Meg McClenahan 
Montclair has long been considered a “commuter town” because of its proximity to New York City. Now, we have NYC restaurants taking the train in and staying in Montclair. Nami Nori, located at 378 Bloomfield Avenue, is a temaki bar that expanded from NYC to Montclair in 2022. The Montclair Girl recently visited this hot spot. Keep reading to learn more about our Nami Nori dining experience in Montclair, New Jersey.
About Nami Nori
Chefs Taka Sakaeda, Jihan Lee, and Lisa Limb opened Nami Nori in 2019 in the West Village, in New York City. All three chefs met at Masa, a two-Michelin-star restaurant in New York City.
Nami Nori specializes in open-style temaki hand rolls, which are in a cone style and focus on high-quality ingredients. Nami Nori practices Jime, a Japanese technique that prioritizes quality ingredients by enhancing taste, texture, and sustainability.
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Each roll averages from $6 to $10, with exceptions like the $38 caviar roll. Patrons are encouraged to choose five rolls and can expect favorites like salmon and tuna. There are also appetizers, sides, and desserts to choose from (we loved the mochi churros).
Temaki typically consists of a layer of rice, topped with a combination of veggies and seafood, on a sheet of nori, which is rolled into a cone shape. The cone shape makes it easy to pick up and eat, hence the name “hand roll”. Nami Nori’s chefs took this concept and transformed the Temaki into an open-faced “taco”.
Nami Nori’s presentation of the temaki makes for a fun dining experience. Each Temaki roll is served on a wooden platform resembling a popsicle stick. The rice is topped with the respective toppings, like salmon or tuna. To eat the dish, customers take a warm sheet of nori and place the rice and toppings in the nori, creating a “U” shape. The Temaki stand is designed specifically to hold each Temaki and support its shape.
The Menu
MG tried the Seremoni Miso Black Cod Temaki, which was soft on the palate and well-balanced with stronger ingredients like lemon. The fish itself was perfectly done and moist. The quality of the fish was able to shine with the umami miso and light zest of the lemon. The cod came from the Michelin-grade fish company Sermoni, which ethically harvests its wild-caught fish.
Another stand-out dish was the scallops, which were a wonderful combination of the soft scallop and the crunchy roe and chili oil. The balancing of the different textures was exciting and pleasant to experience.
Our takeaway was that Nami Nori serves fresh, creative dishes that highlight the quality of the fish through intentional pairings. The tactile experience of the dinner engaged multiple of our senses, which created a unique and fun dinner service.
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