A pair weeks in the past, Taku, the Capitol Hill karaage joint from chef Shota Nakajima, posted a discover that it might be closed quickly. Whereas it nonetheless hasn’t reopened, Nakajima goes to make use of the area to carry again his first restaurant, Naka, in a three-night collaboration with Portland chef Cameron Dunlap that’s absolutely going to be probably the most hyped pop-ups of the season.
Longtime Seattlieites will bear in mind Naka as the town’s first kaiseki restaurant, a proper, multi-course type of Japanese delicacies. That Nakajima would open such an bold place on the age of 25 was proof of his expertise and ambition. He quickly began popping up on TV packages like Iron Chef and was named an Eater Younger Gun in 2018. That yr he additionally turned a James Beard semifinalist for the primary time within the Rising Star Chef of the 12 months class, a distinction he additionally earned in 2019 and 2020.
By then, although, he’d already turned Naka right into a extra informal, extra reasonably priced restaurant referred to as Adana. It then closed in 2020 amid pandemic lockdown restrictions on eating. Since then, Nakajima has targeted on his even extra informal fried rooster idea, Taku, which is a protracted methods from positive eating.
However as this yr marks the 10-year anniversary of Naka, the chef has determined to revive it for a restricted time solely. On February 13, 14, and 15, Nakajima and his good friend Dunlap might be collaborating on pop-up dinners inside Taku.
“It is going to be a positive eating counter service expertise that blends edible artwork with heartfelt hospitality, rooted within the spirit of omotenashi [a Japanese hospitality concept],” says a press launch. “Chef Shota may be very a lot wanting ahead to internet hosting an intimate dinner with locals and cooking for them every night time, having the ability to chat and reconnect with company from the previous 10 years.”
All of the supplies round this stress that seats might be very restricted — there’ll solely be 5 seatings complete throughout these three nights. It is going to even be on the expensive aspect, at $285 per visitor with an elective beverage pairing accessible as an add on.