Natsumi Tapas

323 Third Avenue

(between 24th and 25th Streets)

Have wanted to try this Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant since it opened in April 2016.

Though it looks like a large restaurant from the outside, the interiors are intimate. We decided to sit in their lounge area in front of the bar as opposed to their restaurant proper.

Menu offerings were extensive. So we were glad that they were offering tasting tapas. We ordered their Trio Zensai ($15), option A, which were samples of: spicy rock shrimp tempura, beef short ribs, and spicy tuna roll.

Amazing! Made us want to order their option B (Japanese crispy chicken, spicy meatballs, and crunchy spicy salmon roll) if we were still hungry after we had finished what we had ordered. We were not!

We also went for the dumpling sampler ($6), which came with one sample each of their king crab dumpling, blue crab dumpling, and edamame dumpling. The edamame dumpling had an interesting crunchiness, but my faves were the crab dumplings. And they smelled delicious, too!

We were intrigued with many of their special rolls, so we ordered their Doppio Toro ($18), which was a roll made up of salmon toro, yellowtail toro, avocado, asparagus, tempura flakes, and basil pesto. A roll full of crunch, but would have liked it to be a bit more flavorful.

For dessert we ordered their chocolate saucy cake, a moist chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache in the center. Very rich.

As for drinks, I went for their Apprentice Chardonnay from Napa Valley ($12). Though I must admit, I was a bit averse to ordering anything that would remind me of this season’s presidential election. However, how could I pass up trying something that’s described as having flavors of crème brulee? After our server gave me a taste, I was sold. It was full bodied, but with a very smooth finish.

Interestingly enough, our server was also the bartender. I almost switched to a red for dessert as he let me sample their rich, bold spicy red Pinot Noir. I decided, though, to stick with my Chardonnay. The Pinot, while delicious, would have been a bit too heavy for me on a humid, summer night.

Pros:

Tasting Tapas: excellent way to sample their extensive menu!

Large, unisex bathrooms.

Cons:

Service was friendly, but a bit harried (unsure as to why, though, as the restaurant was not particularly busy on the night I went)

Final Thoughts

Will definitely return as it’s a convenient location for me and there are many other menu options that I want to try.