Namu Gaji, an Encore

The number of full service restaurants in our area is mind-boggling.  We can eat out every day for a few years without going to the same restaurant twice, but we choose to go back to some places time and again because of their food and hospitality.  Namu Gaji is one such place.

A few months ago, we had an excellent okamase dinner there (see my 1/28/13 post “A Special Dinner at Namu Gaji“).  On our latest visit, we sat at one end of the communal table with two friends and ordered from the regular menu.  

The amuse-bouche, a piece of squid on a melon cube, was followed by Namu’s popular chicken and beef Korean “tacos”.  “Tacos” of course is a figure of speech.  They were chopped meat of chicken or beef short rib placed with kimchee salsa and remoulade over seasoned rice on toasted nori sheets instead of tortilla.  The flavor was Korean rather than Mexican.

Korean tacos

David, one of the owners, kindly sent us a salad of sugar snap and English peas, dragon tongue beans, avocado, and a cured yolk.  The raw vegetables cleansed our palate and prepared us for the rest of our dinner.

Salad of peas, beans, avocado and egg yolk

We ordered a trio of meat dishes: chicken wings seasoned with Sichuan pepper, pickled dragon tongue beans, lime and a blue cheese sauce; bone-in suckling pig belly with roasted corn, Thai chili and perilla; Korean fried chicken tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce and sides of spicy slaw, pickled daikon, and a dashi gravy.

Chicken wings

Suckling pig belly

KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)

Our carb of the evening was supplied by okonomiyaki, shiitake dumplings, and gamja fries.  The Namu Gaji version of okonomiyaki, a Japanese-style savory “pancake” cooked on a grill, was topped with kimchee, oyster, yamaimo, cabbage, bonito flakes, and kewpie mayo (a Japanese brand mayo with egg yolk, vinegar, dashi powder, mustard and, yes, MSG as ingredients).  The potato fries (gamja means potato in Korean) with short ribs were doused with kewpie mayo, teriyaki sauce, gochujang (red chili paste), and kimchee relish.

Okonomiyaki

Gamja fries

 We ended our dinner with black sesame pudding, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream.  It was another memorable meal at Namu Gaji. 

A Special Dinner at Namu Gaji

David Lee was very kind to arrange for us and two friends a special dinner at Namu Gaji, the well regarded and popular restaurant run by him and his two brothers. (Namu Gaji is known for its “New Korean American cuisine”, of which the spirit and backbone is Korean; the technique and presentation Korean, Japanese and western, often with a creative twist.)

Our dinner started with an amuse–bouche, a creamy soft tofu topped with nori, jako (small dried fish) and sesame.  The crunchy topping enhanced the dish with a savory flavor and a contrasting texture.  It did a perfect job to whet our appetite.

The first course was “toro, oyster, shiro dashi, pickled mustard”.  White truffle slices graced an oyster and two cubes of toro.  Dashi (dipping sauce) was poured tableside.  It was a delicious bowl of luxury.  David suggested a bottle of Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie – Luneau-Papin “Domaine Pierre de La Grange” Vieilles Vignes 2010 – which paired perfectly with the seafood.

The second course was a refreshing “beet, avocado, watermelon radish” –  roasted red beets in small cubes, slices and chunks, arranged with ripe avocado wedges, paper thin watermelon radish slices and micro-greens.  It was a delightful salad to prepare us for what to come.

Next came the second amuse-bouche: a fried egg dressed with uni butter, pancetta and mushroom.  The rich sauce had a hint of sweetness that suggested white miso.  It was particularly satisfying when mixed with the runny yolk.  I wished that there were some bread to mop up the plate.    

 

The third course was “shiitake mushroom dumpling” with nori.  Two dumplings with sauce was a simple and yet flavorful dish.   

The fourth course was “crab risotto, preserved lemon, white truffle”.  Chef Michael shaved tableside white truffle from Alba all over the rice.  The earthy perfume was intoxicating.

David surprised us with bowls of makgeolli (Korean rice wine) for the table.  During our conversation before dinner, I casually mentioned drinking home-brewed makgeolli in Osaka.  It happened that the chef had a private bottle in the back.  That’s genuine hospitability. 

The last course on the menu was “bap sang: kanpachi, dashi butter, pickled vegetable, dry aged rib eye, grilled bamboo shoot”.  Bap sang is a traditional Korean individual table setting with rice and side dishes served at the same time.  In our case, it was a bowl of premium Kushihikari rice with elaborate side dishes consisting of kimchee, bean sprouts, a clear soup, grilled fish and beef.  Kanpachi (young yellowtail) is one of my favorite fish.  The chef was thoughtful to serve kama (fish collar) to the men and fish belly to the women.  Each also had two pieces from the back of the fish.  I enjoyed in particular the succulent meat hidden behind the bone of the fish kama.  My back pieces were cooked on the outside and raw in the center; the meat was soft and tender.  The two chunks of rare dry aged New York steak were perfectly cooked.  The bap sang was easily a meal by itself. 

Dessert was not listed on our menu.  It looked like a thin slice of pastry topped with shredded coconut and green tea powder.  When I took a bite, it melted slowly to reveal whole black soy beans that came from the restaurant’s own farm.   Different textures and flavors exploded in my mouth.  I went for another bite, and another, until it was all gone.

We ended the meal with a pot of fragrant and soothing lavender tea.

The food far exceeded our expectations.  The service was warm and impeccable.  Most of all, the hospitability of our host made it a truly unforgettable dinner.