Naka Naka

A restaurant in which chopsticks rest on paper cranes… I was overjoyed to discover that a Japanese restaurant like Naka Naka exists in the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. It is a pocket of a restaurant that seems to be a romantic’s paradise. The space allows for no more than twenty people, though it could easily be redesigned to accommodate double that. The majority of the seats allow for diners to sit side by side, giving them a chance to hold hands rather than to be separated by a sea of food across a vast table.

The music is low and sweet. I remember enjoying it but don’t remember quite what it was—something along the lines of Ella Fitzgerald-esque tunes? Anyway, it was at a level in which I could hear my company without the slightest strain.

The wait staff was equally accommodating to the mood of romance. A young man and young lady took turns waiting on us, presenting a board of specials tableside, translating, giving recommendations, and, ultimately serving us exceptionally good izekaya cuisine. They strode from the kitchen across a platform that sits square in the space, housing what looks like a Japanese version of a writer’s den: an intricate arrangement of wooden compartments and levels. The platform didn’t seem to hold a specific purpose, but I appreciate that the owners haven’t slanted their restaurant to align with Western ideas of a dining space. The plates also fall in the vein of tradition, as each one is petit and particular.

Small dishes of king crab sunomono—a vinegary dish with cucumbers—expertly fried squid tempura in which the batter was flecked with nameshi—Japanese dried greens that offer a forceful but delicious flavor—a smattering of straight vegetable tempura in which there was no trace of excessive oil use, just a pillowy light case of golden batter surrounding the likes of sweet potatoes, green beans, asparagus, and onions made up the bulk of the meal. Sushi was also fresh as could be. Orbs of Ikura popped individually in my mouth.

And, every time a dish was cleared, our endearing placemats were revealed: a psychedelic scene of a geisha girl amidst squirrels and trees with a distant city in the background. It seemed to be a mirror of where we sat, surrounded by good vibes, transported far from the hustle of the city.