UYE: I-Naba with Lisa R. and Anthony M.

Really nice dinner and experience. For $ 25 this was a steal, 5 courses were set so that would have made it $ 5 a course. And we were being topped off with alcohol and some really good Pure Dawn sake. The other alcohol was a blush and I got to drink Tony’s, I also was able to have Joanna’s sake because we couldn’t let it go to waste right? For the next drink I ended up with the pineapple yuzu limeade, there was also a watermelon that I tasted but I loved my pineapple version.
There was a menu on the table welcoming Lisa R and friends to I-​Naba and the five courses set were Raw, Fried, Roasted, Simmer, and Sweet. Really nice touch, Joanna took notes of everything we ate so I need her to hurry up and post her review. Before our first course we were treated with salmon dish which was good and you could immediately tell the dishes we had coming was going to be prepared with absolute culinary skill. The quick rundown of the meal:
Raw: Sashimi of tuna, uni, yellowtail belly, yellow tail tartar, a roll topped with ikura.
Fried: Many different types of tempura but the one stuffed with uni was my fave.
Roasted: Clams, black cod, and Joanna sprinkling the lemon over it.
Simmer: Yay, the showstopper. Anthony M have been here before so I would have been lost if not for him but with four people on a table we split the pot. We had items on our plate to put in the hot pot which included mochi, tofu, veggies, salmon, shrimp, oysters, and a roll I can’t remember but I believe it was spinach and it didn’t break down in the pot. Then the udon went in last.
Sweet: We had crepes with green tea ice cream and a cup full of fruits, ice cream, that nice delicious paste and I was able to have a spoon of the experimental yuzu shaved ice which was yummy.
Thank you Lisa for throwing a nice event, the food was delicious and it was no wonder we received anything less but excellent service and food from staff with excellent skills in their trade craft. If you tell me I have to go to Picaso again just to have food from Chef John and Chef Yoshi I am going to cry. But then I’d go, then come back to I-​naba on a Tuesday. And cry again after I have more delicious food.

This was a really cool experience — 12 of us dining at the quaint I-​Naba restaurant, sampling a tasting of all I-​Naba has to offer.
The menu was created between Chef John, Chef Yoshi, and Master Sommelier Robert. The service was impeccable throughout and we received very in depth explanations on the food and drink we received.
For $ 25 per person, the group enjoyed a tasting menu paired with some drinks that were delicious. We started off with a salmon «escabeche style» appetizer. Each dish was served in the middle of the table, for 2 or 4 people to share. The salmon was juicy and delicious. Then, each person got either shaved watermelon or pineapple ice, and yuzu limeade was poured on top for a unique granita-​drink.
Robert started us with a sparkling blush cava and a jinmai sake, very floral and delicate. The menu only told us our five course journey would be «Raw, Fried, Roasted, Simmer, Sweet.» The suspense made this a fun experience.
Raw: Sashimi course beautifully presented with tuna, hamachi belly, hamachi tartare, and uni. The quality was outstandingly fresh.
Fried: Assorted tempura including calamari, eel, whitefish, kabocha, and shrimp, accompanied by curry and matcha salts.
Roasted: Clams and miso black cod, so delicate and flavorful. We received an Italian (Kerner grape) white wine in a regal glass.
Simmer: Every 2 people received a mini nabe set-​up: hot pot with sterno. The hot pot was filled with dashi broth, served with a plate of oysters, tofu, salmon, amaebi, mochi, kaiware, and other vegetables. Once we tasted all of these delights from the broth, it was richer in flavor and we added house-​made udon noodles. Wow this was special.
Sweet: We received 2 desserts per 2 people: soba crêpe with green tea ice cream and anmitsu (gelatin cubes with fruit and ice cream). After the dinner wrapped up, I was presented with yuzu granita that we all sampled with demitasse spoons. Mmmmm!
It was a really special event and I am so glad everyone came. I also got to meet Chad S. and Ardie Y., which was awesome. I-​Naba really made a meal beyond expectations at an incredible price.

woohoo is an understatement!
seriously, i don’t know what kind of pull lisa r. has at i-​naba but, man, am i over the moon that she does cuz the spread that came out of i-naba’s kitchen that night was astounding, to say the least.
our menu for the evening:
amuse bouche — salmon nanban and yuzu limeade
~~a perfectly cooked piece of salmon in what seemed to be tofu skin with a sweet and savory sauce. the yuzu limeade was served 2 ways. one with a watermelon slush and i don’t remember the other but i would drink either one on a daily basis if i could. both were extremely tasty and refreshing. quite a nice way to start off this epic meal~~
1^st course — sashimi platter of maguro, hamachi, uni, salmon rolls and yellow tail tartare along with tororo, ikura and quail egg
~~amazingly fresh, didn’t even need any soy sauce or wasabi, although provided~~
2^nd course — assorted seafood tempura of anago, kisu, shrimp, calamari stuffed with uni and shiso, and kabocha
~~kabocha is my all time favorite so i was happy with that, but the calamari stuffed with uni and shiso… WHAT…i was in tempura heaven. i-​naba is known for their tempura as the batter is super light and, although fried, does not leave a greasy nor heavy feeling in your tummy. not to mention the dipping salts in curry or green tea flavors. delicious, absolutely delicious.~~
3^rd course — roasted black cod marinated with saikyo miso and manila clams
~~like butta, was the general consensus of all the diners. black cod, when marinated and cooked properly, is one of those fish dishes that stays locked in your taste buds’ memory for life. this version was one of those. i’m sure none of us will ever forget the buttery texture, the way it melted in our mouths and the pop of flavor from the rich miso. mmm…~~
4^th course — seafood yosenabe of oysters, amaebi, salmon, enoki mushrooms, udon noodles (which appeared to be made in-​house) and cabbage rolls stuffed with spinach
~~the presentation of this nabe alone was beautiful with authentic japanese stone pots sitting atop a matching stone burner. the plate of deliciousness that we shared was fresh and filling. the oysters were large and meaty, the amaebi was sweet, clean and fresh and the noodles, omg, the noodles had the most amazingly perfect consistency that i’ve ever had in an udon. i would love to know how they created the broth as well as it was fragrant and bursting with flavor.~~
5^th (dessert) course — soba crepes with green tea ice cream and shiratama anmitsu
~~soba crepes? are you serious? oh man, i couldn’t have imagined a better way to cap off this meal. the crepes were fresh and perfect, not too sweet and who doesn’t like green tea ice cream? the anmitsu (agar jelly with fruit, kinako ice cream and brown sugar syrup) was delicious and light.~~
after everything was devoured and i was full beyond belief, i was also able to sample a small spoonful of lisa r.‘s finale which was a yuzu granita. really, just give me anything yuzu, please, all the time. yum!
this entire meal was a mere $ 25.
i was floored and still can’t believe that it actually happened.
i would have gladly paid twice this much for the quantity and quality of the food we received.
thank you i-​naba, lisa r. and anthony m. for providing the absolute best, most authentic and delectable japanese meal i’ve had this year!
i am eternally grateful!