TBA
n/naka
n/naka's latest collaboration, this time with Susan Yoon. Warm box started with some superb pork belly, with some tomato-chile sauce to go with it. The lobster-stuffed shisto pepper was very mild, but a fine way to be a fancy tempura, while the miso gochujang black cod was rich and full of flavor. The contrast with the dashi-braised baby kabu was wonderful, as was the unexpected marinated mushroom not on the menu. Baek kimchi (white cabbage) was delicate and a worthy addition. Can't forget the ikura cucumber cup, which was the second tastiest thing in the warm box!
Cold box was more subtle, although the scallop crudo was almost as good as the pork belly-- superb! The flavors in the radish salad were bold, a solid contrast with the silken tofu and the more subtle smoked hamachi kimbap.
Soup was actually dessert-- kabocha soup with mochi and pear, and complimented with a black seasme puff pastry clearly meant to absorb the flavors rather than to provide its own.
Finally the dessert box itself was a rich panna cotta (sake kasu with Meyer lemon and pomegrante). The cake, instead of the usual matcha, was Satsuma Imo almond with date miso caramel. Just moist enough, and a very welcome break from matcha. Last but not least, the passionfruit tangerine jelly was a single mouthful of intense deliciousness. Nomnomnomnom!