Sushi lovers will want to know about Nami Nori in Montclair. This casual-yet-elegant temaki bar specializes in open-style sushi hand rolls. This means the sushi is not fully wrapped, with the contents on full display. This visually tempting culinary approach allows the owners to be creative yet respectful of traditional Japanese cooking techniques.
The 2,000-square-foot Nami Nori can seat 37 diners indoors. They also offer seasonal outdoor dining for up to 12 guests. The interior design takes inspiration from both modern beach houses as well as traditional Japanese residences. It’s meant to be light and airy, serving as an escape from Montclair’s energetic streets. The bright dining room features two temaki counters, along with textured shades of sandy brown, cream, and dusty rose.
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The Menu
Nami Nori offers open-style temaki and Japanese-inspired starters. The menu features crispy calamari with yuzu soy, wasabi cucumber tataki, and Asari clam soup with miso, butter, and potato. One other popular starter is the veggie miso with age tofu and carrot. Meanwhile, the Montclair location offers an exclusive heirloom tomato salad with braised bamboo shoots, sea beans, and rayu.
Also exclusive to Montclair is the Ocean Trout temaki roll with persillade, golden kiwi, sweet potato tempura, and sweet chili soy. Signature temaki at Nami Nori include the “X.O. scallop” with tobiko and lemon; the tuna poke with crispy shallots; a cucumber black sesame roll with shiso and plum; and the spicy crab dynamite. Dessert options include a temaki cannoli with mascarpone cream, orange compote, cocoa nib, and lime zest. But Managing Partner Lisa Limb says her favorite menu item is the tuna crudo. This comes with fried capers, myoga, red onion, radish sprouts, and bonito soy.
Weekday lunch service at Nami Nori includes items like tuna poke temaki, X.O. Scallop temaki, and Kanpachi pineapple temaki. The latter features chipotle, tomato, onion, and koji. They also have a coconut shrimp temaki with green curry, lime, and cilantro. Non-traditional options range from the Furikaké fries with tomato tonkatsu to their spicy tuna dip. Their dip includes crispy rice chips, serrano, and Asian pear.
About the Owners
Partners Taka Sakaeda, Jihan Lee, and Lisa Limb met while working under three-star Michelin sushi chef Masa Takayam. They opened the first Nami Nori in New York City’s West Village in the fall of 2019. The Montclair location is now their third opening.
Visit Nami Nori at 378 Bloomfield Ave in Montclair. Look for them online to learn more.
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All Photos: © Nami Nori