Check out this awesome Asian fusion restaurant! Upon walking in, I was pleasantly surprised by the decor & ambience. I brought my 90-year-old mom as we were visiting the Monterey area. I'm vegetarian & my mom is not. Nami definitely catered to both of us. My first indicator to return to the restaurants is customer service. Whoa! The entire staff were friendly & accommodating. Ohh, btw, the lava cake was scrumptious! Highly recommend this place! read more

I attended a small event at the restaurant shortly after it opened. I remember Cibos... a dark & cozy Italian restaurant with lots of tiny nooks and crannies for intimate dining (and carpet). Nami owners gave the restaurant a new look to match the Japanese-Italian fusion theme. It works perfectly. Owners have some other restaurants in the area, but this one has its own vibe with a top 10 location in downtown Monterey, near the Wharf area... and just steps away from the conference center. There's tons of parking in the local garages. Forget street parking as it's limited AND it will limit your experience at Nami since you'll watch your watch instead of enjoying your meal. Waitstaff is skilled and plucked from other local restaurants. F&B is a tough business, but when your team is experienced your odds at success improve greatly. Bathrooms are good sized and clean - no changes here, but why change perfection. Bar has a separate entrance & a stage where live music is performed. Depending on where you sit in the restaurant, you can hear the music - especially with the more open-concept design. Cocktails are yummy, but there's plenty of non-alcoholic options, too. Al fresco dining available, too - great for people-watching. The menu is nice & priced to compete with the other restaurants. I have a soy allergy and would never go to this type of restaurant if it wasn't for a pre-fixe menu. The limited menu options meant the the chef could customize my meal. THANK YOU Overall.. 10 stars. Sorry, Yelp, 5 is just not enough. read more

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3.5 stars $18 Tonkotsu: if they replaced the sad strips of pork with actual charsiu, added some nori, bamboo shoots, a few other garnishes, a proper tare and aroma oil, this would be a pretty darn good miso based tonkotsu ramen. I quite enjoyed the tiramisu though. read more

Nami Restaurant - Tonkotsu Ramen - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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I was thrilled to be invited to a fairly new location with a very seasoned team at Nami restaurant in downtown Monterey. This was a lovely culinary experience with a delectable menu, great vibes, soulful music and great company. The service was impeccable. The servers were on point friendly and eager to help it definitely was noticeable How happy and excited the team was to have the event. It was very much appreciated as far as their enthusiasm and eagerness to help. The restaurant is the old Cibos -a long-standing Italian restaurant with a beautiful backstory, and the new ownership did not let the memory die. They are honoring the beautiful woman who started the restaurant still to this day, admirable to say the least. And I would not want to forget to say congratulations on a third location . That's passion -as the owner stated the Restaurant business is pretty hard - from what I can see their love and ambition is leading the way to perfection here... you think Italian Japanese what the heck is going on but folks it works! They have renovated the restaurant so it is so much brighter. It is such a open space the evening light set the mood for a wonderful evening with a very talented singer playing live music as we heard the stories of how the old Italian woman kept this location feeding her community for years,And the new ownership is keeping the location, hustling and bustling. I was very excited that this yelp event was set up how it was. It was definitely experience . The yelp swag was definitely a nice touch. I used my bag the following day for work for lunch. Our gracious host and area leader Alex Really outdid herself. I really enjoyed the evening. My niece was so excited to experience this with me(awesome Nina points) The food was phenomenal. The starters were three appetizers: an Asian salad that was just perfect not too sweet and the presentation was very appealing. There was tuna sashimi, and it was my absolute favorite thing of the night. The sauce was tantalizing. The tuna was extremely fresh and just melted it in your mouth. Pro tip :save some of your wonton strips from your salad and put it on the tuna omggggg ! And don't even get me started with the spicy gyoza soup... the spiciness was perfection. It was not too spicy. It was the absolute right amount- a bigger bowl of the soup and an order of the tuna would've been a complete meal for me and I would've been so very happy. Everything else was just cherries on top. Our selection that we decided on for the main course was the tiki masala Seabass The balsamic glaze on the side of the plate is so important, it elevated the dish in an unexpected delightful way Overall, the event was wonderful. The location is beautiful. The service was impeccable. Again I am so thankful that I was able to attend this event. I will definitely be back with my husband and probably my mom and definitely my niece (Again) P.S get the tuna and thank me later! (it's really that good) read more

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This was quite a treat! Amazing food and cocktails! Nami Restaurant has only been open for a few months, and I expect it to be the go-to restaurant in downtown Monterey if you're looking to impress a date and enjoy a romantic evening out! The very unique Asian fusion menu, which at first doesn't sound or look appetizing, becomes amazing and flavorful with that first bite! You must start off with a drink, and the Lavender Moon Drop is a great start. For appetizers, the two must-tries are the Spicy Gyoza Soup if you like a little kick of spice (this has you covered) and/or the Aji Tuna Sashimi, which is amazing and melts in your mouth. As an entree, the one dish that at first read didn't catch my eye as tempting but was amazing and great tasting was the Butternut Squash Ravioli. You will not be disappointed! The walnut-crusted chicken with the nutmeg cream sauce makes this dish a must-try! Amazing atmosphere, Love the diverse menu and great service. I will definitely be back again. read more

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We came here for a work dinner and let me just say our service was amazing! The staff took care of us and even let us stay after closing while we were talking. I ordered some different appetizers for our group: the cheese bread, crab cakes + shrimp eggrolls. I didn't get to try the cheese bread but the shrimp egg rolls were really good, the crab cakes didn't have much crab in them to be honest. Our group ordered a bunch of different entrees, I got the tikka masala seabags which was honestly ok. The seabass was good and flaky but the sauce, bokchoy and rice didn't go together (IMO). Overall, I wasn't super impressed with the food but again our service was really good so just for that, I would go back and probably try a pasta or something. Also, i will say our espresso martini were pretty good! Not super sweet and really smooth and creamy. read more

Nami Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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The staff at Nami was great & friendly. They are also extremely dog friendly & have a dog friendly menu which is served in a bowl. The restaurant itself is nice. Drinks are good and reasonably priced. The fusion parts of their food didn't mesh well. The butternut squash ravioli with the components of the dish felt like they said, hey let's make it Asian with some soy sauce seasoning, bok choy, and carrots. Did not enjoy it and would recommend. The steak was great and cooked as we ordered. The mashed potatoes were pretty to look at and tasted like mashed potatoes. We would recommend this. Everything is reasonably priced as well considering the area. I would come back only for the friendly everything (staff, for dogs, for kids) & drinks. read more

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We ordered the calamari and fish tacos the first night we were here and it was so good! the only place that we tried this weekend that wasn't disappointing tbh. They were also very accommodating as we had a cat,dog, and wheelchair with us :) We are leaving tomorrow so we are gonna go back one last time read more

Nami Restaurant - Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Aloha This restaurant is a great location, in the Heart of Monterey! Great atmosphere for breakfast! Juan are server was on point! Really good breakfast menu, had something for every pallet at the table! read more

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This was the best food I've had all year. The ribeye was cooked to perfection, with a delicious char and served with garlic butter. Our Scallops were so tender you can cut it with a spoon. Every drink we had was crafted so deliciously. The restaurant had live music that turned our meal into an experience. Stop by and you will not be disappointed. Extra thanks to Pedro for the amazing service. read more

We've been meaning to try this restaurant since they opened and today was that lucky day. From the service to the quality of food, this place hit all the right notes. We tried the sashimi, sea bass coconut shrimp and scallops. Everything was flavorful and delicious. The ambiance was romantic and fun, and we're looking forward to our next visit. read more

What a spectacular evening filled with fun, friends and flavors as we gathered at Nami for a culinary presentation of "Japanese Fusion with a Taste of our Italian Past" a Yelp Elite Event in Monterey. This fairly new restaurant to downtown Monterey, Nami was created by passion for flavors by owner Dudley, his co owner and amazing chefs and staff. Not only is Nami featuring a menu with such items shown in the photos but also featuring sushi dishes, fresh seafood dishes, steaks, pizza and recipes for pasta as a tribute to the previous restaurant owner Rosa and her specialty Sicilian dishes. Not just a passion for flavors Dudley took it further showing recognition to the previous dishes cooked in the same kitchen respecting the spirit of Cibo Italiano and Rosa. Honor, Respect and Passion for flavors is what I saw last night and tasted in the amazing dishes prepared by the staff. Hats off to our charming, gracious and hard working Ambassador Alex for bringing this event together and introducing Dudley and staff who created this tasting testimony to flavors. Let's begin; with a great cocktail to prepare our palette was a Lavender infused Vodka Lemon juice Moon Drop. So tasty and refreshing. Several starters to choose from keeping the light but refreshing groove was the Asian salad with crispy fresh vegetables, crunchy noodles, citrusy mandarin oranges in a light sweet ginger dressing. C'mon! Next changing our tasting adventure was a Spicy Gyoza Soup with some kick! It is spicy but full of bold flavors. Fresh corn and green onions accompany the beef broth with other fresh vegetables. Outstanding! Cooling down our palette next was Ahi Tuna Sashimi over ginger wasabi dressing with cucumber and green onion ribbons. Side of thinly sliced ginger and a bissle of wasabi. This is how we start our meal and my palette, mouth and mind are very happy right now. I can taste the passion and vision in the prep by the chefs. We each ordered one of the Entrees so we could both taste the dishes featured. The Butternut Squash ravioli in a nutmeg cream sauce highlighting sweet corn, bok choy, pine nuts and parsley with walnut crusted chicken was an inspiration by Rosa and served regularly at Cibo. This dish was so good and done so well I can't begin to explain the flavor explosion, you have to taste it yourself. Lastly was the Tika Masala Sea Bass with a wonderful Tika masala sauce in which I was told took a long time to get the perfect flavor inspired by Dudley's passion for flavors. Served with jasmine rice and an artistic blend of Olive oil, basalmic vinegar and fresh parsley. The evening brought a parade of flavors combined with fusion, prepared with love and inspired by passion of old and new. The decor of the dining room was both new tech with humble charm and colorful artistic pieces to add splashes of color. Staff is very friendly and helpful with anything you need to complete your dining experience. Open for breakfast, brunch, lunch as well as dinner. All I can say is when you are in Monterey you have to visit Nami and experience the charm of this restaurant, with so much to choose from I don't think you will be disappointed. Bon appetitto! read more

Thank you to Juan the bar tender for making great cocktails! We stoped in at a weird time for some drinks and had great service. read more

Nami Restaurant - Great drink - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

The Shrimp Scampi at NAMI was absolutely worth it. The shrimp were large, plentiful, and incredibly fresh. The sauce was rich and flavorful with a nice kick of spice that wasn't overpowering, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. The portion size and quality fully matched the price point. Service made the experience even better. Milan was fantastic -- personable from the moment I walked in, asked about my weekend, shared some history of the restaurant, and checked in consistently throughout my meal. He was truly a delight from start to finish. Overall, a great experience -- highly recommend if you're in Monterey. read more

Nami Restaurant - Shrimp Scampi - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Cannot say enough about Pedro our waiter. Truly warm and welcoming. Always goes above what I expect for service. Knows how to take care of people. Food here is excellent. Wish more people would go! You will not regret the time you spend here. You will want to go back not only for the food but for the family feel you get from the staff team. You can actually watch the restaurant working together. It's pretty cool. read more

Found a metal twist tie in my salad. Order the tonKatsu Ramen with extra meat and it was very sparse meat and it was more like shredded pork than TonKatsu. Don't recommend this place unless you're ok with mediocre food. read more

It was so bad. I ordered the filet and it took forever to arrive. Given that I was the only person in the entire restaurant, the wait time was surprising. The Diet Coke I ordered was flat and tasted stale. When the filet arrived, the side of mushrooms was grey and soggy, the "demi glace" was congealed and sour, and the filet itself tasted old or expired. It looked like it was microwaved or heated up after being cooked at an earlier time? I don't know...I took one bite and had to send it back because I didn't want food poisoning. I hate to write reviews like this, but hopefully the restaurant does some soul-searching with this kind of feedback. The server was nice, I felt bad for him. read more

Food was amazing and the ambience was perfect. Our waiter, Pedro was very on top of things, gave us space but checked in often, gave us time to talk and we didn't feel rushed at all. The drinks are different but really good, I'm not a big drinker but I liked every drink I had on their cocktail menu. Overall, it's a really good place for dinner and lunch too. We have been a handful of times overall and it's worth the visit every time. Definitely give it a try, you won't be disappointed. read more

Nami Restaurant - Sakura Sparkler - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Another excellent meal at Nami. My wife and I both had the butternut squash ravioli with chicken and loved it! The sauce has a blend of mixed pepper, nutmeg, and a hint of sweetness. Our server Pedro was friendly and knowledgeable. A lovely evening! read more

Nami Restaurant - Butternut squash ravioli with chicken - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

My husband and I made a reservation at Nami on a Friday night, and we haven't stopped raving about it since. We're so excited to finally have a fusion restaurant like this in Monterey, it's been long overdue! If you're dining with someone indecisive, this is the perfect spot since the menu has something for everyone, including some great vegetarian options. From the moment we stepped inside, we loved the ambiance and decor it immediately set the vibe for our date night & from the moment we arrived, we were greeted right away and felt welcomed and comfortable throughout our entire visit. We started with the calamari, crab cakes, and vegetable tempura, and all were excellent choices. The calamari was uniquely paired with fried bell peppers, fennel, and lemon pieces, which worked surprisingly well together. The aioli on the side had a nice kick that elevated the dish. The crab cakes tasted incredibly fresh from the bay and were complemented beautifully by the lemon sauce and caramelized onions. The vegetable tempura was another highlight, with a great variety of veggies, each lightly battered and perfectly crispy without feeling too heavy. For our entrees, I ordered the miso egg drop tofu soup with a California roll and hubby had the ribeye. The miso soup was easily one of the best I've tried and the California roll was satisfying and filling. The ribeye was cooked to a perfect medium rare; tender, flavorful, and paired wonderfully with the chimichurri and peppercorn sauces. What really stood out to us beyond the food was how attentive and accommodating the staff were. Overall, this was truly a 1000/10 experience. If you're on the fence, just give it a try.. you don't want to miss out on a place like Nami! read more

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I stumbled upon this new restaurant in Monterey the other day and I was pleasantly surprised. This place is beautiful, perfect for a date night or meeting up with friends and family. They have a great bar, and a great location right next to the Portola Hotel. I was not crazy hungry so I had some apps. The shrimp egg roll was amazing! A must try. The calamari was crispy and tender. I've been a waiter for a long time and I want to shout out Pedro for his amazing service. He is kind, efficient, and knows exactly when to show up. All in all I had a great time and will definitely be back! Thanks Nami for showing me a great time ! read more

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Such a gem! Food was amazing! Service was great! And the staff were so attentive and nice. Good music and overall a really great place. My family genuinely enjoyed this restaurant from the Sea bass to oysters and sushi! Milan the waiter was awesome! read more

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I came here on a Saturday to have some pregame drinks and apps with my girl. We had the Cinnamon Sunset Cocktail, Sakura Sparkler, Espresso martini and a local draft IPA. For the apps we tried their calamari and crab cakes and we shared a medium-well ribeye entree. Everything was spot on. They had live music tonight we enjoyed. The Bartender definitely knows what she is doing-they don't skimp out on the drinks! Our server told us that the owners also operate Pangaea Grill and Sur at the Barnyard in Carmel so it is no surprise everything was this amazing. Very great and attentive service, everyone was so friendly. read more

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I went there for some dessert and cocktails for a girls night and was blown away. The place was beautiful, the service was remarkable, the cocktails were out of this world (we each ordered a diff one and tried them all!), and the desserts were perfection. Cannot wait to go back and try their dinner. read more

Nami Restaurant - Dessert & Drinks - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Came to Namis for Valentine's Day on a last minute trip and really loved the ambience. The rigatoni is delicious!! The staff is amazing and super nice. read more

Nami Restaurant - Ambience - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

It was suppose to be this new restaurant everyone's excited to try out for the first time. Had high hopes it was going to be delicious. We ordered t h e woo hoo sashimi it should of been called boo woo because it took way to long to come out and the presentation was lacking it was dull in color and taste it felt gritty and that didn't even offer so sauce. Now we're going on to 45 minutes no entree I had to ask another waiter how long does it take to come out I had the prawn scampi the dish was okay but small portions I finished my dish before my boyfriend and that has never happened ever before. I couldn't believe it. But our waiter took one dinner off and that made us happy but we will not be coming back here. I would go somewhere else bussboys chewing gum the food is lacking in many ways. Taste, presentation, timing, and real let down. No worth wasting your time and money on a place that's not going to make it through this year very dissatisfied in many many ways. read more

What a fantastic find in downtown Monterey! Nami Restaurant completely exceeded our expectations and has quickly become one of our favorite spots on the peninsula. The atmosphere is upscale yet relaxed--stylish decor with cool multi-genre art on the walls, sculpted lighting, a big bar, and that semi-open kitchen that adds a nice energy without being overwhelming. It's perfect for a date night, family dinner, or just soaking up the vibrant Monterey vibe right in the heart of downtown. Definitely recommend you won't be disappointed. Thank you team Nami Love Nicholas G read more

Great food! Great Service! Great atmosphere! Italian, Japanese, Steak, pizza excellent menu

I wonder about a chef who puts Brussel sprouts with salmon teriyaki... and the shrimp spring rolls were seriously too greasy... Service was fine. Music was too loud for our taste. read more

The food was good. The service by Juan was excellent. The place was neat and clean. read more

Nami Restaurant - Lobster and steak. - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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We received a warm welcome to this new establishment. The decor and lighting are pleasant and the bar area was inviting with a few tv's, music and comfy little booths, high top tables, or bar seating available. We chose a booth in the bar, ordered a couple of drinks which came in pleasant, square glassware. Rum & Diet Coke was $14 each. We expected we'd order some small bites but instead, couldn't pass up the butternut squash ravioli dish. After ordering, we were asked if we'd like bread for the table and were surprised to be charged $5 for it in the end. The dish was unexpected, full of flavors we'd never had before yet we were pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. There were strips of breaded, well-seasoned chicken atop 8 small, yet divine raviolis in a cream sauce, $28. Not a 5 star meal for the price, but unique experience and typical pricing for this area. read more

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If you come to Monterey you got to stop by Nami, the food is so good and flavorful. Service is top notch from the servers to the bartenders Cadillac margaritas with the Lalo tequila omg a must have. read more

Nami Restaurant - 6 year old birthday gift - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Gosh, I really wanted to like this place. The place was busy and there seemed to be enough wait staff but they seemed overwhelmed and rushing constantly. Even though it was super busy at one point, they appeared to be taking breaks at the bar. I was confusing to see them stopping at the edge of the bar to quickly drink a glass of water have a couple laughs, then rush out to serve people. This happened a couple of times. I felt that on site manager could have improved the situation. I felt like the staff were really well meaning but definitely lack training. The menu is interesting. We ordered the spicy gyoza soup, a tempura roll and an Asian chicken salad. The menu indicates that the soup is spicy and it was. I was actually too spicy to eat unfortunately we pulled the gyoza out and left the broth. The shrimp tempura roll was not good. I'm not sure if there was imitation shrimp, but noticed they did have imitation crab on the menu anyway it just was odd tasting and not eat eaten. The Asian chicken salad was fine, seemed exactly like a $5 salad kit from the grocery store. I hope they can get their menu more on point and improve their service as the location is fabulous and the staff were really nice and trying hard. read more

Excellent service and food. Love the new menu. Juan M is amazing. Thank you for a fabulous time. read more

Nami Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

I'm sorry.. but this was not good. I asked for certain things didn't get them The bathroom smelled like sewer. We were told there was going to be music. There was never any music.. very disappointed. read more

New restaurant in the former Cibo's space. Great location, right across the street from the Conference Center. It should have been crowded, but on a Monday night, it was not. The beautiful and comfortable bar area was empty. I am celiac (no gluten, not even cross contact). It appears they are getting up to speed on how to handle someone like me. Our server Stephanie was fabulous and determined to accommodate my needs, but she had to talk the chef into it. I mark this up to being newly open. Specifically, I asked whether the Tikka Masala Seabass was GF. From the description, it appears to be. Stephanie said she would double-check with the chef. She came to report that he had said since the pan had cross contact, it wasn't really GF. He suggested that the only GF items were the GF pizzas (they apparently have a dedicated GF oven, which I will definitely be back to try). I asked whether he could make my fish in a clean pan? This is an obvious and easy fix. She cheerfully reported back that he would do that. The fish was delicious, and I ate every bite. My companion tried a roll as an appetizer that she really liked also. Stephanie brought us a lovely GF dessert, comped for my birthday. I would ask that they consider upgrading the wine list to include more reasonably-priced and local non-chardonnay options. The cheapest bottle was House Pinot Grigio, which turned out to be Seaglass ($13 retail), for $56. Pretty steep for that level of wine. And we're in Wine Country in Monterey County. I think the restaurant holds much promise. It is owned by the Pangaea Carmel people, a restaurant that we like very much, and that also seems gluten-safe. read more

This place used to be an Italian place but I never got the chance to try it. Now it's an Asian infused Italian restaurant which is a bit interesting combination. The inside of the place seems like it's a super fancy restaurant but I didn't get to take a good look of the decor too much. There was a big sheet of paper on the table so while we waited for our food, we were just drawing on the big sheet of paper. It was relatively nice to have to keep us occupied. When the food came out, we weren't as impressed as we expected. The food was okay... I got an egg tofu soup which was pretty good. My sister got California rolls and the portions of the rolls were super small.. probably the same diameter as a quarter. She ate all of it in 2 minutes... definitely not filling but the price made it seem like it should've been enough. We also shared shrimp tempura rolls. It wasn't too bad but they were poorly wrapped so it fell apart the moment you tried picking them up from the place. My other sister got the dumpling ramen and it was just broth and dumplings. We assumed there would be noodles in the soup but there wasn't. Something I did like is that the owner approached our table and was asking for feedback. He did ask for honest feedback and we did inform him about our thoughts about a few of the dishes. He was very open to hearing us out and you can tell that he wants to improve the place. Him introducing himself and wanting to hear customer feedback is something you don't come across too often. The pricey for the quality and quantity is questionable but I have good expectations for it to be good considering the own also owns another restaurant in Carmel! read more

We ordered a burger meat was cooked as asked, medium althoughthe bun was soggy....seating for to long at the counter perhaps??. The tuna poke was fine nothing special. They need to work on the white rice offered for the sashimi. California rolls were warm and seem like they sat in the counter for a while as well. We unfortunately did not see the menu prior to entering the restaurant but its not Japanese food, it has some Japanese options that are just ok. read more

Just tried Nami in downtown Monterey and wow... this place already feels like a hidden gem. Everything we ordered was super fresh and clearly made with care. The sushi roll was , perfectly seasoned rice, generous pieces of fish, and that crunchy topping added the perfect texture. Not overly sauced either, which I really appreciate. You can actually taste everything instead of it being drowned out. The shrimp pasta was just as impressive. Creamy, rich, and full of flavor without being heavy. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the peppers and onions gave it a really nice balance. Honestly, I didn't expect a pasta dish to hit this hard at a sushi spot, but it absolutely did. Presentation was clean and modern, the vibe was calm and inviting, and service was friendly and attentive without hovering. For a new restaurant, they're already doing a lot right. If you're in Monterey and want something a little different but still comforting and high quality, Nami is 100% worth checking out. I'll definitely be back. read more

Nami Restaurant - Spicy Crab Crunch Roll - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Wonderful ambiance. Great bolognese. And Pedro was the perfect server. I totally recommend.