NARO

“Winter Restaurant Week Review 6/6- I was at this Korean spot a few days ago with one of my many groups for their restaurant week. The menu tends to be a bit expensive, so it being $60 for three courses at dinner makes sense. There is also a lunch option with two or three courses, though more of the options are supplements. The service was friendly and a bit more professional than at a typical restaurant, folding napkins and performing other tasks more akin to Michelin-starred restaurants, such as presenting all the dishes at once and otherwise. To drink, I thought of getting a cocktail but went with a glass of Hwaju 12 from Hana Makgeolli, a Brooklyn-based makgeolli company. The glass was $18 for 5oz and is listed as a 4-stage fermentation over 4 weeks, which is infused with hydrangea and chrysanthemum flowers. Along with the typical sour and sweet flavors of this traditional Korean beverage, there was an interesting and tasty floral component. My appetizer, along with the others, was the Naro Soy-Marinated Salmon with kohlrabi noodles and cured salmon roe, with the server recommending we mix the "noodles" on the bottom with the remaining ingredients. This is normally $25 alone, and I could see why, as there were many thick, high-quality pieces of raw salmon and plenty of ikura on top. This was perhaps a bit salty, but otherwise very tasty, and especially when mixed with the bit of crunch from the kohlrabi. My main dish was the Beef Tenderloin, served with black garlic and cauliflower. While not the biggest portion, the beef was extremely tender. There was a mix of two sauces on the plate, with the black garlic one presumably a bit sweet, while the other was on the more savory, slightly salty end, and they tasted better mixed together, just like with the appetizer. Along with the beef, I saved most of the sauce for the side dish everyone gets with their main: Mushroom Rice with handmade truffle oil. The rice was earthy from the many large pieces of roasted mushrooms on top, which had a nice chew, and there was something else for crunch. It was also thankfully not too perfumy from the truffle oil. Another person had the Black Cod with doenjang sauce and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. She liked it a lot, particularly liking the sauce. One other person paid an extra $9 for the Grilled Lobster served with mussels and sweet potato curry. While not containing the most lobster, they loved the curry in particular. I tried a bit of it, and it had a bit of spice, a lot of umami, and was quite delicious. For dessert, I went with the Jasmine with yuja mousse, lemon confit, and jasmine ice cream. The dish was presented nicely with several pieces of meringue on top. The dish, as expected from the ingredients and name, was primarily floral and sour, being very much an Asian dessert due to its light sweetness. It was good, but my least favorite of what we ordered. Another person enjoyed the Red Bean and Butter with milk bread, candied walnuts, and buttermilk ice cream, which was presented similar to a slice of layer cake, and the remaining option was their take on Bokbunja, or black raspberry. This was an excellent meal for Restaurant Week. Would recommend.”

“It was definitely special to end the year at Naro! The cocktails to start were innovative and delicious while the food overall did not disappoint! For apps, the softshell crab was tasty, crunchy and soft on the inside while for mains we got the lobster and beef bowl which was definitely delicious and for dessert the chocolate cake was the perfect way to end the meal. Super bonus points for being seated facing the rink which made the experience more magical and romantic.”

“We had a truly memorable Christmas Eve experience at Naro. Earlier in the evening, we received a last-minute call letting us know a table had opened up due to a cancellation, which already felt like a lucky start to the night. When we arrived, the restaurant was incredibly busy, so we were given an estimated wait. We happily used the time to walk around, take family photos, and enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Despite the unusually large crowd that evening, the staff remained calm, kind, and communicative, explaining that Christmas Eve brought nearly triple their usual number of guests. What really stood out was how thoughtfully the team took care of us throughout the night. They surprised us with complimentary sparkling wine, an extra dessert, and even adjusted the timing of courses to make the wait more comfortable. They also graciously waived the charges for our drinks and gave us access to the building’s Christmas tree area, which made the evening extra special for our family. Even with the holiday rush, the food was outstanding. My son said it was the best meal he has ever had — which says everything. In the end, we left feeling genuinely happy, well cared for, and full of appreciation for the hospitality and generosity we experienced. Thank you to the entire Naro team for turning a busy holiday night into such a warm and joyful memory. We can’t wait to come back.”

“While the atmosphere is not appealing the food and service more than make up for that shortfall. If it weren’t for the restaurant location and atmosphere, my rating would have been a 5. There were four of us and we ordered approximately 10 dishes. They are not large an are shareable. They have hot and cold dishes. Feel free to mix them up. The servers were prompt and ready to answer any questions. The drinks were great. We order two alcoholic and two nonalcoholic…both had great flavors.”

“It's an interesting place, situated in a mall that sort of ruins the mood, especially with the skate rink's personalities next door. In addition, the food is hit-or-miss. For example, the octopus was a big hit and so was the fried chicken. But the saucing was off on the fish dishes and the beef was mediocre. I cannot ascribe the rating to execution since if you can cook octopus you can execute. But I can say that it may not be a coincide that comparing the Atoboy portion of the menu to the Naro portion of the menu, I wanted Atoboy for the most part. In the details, the octopus had the tender inside and snappy outside. The fried chicken was so moist with a light crisp shell. I can't find a picture but the squash gangjung was a fun combination of tastes.”