Evanston’s restaurant scene sometimes seems as fluid as Manhattan’s with its constant flow of what’s hot and what’s not. Billing itself as an urban Thai kitchen, NaKorn on Orrington had the minimalist charm of a serious restaurant and an utterly charming waitstaff. Singing with flavor, the tapioca pearl crackers are enough reason to take it seriously. Accompanied with a relish of minced chicken and shrimp in a tamarind-coconut mixture served at room temperature, the combination of flavors was revelatory and delightful. Don’t expect to see or taste either protein distinctly. Ladled on the pale green bumpy crackers and topped off with cilantro leaves made them as irresistible as frites fried in duck fat.
As a new restaurant, they’re still developing their legs. Considering how quickly this has to be done these days, I wish them luck. It’s absolutely true, you will not find either Pad Thai or Pad see Ew among their offerings. You also won’t find much rice or many noodles at all. It seems the focus is on essential flavors.
Listening to an inner voice that counseled a cocktail, the Sazerac proved to be one of the best mixed drinks of any kind I’ve enjoyed in decades; anywhere. Top flight with its rye whiskey, Turbinado syrup, Angostura bitters and Letherbee Charred Oak Absinthe Brun; it was superb. Unapologetic. Bold with a velvet trim. Sophisticated. Delicious.
One of NaKorn’s signature dishes also sparkled with exceptional execution and flavor. Branzino, often referred as a European sea bass, is a medium sized fish admired for its firm flesh and delicate flavor. At NaKorn, it’s deep fried and served whole along with Belgian endive drizzled in a lime sweet and sour sauce. The endive was as delightful as the fish which was fried perfectly and held its wonderfully mild flavor (a softer version of catfish) with every bite. Something was missing though and that thing was a starch. Here, a small serving of moist wonderfully flavored rice noodles would have proven exceptional and would also have rounded out the presentation as well as the meal.
Sparks ordered the grilled tenderloin as an appetizer and the roasted duck as the entrée. The flavors you would anticipate from a description of tenderloin, young ginger scallion, peanut toasted sticky rice powder and chili lime drizzle did not come through. The grilled tenderloin was shredded on top of the rice; minimizing its profile. Even though Sparks loved it, I found it a miss. The duck also left me scratching my head. Slow cooked in a clear broth with shitake mushrooms, coconut, daikon and cilantro tips radically altered the texture of the duck and eradicated all of its richness. The Asian flavors went even further to transform the flavor of the duck to something more akin to liver. The broth was quite delicious but the duck itself, in this form, is an acquired taste. Starch was missing from this entrée as well and we ordered a side of coconut rice to add substance to the meal.
What NaKorn offers is innovation which is always a beautiful thing and for that reason alone worth following up on to see where it goes.
March 2017
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