A night out can start anywhere from a casual dining place to a home cooked dinner but often, especially if it’s a date night or anything celebratory, even just rewarding yourself with an indulgent meal in the middle of the day, a steakhouse would be a good place to start. Yet with each restaurant bragging about its choice of meat, choosing the right spot can be a lot of headwork. Well, let me take one guesswork out of the way and introduce Nanka.
Every now and then, you stumble upon a restaurant that is a great value, very unpretentious, and hits the G-spot of foodgasm. Nanka boasts a gracefully sprawling dining area and the cake display on the right side as one of its key focal of the plush and comfortable dining room. Its classic charm and decadence rest though on its menu selections.
The talented kitchen team is headed by Executive Chef Mike Santos. Chef Mike always begins with high quality ingredients and use them in creative ways when needed, otherwise highlights its natural and organic flavors without masking or altering too much of its taste.
On the Table
Oyster Platter (Rockefeller, Hollandaise and Deep Fried)
We started off with the oyster platter. It was hard to pick my favorite among the three variations as all were just utterly delicious and a great foolproof app to start with.
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Grilled Ahi Tuna
Fresh sushi-grade ahi tuna, deep red and looking meaty in the middle, had beautiful grill marks on the edges and dusted with togarashi as the finish. It was supple and had just the right light sear on the outside leaving the inside tender and almost downright raw in the middle.
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Grilled Togarashi Prawns
Skewered plump prawns only seasoned very lightly and sprinkled with Japanese dried spice mix togarashi, else it feels almost untouched. Most pieces were juicy, retained its natural sweet sap but a piece or two might’ve been just a tad bit over. It didn’t hold me back munching more than my table share.
Tuna and Salmon Chirashi Bowl
Chirashi bowls are always wonderful. The expression of bright colors, speak of the freshness and delicateness each bowl represents over a heap of Japanese white rice. The sashimi cuts were generous and tasted ocean-fresh-sweet, perfect to hit with a little intensity from the wasabi it’s served with. Nanka’s version offers the best value anywhere I’ve seen in terms of quality and price range. Presentation could use a little nudge to pull it together to 100% perfection.
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WX Ribeye
Obviously my favorite cut of steak – flavor tends to be richer than other cuts due to the marbling / fat distributed throughout the steak which provides an insane amount of flavor. When grilled or pan-seared, it helps bring out the strong delicious flavors out. Chef Mike makes the smart decision to let the quality of the meat stand out with only salt and pepper. If meat is of American or Japanese wagyu, best to savor on its own, without any added flavors. For those with a tongue for adventure, a selection of house-made sauces were readily available on the side to strike some fun with.
Grass-fed, grain-finished ultra-prime cut is melt in your mouth tender. Nanka’s ribeye steak is succulent, tender and flavorful, with a slightly charred taste on its perimeter but still retains its effervescence in the inside. Grilled and in its perfect temp, this continues to showcase the culinary prowess of the chef.
The remarkably tender meat went well with the wasabi salt on the side – which is also a brilliant idea. Maybe another idea is to make zesty yuzu available. The wasabi salt reminded me of a subtle herb taste which is spicy and slightly salty alternating.
Recent Table Guest