Inside Nami Kaze, modern Hawaii izakaya up for James Beard culinary award

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Eleven Hawaii chefs and restaurants have been named semifinalists for the prestigious James Beard Culinary Awards.

HNN visited Nami Kaze, one of the nominees in the Best New Restaurant category and a modern izakaya and sushi bar near Pier 38 in Honolulu, to talk story with chef-owner and Kauai native Jason Peel.

”I’ve seen James Beard. I’ve grown up with it being down Roy’s and just to be honored, and recognized together with him is so awesome. So it means so much to me and the team. We’ve been we’ve been working very hard to push through the pandemic. It’s surreal right now,” Peel said about the nomination.

The restaurant opened during the pandemic with brunch service and expanded to dinner service last fall. This Valentine’s Day, they’re offering a special menu.

“We also wanted to launch our omakase So we will be starting off with an omakase menu at nighttime. We’re still trying to figure out what the dates are,” Peel said. “But we wanted to showcase what my team and my sushi chefs can do. So we have a bunch of talented people in here and, you know, give them the freedom to create.”

For more information, visit facebook.com/namikaze.hi

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