Trattoria Nakamura-Ya
Iced Tea / Fever Tree Tonic Ginger Ale
Bread and Butter
Spaghetti Miso Carbonara
Fried Jidori Chicken
Bruschetta Nakamura-Ya Style – Tuna Spread, Anchovy Mozzarella, Octopus-Mayo-Wasabi-Avocado
Italian Spring Roll
Kurobuta Tonkatsu Nakamura-Ya Style
Black Sesame Blanc Manger
Green Tea Panna Cotta with Cream & Red Bean Sauce
Bearing in mind that my mother is not the most adventurous of eaters it was with some hesitation that I suggested Trattoria Nakamura-Ya for Saturday dinner but taking into account the strong reviews, affordable price point, convenient location, and willingness to show SEC and BIG-10 Championship games it seemed a safe bet…if only the service would have been remotely competent and I’d avoided the bilious piece of octopus bruschetta. Truly a small space, the max seating capacity only 32 and just one other diner present when we arrived, it seems perplexing to me that so much of our meal could have gone wrong and even taking into account the language barrier when considering a forgotten order of the Uni Tomato Cream there is still no excuse for plates sitting at the pass long enough to grow tepid or for the soggy, flavorless “spring rolls” and oily though admittedly flavorful chicken. Speaking to the quality of the mains and giving credit where it is due I will note that aside from the tomatoes accompanying the pork being only room temperature both the Tonkatsu and the Carbonara were innovative and well prepared while the desserts, complimentary on account of the forgotten pasta, were both comfortable if not particularly exciting…not exactly a ringing endorsement and certainly not enough to bring me back with so many better options for both food and service steps away.
