3 First Impressions of the Bar at Naka

New kaiseki-style restaurant (kaiseki is a seasonally-driven, multi-course Japanese dinner) Naka has a bar that’s separated from the restaurant by an art piece/iron rods. It also has its own food menu. We recently stopped by and sat at the bar, and here are three impressions.

The Drinks: Bar manager Nik Virrey (recently named Seattle’s Most Imaginative Bartender by Bombay Sapphire) has assembled an impressive array of spirits and liqueurs, and puts them to amazing and creative use within a compact cocktail menu, which just made a seasonal shift, and through making drinks on request. When there, we had the otherworldly Gospel, which is served on a wooden plank alongside a smoking (they’ll light it right before serving) bowl of bamboo charcoal, and features a smooth, smokey, spicy mingling of Vita Mezcal, Ancho Reyes ancho chili liqueur, Scrappy’s Firewater tincture, ginger syrup, egg white and lemon. The GiNakaTonic #2 was another hit, rich in flavor and memorable, with locals Copperworks Gin and Bradley’s Kina Tonic, plus a touch of allspice liqueur, apple cider vinegar and lime. You’ll also find a fine selection of Sake and Shochu.

The Food: While using some of the same ingredients–and definitely the same care–as the restaurant side, the bar options are a little more manageable, and can be had singular, making it possible to enjoy them either as snacks or a meal. There are four sections, including noodles and rice, raw, sharing, and favorites. If you’re not opposed to fungi, the wild mushroom tempura is not to be missed, with a wide assortment of delectable and exotic ‘shrooms, lightly battered, and accompanied by a Kombu salt that takes 10 hours to make, and which you’ll want to steal. On the larger side, the chicken mabushi bowl is already a hit, with its sharp-soy sautéed chicken atop of rice and hiding under an egg blanket.

The Atmosphere: You’ll find about 12 stools at the modern zinc-topped bar (a holdover from the days when Le Zinc was in the space), a few four-top tables, and a trio of comfy chairs. But take my advice and sit at the bar if at all possible. That way, you’ll get a close up view of Virrey and his friendly staff at work, and have an easier time chatting. Because from the moment you enter, he’ll probably start talking with you, and his exuberant good nature is impossible to resist. The bar at Naka delivers what any bar should: fun, comfort, delicious drinks and excellent service.