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Craving Tiramisu: A Pre-Delivery Treat at NAMO!
My wife was desperately craving a delicious Tiramisu before her delivery date. What better excuse to revisit NAMO?Flashback!
I remember when the lockdown just ended, I got a new job at a restaurant on Hai Ba Trung street. Every time the kitchen crew would take a stroll to a street-side coffee shop to chill, we'd unconsciously pause for a second passing alley 74. "NAMO's closed, what a pity?" was a common sentiment back then. So, I was thrilled to hear that NAMO had reopened. Even more so when we were personally greeted by Chef Ivan Barone last night! While NAMO no longer serves its famous Neapolitan pizza, our dinner was filled with delicious dishes in a beautiful and cozy space (the ceiling deserves a 10/10), a stunning view overlooking Le Loi street (another 10/10!), and amazing music – perfectly reflecting the restaurant's style and the personality of the food (a 10/10 all around!).Generous Portions Galore!
The food at NAMO is characterized by its generous portions. So, while the prices might seem a bit high at first glance, 2 people can easily share 2 appetizers, 2 mains, and 2 desserts and be completely stuffed. As for us, we're the type to have eyes bigger than our stomachs, so we almost had to roll down the stairs when we left 🫣Our Culinary Adventure:
- Foie Gras Lollipops: These "lollipops" of foie gras have a rich, buttery flavor, dipped in a slightly sour beetroot jelly for perfect balance. Highly recommended for those needing a cute food prop for check-in photos.
- Cheese Bomb Focaccia: 2 pieces of focaccia bread loaded with cheese, truffle, anchovies, and Dak Lak honey. This was recommended by the staff, even though it didn't have a * on the menu. Turns out it was my wife's favorite appetizer (she's a 5-cheese pizza fanatic!).
- Cold Angel Hair Pasta: Thin Italian pasta served cold with Hokkaido scallops, sea urchin, caviar, salmon roe, and truffle. The calamansi sauce provides a refreshing acidity, a good palate cleanser after the cheese bomb. Personally, I would have preferred it even colder and tangier.
- Little Gem Caesar Salad: I have to admit, the last time I had Caesar Salad was at Livannah. The portion there was tiny + my bad eyesight let me see the word "Little" on the menu, so I thought it would be just as small. I just ordered it for some greens. Turns out, it was a huge plate. But everything on the plate was perfectly balanced, especially the hikari egg (chicken eggs raised on a special diet for a rich, red, Omega 3-packed yolk), poached and then tempura-fried, with a crispy exterior and a perfectly runny yolk – both beautiful and delicious.
- Miyagi Black Cod: This wasn't really necessary, but I wanted to show off my cod knowledge to my wife, so I ordered it anyway. The staff advised us to eat it after the appetizers and before the main courses. The cod was perfectly cooked, soft and succulent, served with black kale, tapioca crackers, and black garlic gel. The sauce was tomato-based, tasty but a bit anticlimactic with the other ingredients. It just made me crave a bowl of hot white rice 🥲
- Jumbo Tiger Prawn Linguine Pasta & Lobster Tortelli Pasta: These 2 main courses were served at the same time, so I'm grouping them together. My impression can be summed up in 2 words: DELICIOUS and PLENTIFUL. The seafood was incredibly fresh, soft where it needed to be, and crunchy where it should be. The tomato sauce was smooth, umami, and naturally bright, not heavy like in some other restaurants. And praising an Italian chef for cooking pasta al dente seems redundant, right?
The Grand Finale!
And finally, the stars of the meal: Tiramisu & Sicilian Cannoli! Rumor has it that NAMO's Tiramisu is second only to Park Hyatt. I'm not a huge fan of this dessert so I won't comment much, but the first thing my wife said when she woke up this morning was, "I could still eat the (NAMO) tiramisu right now," which says it all. As for the Cannoli, I really don't understand why it doesn't have a * (Chef's Recommendation) next to it? When I lived in Melbourne, I was obsessed with the cannoli from T. Cavallaro & Sons (Footscray), I had to visit every week. And last night, I think I rediscovered that happy flavor. Especially when ordered with a shot of espresso.Rating Time!
- Location: 1st Floor, 34 Le Loi, D1. Below (and same owner) is L'Usine. The space is very beautiful, with a great view, a cozy atmosphere, and perfect colors and lighting. 10/10
- Food: 9/10. If the cold Angel Hair pasta was colder and tangier, and the cod more surprising, I would have given it a 10.
- Price: I think around 1.2 million VND per person (excluding drinks) is a good estimate. The portions are large, so I recommend sharing. Considering the location, the quality, and the portion size of the tiramisu for only 170K++, I think the price is worth a 10/10.
