d i n i n g
Nanbu Noodle Bar b y M a r y We l c h
W hen a restaurant doesn’t even have a phone number, it has to be pretty confident that word of mouth will get people through the doors. Turns out, that was right (of course having more than 4,000 people on its mailing list helps). Nanbu Noodle Bar is doing gangbuster business after opening its doors January 2019. Nanbu’s owner Nikhil Abuvala, who also owns Roux 30A down the street on Logan Lane, looked at the dining scene and decided a noodle house was missing. “There were a lot of sandwich places and the same beach food fare,” he says. “But what was missing was clean epic food that you find in the big cities. I wanted to bring the big city to this beach town. I think the town needs this and I wanted to bring a little big city vibe to 30-A.” Since its opening, the reception has been “absolutely incredible,” he says. “There
Assari Vegetable Ramen Bowl
really isn’t an Asian restaurant at Grayton Beach and we’re in the dead center of Grayton in the art district. People want new food concepts… people have been waiting for this and they’re ready for it. We’ve been packed every night and we’re in the middle of the off season.” The cuisine is “Japanese food with a Southern twist,” Abuvala says, and includes such items as ginger salad; tuna poke bowl; Shoyu chicken ramen; Assari veggie ramen; and the Nanbu noodle bowl with Kurobuta BBQ pork shoulder, collards, corn, soy marinated egg and a double broth. Prices range from $4 to $11 for bites and $15 to $18 for poke bowls and ramens. “This is clean vibrant food. Ramen shops have been in Japan since World War II and it’s all over the world,” he says. “This isn’t a fad. It’s like sushi in that you can fill up on it and not feel sick. There’s only a few ingredients and it doesn’t have the richness of cream or butter. You feel good after eating it. Everyone in college remembers the cheap ramen soup that we lived on. Now this is the real thing.” There is a different dumpling every night. The most popular are the pork belly steamed buns and dumplings, especially eggplant. Of course, ramen bowls are a fan favorite. The ingredients are high quality and locally grown, raised or; in the case of seafood; caught. “Our products are organic but not necessarily certified organic,” he says. “I care more about the relationships and where we
Pork Belly Steamed Buns
Daily Selection of Handmade Dumplings
get our ingredients. We have strong relationships with our vendors and we know where all our ingredients come from.” Abuvala opened Roux 30A six years ago and it also offers a different dining experience. The 1,200 square feet of space is perfect for events, as well as dining experiences for 34 guests. Roux 30A offers a Dinner Club series where guests sign up and the chefs prepare tasting dinners with cuisine from 35 countries. “We do these world cuisine tastings and food from Asian countries was the most requested. People want Asian food around here and that’s what got me thinking about a noodle bar.” Although Abuvala keeps a close watch on both restaurants, at Nanbu Noodle, he has turned the culinary reins over to Albina Shaykhislamova. The restaurant seats 45 people and soon will have outdoor seating for another 24. In addition to introducing a new cuisine to Grayton Beach, Nanbu brings a hip city vibe as well. “We get
loud,” he says with a laugh. “We play 90’s hip-hop. Our colors are really cool. The space looks great and there’s a very intense vibe, very upbeat, cool, and happy. It was missing here and now we have an Asian restaurant that is hip and fun and that residents will enjoy, and we’ll reach the tourists who come here but want something like this because they have it in their hometowns.” Abuvala is thrilled that his concept is being well received so quickly. “I’m really excited and we have an incredible team of people and we’re just looking forward to the season.” Nanbu Noodle: 26 Logan Lane, Unit 6 Grafton Beach, FL. 32459. Open Tuesday to Saturday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; for more information go to www. nanbunoodlebar.com.
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