know about dinner, but it's hard to get as delicious, beautiful and classy a meal for what we received at Naha. I would go back and order the same thing all over again and our waiter was awesome. Yum, yum, yum. I can't rave enough. That is all.
I have mixed feelings about Naha. Â On the one hand, the food is delicious. Â But on the other hand, there are intangible factors which make Naha a one time deal for me. Â It's not that the service, atmosphere, and overall experience was bad, but it certainly was not a home run. Â As one of the pricier restaurants in Chicago, Naha just didn't completely deliver an all-around exceptional dining experience.
Stepping away from the intangibles, it is easy to pick apart the price points. Â Maybe my overall mood was skewed from the start when I ordered the scallops. Â For $21, you get 2 small scallops? Â The scallops were excellent, but it sets a bad tone for the entire meal when you are spending this type of money for two small bites of food. Â Twenty-one dollars for 3 scallops, okay....but not for 2 scallops. Â I felt like most appetizers were overpriced. Â
Naha gets 4 stars for me because the food is very good. Â The stuffed roasted quail is one of the better dishes I've had in Chicago. Â The lacquered aged moulard duck breast is exceptional. Â The lobster and potato gnocchi is excellent. Â Naha has some of the best food I've had in Chicago, but there is something a little off.
I will be brief-a lot has been said before me. Every single member of the staff could not have been more friendly, gracious or welcoming to this solo traveler dining at the bar on a Wednesday night. Wine list is jaw-droppingly excellent, atmosphere is beautiful, modern and clean (but not overly so-it's still welcoming) and the kitchen is superbly competent, experienced and easily able to accommodate any special requests you may have and will tailor any dish to your likings. My specially-prepared dairy free halibut was most excellent. You definitely can understand the Michelin star here.
Naha is on the higher end in terms of price - as someone who is in NYC many weekends out of the year, I'm not a stranger to high price points, but it felt slightly excessive here, especially for starters, hence the 4 and not 5 star rating. Still highly recommended, but important to know that going in.
You're won't get anything bad to eat here, and the service is excellent. However, for  a restaurant at this price that is supposed to be on the edgier side needs to be more creative to keep things interesting. The chicken risotto was excellent, but otherwise Naha doesn't have the exciting, polished feel that some newer upscale places in River North and elsewhere in the city have. It's hard for me to complain about the meal I had here, but I also don't have anything great to say about it. A restaurant like this should give you some great, lasting impressions about the meal.
I can say for sure it's among the least impressive meals I have had at Michelin-starred Chicago restaurants.
I give this place more 3.5 stars because while it was good, I don't think I'd go back. The food is very different because they take a lot of normal, basic foods and add all kinds of fancy items and seasonings to them that don't necessarily taste better. It was good considering I went for a work dinner, but I wouldn't pay that much to go back and pay for my meal.
All portions are average, except the ribeye was huge. It was good!
Do NOT get the sherbet dessert. I got the Naha Sundae which was VERY good, but the sherbet was not good.
I like dry Cabernets, but they didn't really have any, so that was disappointing.
The atmosphere is nice though, and it's worth a try if you like trying new places!
This one feels a bit like a breakup: on the one hand, I'll cherish some great memories and miss the good times we had, and on the other I'm excited to get back on the field and see what new talent has since come on the market.
Naha was my first love in upscale dining when I moved to Chicago, and I experienced two magical, transcendent meals here (one on Restaurant week, no less). I went back again earlier this year and just didn't have that same caliber of experience.
Food-wise I'd still average Naha up to 5-stars, though the butternut squash soup I had this year was just ok--certainly not the licking-my-bowl variety I've had in the past.
The real letdown was the service, which previously had been superb. Far too much spacing between dishes (had to be close to 30 minutes each), little-to-no interaction with our waiter after our order was placed, including no offer for coffee or drinks w/dessert (the table of 20-something girls next to us, by comparison, were practically smothered) and a long wait to get the check at the end.
I'm sure we'll meet again someday and perhaps the time apart will find us in a place to fall in love again. But for now, I'm excited for a fine-dining rebound.
With a name like NAHA, you never know! Â Now I do know, and I do know that this is a great place for dinner. Â I had the lamb osso bucco and it was fall apart tender and delicious. Â Serving sizes were smaller but ample. Â
Decor and service was fantastic. Â It's a real trendy joint with great architectural interior finishes and something to really keep the eye occupied for sure.
Have you ever seen an episode of Chopped? It involves random ingredients thrown into a basket (ex: chicken in a can, chocolate, polenta and apricots) and the competing chefs have to create an edible dish out of it.
WELLL..that's kind of how I felt about my main dish at Naha. Although, I appreciate the interesting play on different textures and flavors in their dishes..I thought it was somewhat random and poorly put together for the sake of creating something unique.
We started with a Roasted Turnip soup with baked kale and scallops. This would have been great but, you can't really taste either the kale or the scallops because they were chopped up into teensy tiny pieces that weren't readily identifiable--how sad! It was a good starter to cleanse your palate but, a bit bland and probably not worth ordering again.
Then came our main dishes. I ordered the Braised Pork Shank (off the bone) that came served on polenta. While I appreciate the presentation of a fancy dish combined with something not-so-fancy as popcorn, I thought it was a bit pointless. Maybe the chef was trying to play up different consistencies in the dish or add something to contrast the heavy flavors of the pork but, it really did nothing. Because the cheesy polenta and braised pork were so salty and creamy, I would have appreciated if something sweet or a different range of flavor was thrown in. Overall, I got where Naha was trying to go..they just didn't get there.
I did like the Chicken Tagine more though. I wouldn't call it a tagine and Naha is hardly the place to try Moroccan food, it was a good attempt. The chicken was tender and the dish was a lot less salty than mine.
My favorite part of the meal was actually the complimentary bourbon chocolate and honey jelly at the end which, says a lot of the complimentary dessert is more memorable than the meal itself.
ehh, pass.
Naha gets the distinction of being my first official Michelin star dining experience. Thankfully, the experience didn't disappoint.
My friend managed to snag a Restaurant Week reservation the day before thanks to someone who cancelled last minute. We arrived early but were seated anyway. I love the look and feel of their dining room -- it's open but private at the same time, if that makes sense. After some deliberation, we chose the following:
Coddled hen's egg with mushrooms, grits, kale, and cheddar popcorn: AMAZING. Probably my favourite dish of the night. All of the ingredients worked perfectly together. The egg was perfectly cooked, and the grits were fantastically seasoned. A really rich, complex dish that I could've eaten two more of.
Salad with chicken, farro, arugula, walnuts, and candied lemons: I'm not usually a fan of salads, but I adored this. It was very lightly dressed, allowing the chicken to carry the other ingredients. My favourite part was the crispy chicken skin they used to garnish the salad -- really added a lot of flavour to the rest of the dish and an interesting contrast in texture.
Pork belly with carnaroli risotto, red onions, Swiss chard, and red kuri squash: Yet another winner. It's still strange for me to see pork belly highlighted in non-Asian dishes, but this one worked really well. It's true the portion of pork belly is tiny (two matchbox-sized pieces), but it's incredibly tender and cooked to the point where both the meat and the fat ooze with richness and flavour. The risotto was good -- really just a supporting character for the pork belly.
Skate wing with cauliflower, savoy cabbage, kohlrabi, winter greens, caraway seed, mustard, and chive: Wasn't a huuuuge fan of this. I've never had skate before, so I was a little taken aback by the texture of the fish -- it tastes a lot like crab, very moist and stringy. I'm not sure if I liked the overall dish. The mustard overwhelmed everything, and it didn't pair well with the intense fishiness of the protein.
Pairfait of coconut cream, grapefruit, toasted meringue, and spiced rum: LOVE LOVE LOVE. This was my dessert and I'm so happy I ordered it. It sounds and looks heavy when they first bring it to you, but the overall effect is very light and refreshing. The coconut wasn't too strong, and I really liked whatever little tapioca things they had at the bottom. One of the best desserts I've ever had.
Chocolate and almond dacquoise, cherries, bourbon, and vanilla: I personally didn't think there was anything particularly special about this dessert. It was essentially a tiny brownie with some kind of nutty mousse on top, surrounded by preserved cherries. It was almost too decadent, especially after tasting the parfait.
They sent us off with pate de fruit and dark chocolate bon bons, both of which were a nice touch.
Naha might have gotten five stars from me if it weren't for the atrocious service we received. I'd read the Yelp reviews before going in so I was prepared for a bumpy ride, but I didn't expect our server to be downright rude. He continuously cut us off and walked away before we'd even finished speaking to him. Yeah, we were ordering off the Restaurant Week menu, and yeah, I declined to order a drink after he told me the cocktail I wanted was sold out for the evening (my friend doesn't drink). That doesn't mean we deserve to be treated like homeless people who snuck into the kitchen to beg for food.
FYI, Naha -- find a way to fix your staff's attitude problem (because the hostesses were also snobby as hell), and your ratings will probably skyrocket.
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