dining
Written by Rachel Weaver | Photos by David Pinchot
Nakama is Great Dining for Any Circle of Friends
|
|
|
Tom Chi puts on a show at Nakama's hibachi grill.
|
As an upscale eatery in a shot-and-beer bar neighborhood, one South Side restaurant ran the risk of fitting in like a fish out of water. But Nakama Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar, open on East Carson Street for just under three years, already feels like an old favorite in the busy Pittsburgh community.
“It’s been great,” says Becky Gomes, co-owner with husband, Bob. “The South Side community just embraced us, plus we have people who come here all the way from Washington and Peters Township. It’s nice in the respect that we were lucky enough to win some awards and the rest spread by word-of-mouth.”
Those awards include being named Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best Overall Restaurant, City Paper’s Best Japanese Restaurant, and City Search’s Best Group Dining Destination.
Nakama, Japanese for “Circle of Friends,” attracts clientele ranging from lunch break businessmen to trendy twenty-somethings sipping cocktails.
“We want people to come with their friends and feel comfortable,” Gomes says.
Though the restaurant has an air of fine dining, there are no white linen tablecloths. Instead, its Asian influence is evident in the thin-backed chairs, wooden peek-a-boo partitions, red and gold accents and hanging paper lamps. Nakama’s crowd makes up for the subdued decor by being noisy and energetic, especially in the evening when hibachi chefs send flames jumping into the air and bar guests stand four deep.
At the popular sushi bar, beginners can bite into California rolls with crab, caviar and seaweed, while more advanced sushi palates can savor Hawaiian rolls with shrimp tempura, eel, avocado, or cucumber and crab topped with spicy tuna. Platters perfect for sharing or enjoying alone include the Maki Platter with spicy California rolls, spicy tuna rolls and hamachi maki to the Nakama Boat, with sashimi and nigiri with spicy tekka maki and spicy hamachi maki. If a particular combination not offered on the Nakama menu, sushi chefs can create a roll based on any guest’s personal taste.
Around the corner from the sushi station, hibachi chefs prepare meals in front of diners seated at down-draft tables. Because the food preparation area dips below the place for plates, grease falls down and not up into the air. This way, guests remember their meals only by their taste buds, not the smell of their clothes.
Lunch selections (served daily until 4 p.m.) include combination meals, the most popular of which is the hibachi-prepared shrimp, steak and chicken dish, better known as Bob’s Favorite Triple. Each meal served comes with soup, salad, vegetables, steamed rice and a shrimp or mushroom appetizer. The dinner crowd can enjoy anything from the Nakama Seafood Favorite with shrimp, scallops and tuna steak to lobster, filet mignon and strip steak.
“If we can’t get the best scallops, we don’t serve them that night. If we can’t get prime Kobe beef tips, we don’t feature them,” Gomes says.
At Nakama’s large circle bar, guests can chose from an array of Japanese, domestic and imported beer or make a selection from the martini menu. Special house concoctions include the Parasol Girl, a mixture of rum, crème de coconut and pineapple, and a Samurai -- lime vodka together with Triple Sec and cranberry juice.
In the evening, Nakama’s low lighting makes mingling ideal for the 25- to 35-year-old crowd. Glowing ice cubes give martinis a red, blue or green tint.
To express her appreciation to all who eat at her establishment, Gomes started the VIP club, a free program in which the more diners spend, the more points they earn to use toward free meals and other perks.
With their first business booming, a number of investors have approached the Gomes about creating a Nakama chain, but the couple is holding off until they’re sure it’s done right. For now, success on the South Side is enough for them. •
Nakama is located at 1611 East Carson St. in the South Side. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. for dining and Sunday, 1-10 p.m. The cocktail lounge is open daily until 2 a.m. Valet parking is available Tuesday through Saturday starting at 6 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, call 412-381-6000 or visit www.eatatnakama.com. Reservations are for the hibachi dining area only and should be made one week prior to the desired date.
