Review: Nagomi – homely, harmonious Japanese
JAPANESE restaurant Nagomi serves up homely dishes that suit Japanese-food first timers and fans of Japan alike.
WITH Japanese-food first timers in our party, Nagomi is a good choice. Unlike the memorable former tenant and innovative Japanese master, Kenji, who specialised in high-end fuss and confronting dishes including the risky fugu puffer fish, the food by chef Nobuki Hayashi fits Nagomi, which means comfort and harmony.
His cooking is more homely. One dish closely resembles steak and three veg, and, not-so-traditional mashed potato salad on many plates helps fill hunger-wary bellies.
To start, rather than the ubiquitous three pieces to share, Nagomi lists the likes of gyoza as sensible serves of four. The pan-fried, toasty bottomed dumplings are packed with flavorsome pork. Okonomiyaki is also sliced into four wedges. The chunky savory pancake, again nicely crisped in the pan, is zig-zagged with Kewpie-style mayo.
Another easy split is a bowl of four unctuous twice-cooked pork belly pieces which the menu promises has been simmered for three days, yet it’s only $15. The slightly sweet meat, traditionally silky and slippery rather than rimmed with crackling, comes with a touch of hot mustard. We do have a tussle of spoons over its remaining umami broth. More please, along with equally luscious eggplant roasted with a fine shroud of sweet miso.
Sashimi is a notable house spectacle, but our first-timers request “nothing raw”, so we choose sushi prettily staged with wings of crispy softshell crab standing proud.
We could keep grazing, but move on to homely mains, the juicy Black Angus steak and veg, a mound of grilled teriyaki chicken that’s incredibly tender, and, pork katsu that looks like sliced schnitzel and is even more loaded with comfort.
The smartest plate, sliced roast duck doused with tangy yuzu sauce, is a bit rare for our newbies, and best enjoyed by our more seasoned and diehard duck man always in tow.
One yuzu sorbet, with four spoons, is enough to cut the typical sweetness of this meal.
If you’re keen to sample more, a pared-back lunch menu has bento boxes of many morsels.