Nammos, one of the stars of the Herzliya marina, reopened last week.
By BUZZY GORDONNammos(photo credit: SILVIA GOLAN)
The Japanese-Mediterranean restaurant and sushi bar Nammos occupies one of the prime locations in the Herzliya Marina: the Blue Wave, home of the prestigious Yacht Club. The fine dining restaurant itself extends over several indoor and al fresco areas, in very close proximity to the berths of massive luxury yachts – imparting a feeling of affluence by association. The unobtrusive soundtrack is very pleasant.Nammos was at the vanguard of the first wave of restaurants in the country to reopen for seating. And as owner Ilan Trieger told The Jerusalem Post in this column last week, a whole host of regulations are in effect. Diners have their temperatures taken before entering and must complete a brief questionnaire on their cellphones confirming that they are asymptomatic and have not been in recent contact with people infected with COVID-19.Advance reservations are required, but they are also recommended for a variety of reasons. For one, you will probably want to request seating outdoors on the deck, where masks are not required (except for waiters) and the view of the Mediterranean sunset is unimpeded. Moreover, you might want to consider eating earlier in the evening, both because it is less crowded and because the restaurant’s private parking lot – a terrific perk – is less likely to be full.Nammos’ well-stocked bar offers seven specialty cocktails (NIS 45-60), in addition to selected classics; the bartender will also mix a virgin cocktail, sans alcohol. Creative house cocktails we enjoyed were the Apple and Pomegranate – spiced rum, vanilla syrup and lemon, blended with apple and pomegranate juices and garnished with a cinnamon stick – and Nammos’ Passion – lemon vodka, fig liqueur, passion fruit and mint syrup. Both are fruity and refreshing, although the latter – chock full of orange slices and mint, reminiscent of sangria – has slightly citrusy undertones.Unusual for a restaurant whose menu bears the modifier “Japanese kitchen,” there is a fairly extensive wine list – and no mention at all of sake. The wine list even has a detailed breakdown: sparkling, Israeli, imported, white, red and rose – and a premium category, with wines that fetch up to NIS 780. A welcome touch is that most of the wines are also available by the glass.The bilingual food menu – available either digitally or in single-use printed format – comprises seven sections. One entire page features Hot Appetizers (NIS 39-98), Japanese appetizers (NIS 34-119) and Chef’s Salads (NIS 54-78), while another half-page lists four categories under the heading Main Courses: From the Sea (NIS 118-330), Fish (NIS 118-198), Homemade Noodles and Dumplings (NIS 98-148) and Beef (NIS 135-188). There is also a comprehensive sushi menu, also with no fewer than seven sections. Altogether, there are very few vegan/vegetarian options, and these primarily among the salads.After perusing the menu, we narrowed down our general interests, and then made our choices based on the restaurant’s recommendations. We started with the tuna ceviche – small cubes of raw tuna in a sauce of white soy, sesame oil, chili, lime, orange and mirin. The freshness of the fish was evident, and the Asian twist an intriguing variation on the more typical Latin American versions.Our second course was something we never would have thought of ordering on our own, but which suddenly appeared on our table: the Nammos Salad – a heaping bowl of sunflower sprouts mixed with water chestnuts, shallots and chives, topped with tempura chips and crunchy wasabi beans and dressed in a mild wasabi sauce. The delicious salad had just the right amount of dressing, while the double dose of wasabi left a pleasant tingle of heat in the mouth. A nice bonus was the virtuous feeling of having eaten a generous serving of healthful greens.Of the three seafood choices we were served the Batayaki Seafood Mix, a heaping assortment of shrimp, calamari, scallops, clams mussels and blue crab in a soy-batayaki sauce. The outstanding component here was the crab meat, probably the best I have had in Israel. Meanwhile, the subtle, distinctive sauce did a great job of enhancing the fresh seafood without overwhelming it.Next was the Beef Filet Teppanyaki, a medallion of filet mignon served sliced, along with steamed white rice, a thick dipping sauce, and a small undressed salad of iceberg lettuce and scallions. Although the menu stipulates the steak would come grilled medium, it was actually medium-rare – which was perfectly fine, since the result was succulent beef that was gone all too quickly. The slightly sweet sauce had to be used very judiciously lest it overpower the meat, but it did wonders for the plain rice.The restaurant’s printed dessert menu has been temporarily discontinued during the novel coronavirus pandemic, but the wait staff did a good job of reciting and explaining the seven tempting choices. Eventually, we settled on the cheesecake and the apple pastry with vanilla ice cream. The dense, rich cheesecake was as good as you would find in a bakery, while its companion turned out to be four miniature strudels that paired nicely with the premium ice cream.Throughout our meal we were treated to friendly and impeccable service, exemplified by the proffering of wet naps from already torn packages after each course, along with the constant clearing of the table and resetting with clean plates and cutlery. Even at the end, the waiter thought to ask whether we wanted our hot drinks served right away or together with our desserts.Nammos (nammos.co.il)Not kosher1 Hatzedef StreetHerzliyaTel.: (09) 951-1555The writer was a guest of the restaurant
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