A Quickie with Chef Taka of Nami Nori
Pharell is a partner. But the real star is Chef Taka.
Nami Nori in the Design District is stupendous, known for its minimalistic cool vibes with a DIY hand-roll opportunity (or the chefs can do it for you). We sat down with Chef and partner Takahiro Sakaeda last week. The MSG and Gluten Free experience knocked my La Perla panties off. And the stylish soy-sauce dropper didn’t go unnoticed. How brilliant to avoid a mess!
They also serve Orion Beer. That’s enough of a reason to understand the legitmacy within.
Meet the man who brings his own rice, soy and garlic to Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Vegas to pair it with their meat. He’s got cojones. He’s a legend. He’s awesome. And even the way he chops his scallions is sexy.
Name: Takahiro Sakaeda
Nickname:Taka
Partner at: Nami Nori
Why Miami? I moved to Miami to help the brand expand and the back and forth travel was too intense.
Best childhood leftover memory: Actually, my mom used to make spaghetti and meatballs but Japanese style and kinda very Neapolitan style, so they add ketchup! Believe it or not, it’s very common, actually.
What is your favorite restaurant to take leftovers home from? Walrus Rodeo has a pork chop that’s even more insane the next day.
My last meal would be: Because I’m a sushi chef — not that — a prime rib by Snake River, a prime rib-eye with Asian style chimichurri.
If you came here as a guest, what would you order? The fried chicken which. And the signature set to start and clam miso soup in between.
What music is playing in your kitchen at home? Jazz. I like John Coltrane.
What do you wear at home in the kitchen? Super casual, jeans and a tee. Generally from Uniqlo!
Favorite thing about the Miami restaurant scene: It’s come up a lot, for example - the quality and offerings have improved a lot. We can get almost everything here except for truly authentic Asian items. At least I can say I have not found them yet.
Least favorite thing about the Miami restaurant scene: The lack of SE Asian. I love Vietnamese and Thai. My wife is Thai so we do that at home.
After work, I drink — alcoholic or non-alcoholic? I’m sober for two years now! I have a little boy and I enjoy spending time with him. When she got pregnant I stopped with her.
What would people be most surprised to know about you? That I’m a classically trained cellist. My old school self — way back in the day — people would never imagine that.
Your go-to spots in Miami: Walrus Rodeo, Sunny’s is great and Café La Trova for the vibe more than the food. Pummarola is amazing and they have an amazing GF pizza.
If you had to eat at another Japanese restaurant in Miami? Omakase at Aoko — his omakase is amazing.
Kitchen tool you swear by: A knife. A Yanagi knife from Japan is unreal.
Most overrated culinary trend: The caviar trend. At Nami Nori (even for ourselves), we lean away from it as a luxury item.
Thoughts on MSG: TBH, I look at it as any other seasoning. If you use it in the right amount I don’t have an issue with it. We don’t use it, but if it’s in a product, it’s okay. Can’t deny it makes things delicious.
Did you create this menu based on your allergy, or was that before your time? I launched the concept in 2019 in New York. I started thinking about the menu before that but between my partner and I we just did it.
Favorite thing to cook at home: Steak.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing? Professional poker player. I had an existential crisis, I found out I was GF and I left my job with Masa. I was day trading crypto and it all came together.
What advice would you give aspiring chefs? Have conviction and patience because it takes time to get good at something like this. And find someone you want to learn from — find your master.
What’s your #1 guest order pet peeve? I don’t have one. The reality is we started this to accommodate others. I needed to be accommodated with my allergy, so voila.
Favorite city to visit for food: Tokyo.
You can reserve your seat at this GF Japanese paradise, HERE!