Solid Choice
An unexpected gem, Nai serves up novel tapas with a show – literally, they have flamenco dancers. Go try the fideua, a paella-like masterpiece, when you find yourself in the neighborhood.
Nai is a Galacian tapas restaurant in the East Village you would probably overlook on the street. It’s a well rated spot, but with so many great restaurants neighboring it, the small store front might not grab you. Good for us, since this hidden gem is easy to walk into.
Inside Nai is a bit like a cross between a wine cellar and someone’s bougie kitchen. It felt like arriving early to a friend’s house party that hasn’t really kicked off yet. Turns out the party was a fado band which started playing around 10 on the lower level. They apparently have flamenco dancing sometimes as well. Dinner and a show!
Nai backs up the good vibes with some good food. My favorites were the roasted carrots, which were deeply caramelized and well spiced, and the fideua, a sort of paella-like dish that’s made with vermicelli instead of rice. This was maybe the best paella/fideua I’ve eaten. It had a great balance of salty and sweet from the shrimps and sausage, the rice noodles were crispy on the edges to add a good crunch, plus the mussels were brined in vinegar, adding a bright kick every few bites. I could have probably eaten the whole thing myself. It was rather addicting.
I was more mixed on the non-gazpacho tomato dish and the scallops, which were well executed but not as tasty. I love love love real gazpacho so tomatoless gelatin cubes were really not what I needed, but hey, they tried something new and I don’t hate that.
As always, I love a walk-in. Nai gains some real points in my book for not being too busy (but not not busy. It’s a fine line). I’ll definitely be back when the opportunity calls to check out some flamenco dancing next time.
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