The owners of Nomiya in Garden City wanted to bring the authentic flavors of Japan to Long Island but add a little extra that no one else was offering.
Sure, there are plenty of choices for Japanese fare on Long Island already – every corner has its own sushi bar by now and more are popping up almost daily – but Nomiya (translated to “saloon” from Japanese) has separated itself from the crowd, bringing a flair and elegance plus flavor that has rarely been seen yet on Long Island.
“We travel to Asia a lot and we know what we like; we taste it,” said co-owner Ajay Chawla in an interview with LongIslandRestaurants.com. “We decided we wanted to bring it here.”
When the Nomiya team developed the menu they didn’t just pull out all the stops, they went beyond what is expected in Asian dining; adding a certain je ne sais quoi that you’re not going to get elsewhere. They bring their own variation on standard Japanese cuisine to the table.
“It’s a lot of stuff you’d expect,” said Chawla. “But with a twist.”
Like their signature Pacific roll – lump crab meat, avocado and cucumber with highest grade wagyu (A5). Or their popular and exciting Nomiya signature roll made up of spicy tuna, asparagus, shrimp tempura all topped with lobster salad in something they call dragon’s breath. Alone, that sounds like an outstanding roll but then there’s the Nomiya take on the norm that makes it not only tasty but entertaining. What exactly is dragon’s breath?
“We wrap the roll in foil and inside the foil is a special sauce on the bottom,” said Chawla. “Then we light it on fire; it starts to caramelize and the smoke that comes out is called dragon’s breath.”
See below for a video preview of the Nomiya signature roll unveiled at the table releasing the dragon’s breath!
The menu is not limited to rolls – although that might be enough. On the appetizer menu Chawla says their crispy rice is a big hit. So are the Korean short ribs.
“And people love our avocado bomb,” he added.
The avocado bomb is a cold small plate made up of a half avocado with spicy tuna, bomb sauce and Ube chips – a purple yam chip.
They have seating for over 100 people in the dining room, a full bar and a lounge area. You can saddle up to the sushi bar where the chefs will create your rolls right in front of you or take a seat in the dining room that promises a cozy city vibe right in Roosevelt Field Mall.
Their artisan crafted cocktails include some that are already immensely popular with the crowd like the lychee martini with Japanese shōchū alcohol, muddled lychee – an Asian fruit known for its sweet and flowery flavor – and lychee juice; or their peach sunrise with shōchū and peach puree with sparkling white wine.
There is also a special happy hour food menu available Monday through Friday from 4-7pm for $8 each. Perfect for after work meetups.
Nomiya has been open for about a year now and customers have said in online reviews that once you try it, you’re hooked.
“People tend to come back over and over,” said Chawla.
Chawla is no stranger to introducing trends. He, along with his restaurant partners Lawrence Wai and Moul Kim also opened Keki Modern Cakes, a bakery that introduced the silky melt in your mouth bouncy cheesecake from Osaka Japan to the states, a trend that spread like wildfire.
At Nomiya, what Chawla described as a “muted Asian vibe and aesthetic” with a twist on modern themes makes the experience well-rounded and immersive but the bottom line is that it’s the menu that keeps them coming back.
“Our food is off the hook,” Chawla said.
Location: 630 Old Country Road, Garden City, (516) 916-2923. Nomiya is open Noon until 10pm daily.
