Naha Chicago
Jan 12th, 2009 by seanh420
Naha is an upscale Mediterranean-American restaurant in Chicago with a hint of California and French. Chris Ohara and I ate here the night before New Years Eve. We were the last to enter. One of the waiters told us we had VIP access to an empty room. The interior was very simply decorated with a series of tree branches, neutral colored walls, and a few pieces of vibrant artwork. Large windows gave a nice view of the city outside. Everything was very clean and professional. A waiter neatly ironed the crisp white table cloth to perfection. I couldn’t help but notice a respectable bar upon entering the venue. I felt inspired and refreshed as our waiter Phil introduced to us the St-Germain Cocktail. St-Germain is a French liqueur made from fresh handpicked elderflower blossoms. It was mixed with equal parts of brut champagne and Fever-Tree Club Soda served with ice and spoon straw bearing a logo of a man riding a bicycle. He brought the bottle to the table so I could get a good look. Chris had a drink made from Citrus Vodka, Rose Champagne and housemade cranberry with pomegranate seeds. Phil made both drinks at our table. Dinner started with complimentary bread. The darker of the two breads was made from cumin and had a distinct Mediterranean taste; it was incredible! Chris had a Yellowfin Tuna appetizer. It had an interesting French “mosaic of Nicoise Garnishes” in the shape of a right triangle on a square plate. I started with an Egg Benedict appetizer and I have to say it had the best English muffin and egg I’ve ever had—a five-star mini breakfast reincarnated as an appetizer. Entrees were priced around $35 and modest in size. Chris had a duck entree. I had Braised Short ribs. This was the first time I had ever tried duck and the short ribs were exceptionally tender. I especially liked the cauliflower and the sauce for the braised ribs. Chris had The Naha desert. He felt that the caramel was a little too rich and over powering. I ordered a Grand Marnier ice cream dessert. I was intrigued by the idea of orange flavor ice cream made from Grand Marnier. The chef assured me that Grand Marnier doesn’t actually make ice cream but rather the ice cream was made with Grand Marnier in it with the alcohol cooked off of course. A series of hair-like thin strands of sugar garnished the Grand Marnier ice cream.
Naha Bar
St-Germain Cocktail
St-Germain, Fever-Tree Club Soda, Brut Champagne with lemon peel garnish and stainless steel spoon straw
Ket/Citro
Housemade Cranberry with Pomegranate Seeds, Citrus Vodka, Rose Champagne
Complimentary Bread
Tartare of Hawaiian Yellowfin Tuna Appetizer
Tartare of Hawaiian "Yellowfin" Tuna, Cured Tasmanian Red Trout and Hard-Cooked Quail Egg with a Mosaic of Nicoise Garnishes, Aigrelette Sauce and Toasted Brioche
Coddled Organic Farm Egg Benedict Appetizer
"Coddled" Organic Farm Egg "Benedict", "Kurobuta" Pork Belly and Housemade English Muffin with Smoked Homegrown Wisconsin "Red Thumb" Potatoes, Itailian Frisee, "Green Tipped" Radish and Herbs
Duck Entree
Blossom Honey "Laquered" Aged Moulard Duck Breast and a Cannelloni of Delicata Squash with Caramelized Quince, Huckleberries and Port
Braised Short Ribs Entree
Braised Short Ribs of Beef, Roasted Root Vegetables, Winter Cauliflower and Wild Boar Bacon, Celery Root Puree, Cremini Mushrooms and Smoked Brittany "Fleur de Sel"
The Naha Turtle Sundae
The Naha "Turtle" Sundae of Bittersweet Chocolate Ice Cream, Candied Pecans and Rich Caramel
Mont Blanc Chestnut Meringue Torte
"Mont Blanc" Chestnut Meringue "Torte" with Grand Marnier Ice Cream, Chestnut Creme, Vanilla and Orange
The Bill
Dining at Naha was a great experience. Dinner can cost as low as $25 a person to around $100 a person for a full experience. The menu was a bit meaty with lots of meats and fishes, but they assured me that they cater to the vegetarian crowd as well. Most ingredients are locally farmed. I am likely to dine here again and I recommend Naha to anyone looking for an upscale spot to dine in River North.
Naha
500 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 321-6242
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