| rev:text
| - Dim sum on a weekday for lunch? Can you dig it, Madison? I knew that you could! Made our first visit here for a lunch on the West side. So glad we decided to try something new. I had not been a fan of dim sum here in Madison up until today. The quality always seemed lacking and timing was never quite right as they always only seemed to serve on the weekends. I gave up trying a number of years ago and have long wondered if things may have changed since. At least they certainly did with the addition of Nani.
I knew Nani opened a few months back but was reluctant to try them given our prior middling dim sum experiences here in town. In addition, they took over a space which previously housed a number of Chinese buffets, the last few of which were pretty bad and garishly decorated (lots of brass and mirrors). Ugh. Admittedly, I let our poor experiences from the past color our reluctance to visit Nani up until now. My bad.
Needing something different to try, we stopped in and were very pleasantly surprised. Their revamped space is beautiful and modernish. Darker woods, sleek lines and subtle lighting really add to the ambience. Mind you, this is not your grandparents' chop suey house. Accented by their white linens, it is a largish, handsome, understated and elegant space. Refined, subtle, warm and inviting but not cheesy. I believe they even have a bar and an area where diners can eat and watch the chefs work. The space is very well laid out and, I would think, would easily accommodate our more mobility challenged dining friends using a cane, walker or wheelchair. They have a large parking lot with ample parking, too!
We were warmly and promptly greeted and offered drinks. Bubble teas were a must. Cold and with ample tapioca beads, they were a great start to lunch.
For those unfamiliar with dim sum dining, it is essentially the Chinese version of Spanish tapas dining--smaller plates and bites of unique savory, spicy, salty and/or sweet dishes, well-suited to solo or group dining. Modestly priced, you can try a number of things without breaking the bank! Also, I think dim sum can reflect the diversity and history of Chinese cooking in dishes which can be simple yet very sophisticated; bold yet sublime; and new, yet familiar. Nani did not disappoint and reminds me of the dim sum I had growing up in Chinatown in Honolulu made by Chinese cooks shouting in Chinese served by Chinese ladies pushing carts stacked with bamboo steamers around ginormous round tables filled with hungry locals fighting to get their faves. Authentic? Can't vouch. But Nani's are not the tastes of Americanized shopping mall food court Chinese food.
They must have at least 30 to 40 different dim sum available. They also have a large entrée menu. I did not see a specific lunch menu. So entrées seemed on the expensive side for lunch. Dim sum prices ranged between approximately $4-6 dollars each, with a few a little more. The dim sum menu is well done with pictures and English descriptions! They have items which range from the classic standards (pork and shrimp dumplings and egg rolls) to that which are more challenging for the American palate (braised chicken feet). But no one should be put off. There are plenty of choices for every taste and budget.
For us, pork and shrimp dumplings, vegetable crepes, soup dumplings, pork and vegetable buns, sticky rice wrapped in taro leaves, spare ribs with black beans, and egg custard tarts were all on our lunch menu. They were all excellent, particularly the pork and vegetable bun dough and egg custard tart pastry which were as light and delicate as any I have ever had. Wowza!
Important notes - - 1) they also roast their own whole duck in the restaurant. Definitely a delicious must try; and 2) despite having other kitchen talent available, another diner shared that the owner actually cared enough about the cuisine to delay the restaurant's opening by two months until he could secure and persuade the particular chefs he wanted from San Francisco to come to Nani in Madison.
Service was excellent. Everyone was helpful and patient as we hemmed and hawed over the menu and asked questions. Our water glasses were always filled and empty plates promptly cleared.
Portions are ample. We were absolutely stuffed with plenty of leftovers. With two bubble teas and before gratuity, our total was about $44. We overdid it, so people with better judgment and control will likely spend less but be just as satiated.
I think Nani does dim sum and restaurant service right. They are a wonderful addition to our Madison restaurant community. That Nani is managed by a young Millenial with traditional tastes yet forward minded restaurant and thoughtful customer service skills will not surprise you.
Free your mind (and your belt buckle) and your @&& will follow. I did and was pleasantly surprised. I hope you will be too. See you there!
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)