Naha

I started with the mushroom soup (not listed on their current online menu). Flavors were good, although it was served not as hot as I would prefer, and quickly became rather lukewarm. The cauliflower and dill seeds go well with the mushroom. ⁴⁄₅
I then had the ranch venison, which was both unique and delicious. ⁵⁄₅
I hadn’t planned to have dessert, but the waiter recommended the ricotta cake so I ordered that. The cake itself was excellent, but I didn’t really like any of the accompaniments, especially the olive oil ice cream which tasted like what you might expect from its name: imagine eating a tablespoon of frozen olive oil. ³⁄₅
Service here is adequate but not the best. Especially given that the restaurant was mostly empty, they could have been more attentive and prompt. They did bring me an extra marshmallow and brownie at the end, which was a nice touch. ⁴⁄₅
The overall look and feel of the restaurant is top-​notch. The atmosphere is best described as «intimate» (dim lighting, soft music). It’s also conveniently located in the middle of a great dining district, with a surprising amount of street parking available nearby (there’s also a valet). ⁵⁄₅
Overall, I’m quite satisfied. My 3-​course meal came to $ 93 after tax and tip, which is pretty expensive but not unreasonable for good quality.

As I had missed out on my restaurant week binge, I was very pleased that NAHA had continued their offerings for another one or two. For this review, I intend to rate the restaurant based on service, food and environment.
Service: (³⁄₅) From first impressions to closing the evening, I had experienced highs and lows of service from both the servers and hosts. Upon my arrival, the restaurants have strategically placed comfortable sofa seating for those waiting their party to arrive. The front of house was mild-​mannered, polite but displayed low engagement to the guests. There was a bar area, but I was never directed to have a drink while I waited. When in the dining area, the server was very polite and displayed a high-​level of service. I think he was a great server, but I guess my expectations was that there would have been a brief explanation of the food that was being served. This met slightly below my expectations, but this might just be the way that NAHA conducts their service for their other tasting menus as well.
Food: (3.5÷5) My approach to RW is that the servings are highly reflective of the restaurant’s background and appeal. As NAHA extended the days for this offering, I won’t hesitate to rate them slightly above average overall. Started with a standard old-​fashioned. Expected to receive orange rind and all the tastes expected in a bourbon + bitters; actual was a center slice of orange and a light whiskey that was too sweet for my taste. For the three courses, I had the quail, duck breast, and chocolate dessert. Quail was my favorite because I love eating dark meat especially perfectly cooked quail thighs. The other dishes were pretty standard and I would choose something more adventurous, given the option.
Environment: (⁴⁄₅) Pretty sold on the couches by the entrance. Location plays one of the largest roles in rating for NAHA’s environment. It is located at the corner of a busy street and within proximity of Michigan Avenue. The décor was nice; music was low. The view outside was nice, but I guess I can say that it was too dark inside? Clientele was a blend of yuppies and olds, but at around 50%-75% given a Friday night.
This is a 3.5÷5 overall, but I enjoyed my time here. I will definitely give it another try.

I’m really surprised at all of the negative reviews from restaurant week… I definitely enjoyed our dinner here! Naha has been on my list for a while, and there’s no time like restaurant week to check out a new place.
I started with the oysters, which I thought were insanely delicious… I loved the surprise of the sorbet-​ish topping & thought it gave them a nice coolness & sweet flavor. I wish there would have been double the amount, so I could have shared one with my date, but alas, I kept them all to myself :) For my entrée I had the salmon, which I thought was a surprisingly large portion and was cooked perfectly. I loved all of the flavors, the sauce was delicious & it had a great crisp crust on it. For my dessert choice, I really wanted chocolate offering, but the guy wanted that so I went with the rice pudding & we shared them. Both were excellent.
Our server was great, super friendly & always there when we needed him. I have no complaints… I think it was a great option… yes it was a little expensive, but not near as bad as it would have been if it was not restaurant week!

NAHA, I really wanted to like you. I think you might be my first Michelin-​starred restaurant, unless all the Din Tai Fungs in Asia share their one Michelin star. Your well-​appointed waiting area and large dining room are picturesque, especially when the sunlight comes through the large windows and hits the potted slender tree (branches?) creating a pseudo-​wall. Your waitstaff consists of matured lumbersexuals and restaurant professionals who really know how to steam-​press a tablecloth. But your (technically excellent) food left me unmoved and glad I was only paying $ 22 for this entire lunch.
Restaurant week 2016 selections:
— bread and butter for the table: possibly the most impressive item at this lunch was the wonderful bread with its subtle sweetness, dense but soft crumb, and crusty exterior. The butter was packed smoothly into a small half-​sphere bowl and too cold to use.
— Lahmacun (lamb pizza): two skinny thin slices, tepid temperature, soggy texture, good spices, great green garnish
— Salmon with lentils, sweet potato purée, and maybe a celery root sauce?: fish was cooked just a touch more than I would have liked although dining companions had more rare pieces. Lentils were excellent — tender while retaining their individual shapes. Dish was very well-​balanced but also felt like something I could have done at home (albeit with less high-​quality ingredients).
— Ricotta crumb cake w/​lemon curd: maybe the most interesting item, each component merited a few seconds of consideration, but I’ve ultimately had much better desserts in a similar setting (The Promontory in Hyde Park comes to mind).
The staff was kind enough to bring us an additional treat of blueberry marshmallows (I didn’t taste the fruit) and caramel popcorn clusters. Noteworthy for the surprise but not for taste.

Service is amazing ! I walk pass everyday Today I got a chance to try during restaurant week. Two thin small pieces of Slow roast Salmon tail for main course! Disappointed! Also the rice in rice pudding was not well cooked.

Food was decent, but terrible terrible service. I understand being busy during lunch and it was restaurant week. But we waited over 20 minutes after main course plates were cleared to get dessert. They said it was because the restaurant was busy. I’ve been to plenty of price fixe places that are jumping and didn’t wait like that.
I eventually just paid and walked out without eating dessert.
There are too many good fine dining places in Chicago to put up with that. Better to spend your money someplace else. Not sure how they got a Michelin star.

I went to Naha for Restaurant Week dinner. Overall, I was unimpressed with both the food and the service.
Taking out my pretentious food reviewer dictionary, words that apply to the menu and execution of food are: rote, perfunctory, uninspired. Seriously, though, I was expecting something more inspired and creative.
For example: I ordered «Red Prawns from the Southern Ocean, Organic Carnaroli Risotto, Frost Kissed Spinach, Toasted Green Pumpkin Seeds and Preserved Black Truffle.» Sounds great, right? It wasn’t. The shrimp was fine, it tasted like shrimp, but the whole shrimp served in the shell was so charred on the outside that all I could taste was carbon; it was totally overpowering. I sucked the brain and that was the best bite of the dish. The rest of the dish had very little flavor, the risotto was bland and undercooked (hard rice, not creamy like a good risotto should be), and I really couldn’t detect any black truffle taste.
Each dish ordered was similarly underwhelming. The best thing I ate was the foie dish (ordered a la carte, not from the RW menu). It was paired with roasted pineapple and chestnut, which I thought was a great concept and well-​executed, the kind of thing I was expecting from the whole menu.
On to the service: I should start by saying that OUR server was great. She recommended good wine and gave me to courtesy of laughing at my bad jokes, which is a perfect server in my opinion. However, before dinner, I was totally ignored at the bar while desperately trying to order a glass of wine. The bartender dropped off a menu and a glass of water and then ran away. I had a couple questions but I wasn’t able to ask anyone. Now, the bartender was clearly busy making drinks for tables, so I tried to be patient. But I lost patience when I realized everyone around me was being served, and she did have the time to walk right past me to plug in a device behind the bar (and didn’t see me waving her down). In fact, there were several devices charging in my view, which I found really tacky at a Michelin starred restaurant. Eventually someone came out from the kitchen (also to charge a phone), saw me sitting with an empty water glass, and was nice enough to take my order. The host stand had three people but no one greeted me when I arrived and I had to interrupt their conversation to ask them if they could please take my coat. Also, the kitchen seemed to be running plates without informing our server.
Unfortunately, it crossed our minds that perhaps we were receiving a so-​so experience because we were «just there for Restaurant Week.» I hope that’s not the case.

I went to Naha for Restaurant Week and it was delicious! $ 44 is well worth the 3 course dining experience here. My friend and I ordered a bottle of wine from a list in which there were many wines that were surprisingly reasonable at $ 30/​bottle. We went with a Bordeaux and our waiter ensured that our glasses were never empty throughout the meal. We were also immediately given a heaping basket of bread.
I started with the quail appetizer. I had never had quail before, but ventured out of my comfort zone. It had a delicious smoky flavor and was paired with a small mixed greens salad. I’m still thinking about that tasty little bird the next day.
I ordered the red prawns for my main entrée and the actual prawns were really flavorful and delicious, but the risotto supporting them, was just okay.
My only disappointment was that I couldn’t swap out the listed desserts for the sweet potato sundae which sounded really interesting. I finished up with the ricotta cake which tasted like an upscale coffee cake.
Overall, great atmosphere, very attentive service, and deliciously executed food for a bargain price.

I went to Naha for Restaurant Week lunch and was very impressed (as should be the case for a restaurant with a Michelin star). I’m reviewing Naha as a restaurant that cost $ 22 for a 3-​course lunch, rather than in relation to their normal menu prices (which are much higher).
Food (4.5÷5)
We tried the mushroom soup, and the lamb pizza as appetizers. Both were very good, though the mushroom soup was particularly outstanding. The mains were quail and salmon. The salmon was perhaps the best salmon I’ve ever tasted. It was fresh, perfectly cooked, well-​seasoned, and each ingredient added something unique to the dish. The quail was good, but while each ingredient in the dish was tasty, combining them together did not really add anything. As for dessert, the chocolate semifreddo and the ricotta cake were both tasty, and both of us preferred the semifreddo.
Service (⁵⁄₅)
Service was excellent. Our waiter was attentive and knowledgeable but not intrusive.
Ambiance (3.5÷5)
Nice, sleek space, but tables were very close to each other, and there was nothing special about the atmosphere.

My second time at Naha and I am really impressed this time. The chef even came over to give me suggestions because I can’t eat dairy or soy. I really love her choice and professionalism. So I had a salad and a quail. Both of them worth one Michelin star!

I came for restaurant week, and for a Michelin star restaurant, I was a little disappointed. I had the mushroom soup, and it lacked salt. I had the prawns and risotto next, and, again, the risotto lacked salt. It wasn’t as creamy as a risotto should be either. I couldn’t pick up any truffle in the dish. The shrimp were seasoned and cooked well. For dessert, I had the ricotta cake. It was decent, but nothing memorable. Over all, the food was just ok. The service was very good. Everyone was very attentive. Unfortunately, the mediocre food left me underwhelmed.

I’m not sure what all of the bad reviews are about. Sure this place isn’t the greatest meal ever, but it generally lives up to the hype.
In particular, the $ 22 lunch for Restaurant Week is a great value. I got the prawn, roast quail, then pudding. Every dish was tasty and solid and I left satisfied and happy that I came.
There’s a reason why Michelin gave them a star in 2016.

I came here for restaurant week, so I don’t know if the regular food is somehow exceedingly different. But since it is from the same kitchen, and the point of restaurant week is to indoctrinate new patrons, I am doubtful.
I had a simple salad with apples and beets that was underdressed. Then a bland hunk of mozzarella on top of arugula with a spoonful of eggplant caponata dabbed on the side. My husband had the pork belly which had obviously been reheated, and was so chewy he could barely saw through it with a knife. The dessert, rice pudding, was not fully cooked and the rice was crunchy in some places. Pure sloppiness. Everything across the board was underseasoned.
The difference was even more stark because I had just visited Café Spiaggia a few days earlier, also for restaurant week, and had a delicious meal that was worth every penny.
The service at Naha was excellent, so it does get some points for that, and our wonderful waiter deserved better than to serve subpar food to unhappy customers.
The restaurant itself is not invitingly decorated, tables very close together in a plain tan room that gets very loud due to the sparseness. I will definitely not be back.

Overview: Went for lunch for restaurant week. I want to first state that I didn’t expect to get $$$$ food for the price of a fixed $ 22 lunch. However, I did still expect some pretty delicious and creative food. It’s why I picked Naha out of the hundreds of places I could have gone. I was not impressed.
Food: 2 Stars
It was «meh» Best way to describe it. The lamb pizza… don’t get it. I ate every bite because I was so hungry, but it was not very good. The wet soggy crust did not stick to the odd «cheese» and lamb/​bean sauce that was on top. Skip this and get the prawn or mushroom soup instead. For the main, I had the pork shank. The meat itself was tender and delicious, but then they decided to put a really sweet sauce on the meat… I’ve never tasted a sauce I disliked more. The vegetables were just bland and disappointing. Finally, dessert, definitely the best part of the meal. I had the chocolate one and would recommend it. The cookie on top was lovely and the sesame seeds added a nice crunch. However, it was not enough to make up for a sad started and poor main. The best part of this meal was the bread they put on the table, though I wish the butter had been soft and easy to spread.
Service: 4 stars
They seated us even though we were waiting for a friend who was going to be late. Our server was great. He was attentive, but not overly so. The wait staff was nice and accommodating.
Ambiance: 3 stars
Nothing especially nice about the restaurant. Typical clean contemporary look. Nice waiting area for larger parties to sit and chat while they wait for their tables. Was quiet when we arrived at 11:30, but was busy by 12:30.
Final Verdict: Won’t be back. This restaurant week meal did not inspire the confidence I would want to make this my splurge restaurant when I want a nice meal. I use restaurant week to try out nice restaurants and see if they might be worth going to when they are full price. Naha failed the test.

I have a feeling that Naha used to be great, and if I’m just judging by other recent reviews mixed with the fact that Naha’s heyday was years ago, the kitchen has fallen off a bit here.
I brought a group for Restaurant Week yesterday and across the board, there was a general sense that the food’s description in the menu doesn’t translate. I tried the Lamb Pizza, the Roast Quail and the chocolate semi-​freddo/​mousse. The pizza was a complete disaster, basically two crackers served with some yogurt on the side. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I did expect for the flavor profile to be… something when I bit into the crackers. Uhh, no. The quail was cooked to medium-​rare perfection, but besides the carrots, nothing about the flavor here was memorable and even the quail didn’t come off as game-y…just bland. The semi-​freddo was tasty but not enough to save this meal.
It took almost 30 minutes after ordering to get the first courses here, so that led us to think there really might be issues with that kitchen! Not coming back.

I came here during Restaurant Week and left with a general «meh» feeling. I can’t boast about having a ton of Michelin star experiences, but even so, I was underwhelmed. Some of it may have had to do with my choices, which were the Delaware Oysters, Buffalo Milk Mozzarella, and Bittersweet Chocolate. The oysters (with Greek ouzo sorbet!) and dessert were both good, and I was pretty pleased with those. The main course was tasty, but it felt much more like a salad or appetizer course than anything else. However, the cocktail of the day was delicious!
Otherwise, the ambiance was nice, although the tables were strangely close together, to the point where the hostess had to pull the table out for me to get to the booth when sitting down. I don’t think I would want to pay regular Naha prices to feel like I’m sitting closer to a stranger than my dinner companion! The service was decent, but nothing overly amazing either. I would like to come back someday and try some of their other dishes, but I won’t be rushing to do so.

My friend and I were really excited to try out Naha. We looked at the Restaurant Week menu when they were posted them online and I was looking forward to trying the items featured on the menu. Unfortunately when we arrived at Naha the Restaurant Week menu was different than the menu that was originally posted on the Restaurant Week webpage. The waitress explained that Naha had posted originally posted a different menu than the actual menu available in the restaurant so you could «get a feel for the entrée items». I really didn’t appreciate this since the entire point of having menus posted on the Restaurant Week website is to see which entrée items you would want/​if you would want to go to the restaurant based on the entrees available on the prix fixe menu. I’m really disappointed. The menu has since been corrected on the Restaurant Week website.

Taste is so so for a Michelin star restaurant…
For one star Michelin restaurant with similar price, I would prefer to choose Boka, El Ideas and Blackbird.

Oh NO!
When will I start paying attention to my own reviews?
Went back after a few years to give it one more try… still same confused place.
Sat at about 12:08. Server came after 6 or 7 minutes. Lunch was served at about 1:00 PM. We left at 1:28, unsatisfied.
I love quail normally. Here was nothing to write home about… also at $ 28 lunch plate for it, felt undervalued for sure.

Fabulous five star food.
Lame 2 star service. Really lame. Others poured our waters and brought menus. When our waiter first appeared, the only thing he said was «Drinks?» I told him the wine we wanted, he nodded, and walked away. Throughout the evening, absolutely no personality, no attention to detail, nothing that would impress Michelin. Which they apparently somehow did — any guesses on how unknown the Michelin reviewer was? How else could they get a star but paying special attention to the «unknown» Michelin diner?
First time in years I’ve figured a tip in a high-​end restaurant at less then 20%.
Dinner was excellent, but lost in the non-​ambiance. Foie gras, a corn based soup, and quail. All delicious and in generous portions. Delicious complimentary ingredients and great flavors.
On the way out we saw Chef Carrie Nahabedian’s partner/​cousin, wandering around the front room, dressed like a slob that shouldn’t have been allowed in the restaurant, and saying nothing to anyone other than the waiters he was chumming with off to the side. (Now we knew why we couldn’t get any service.) He practically ran us over crossing the room, but the lady at the front desk was the only «thank you» we heard on the way out.