Japan meets Scandinavia at Nem's in Williamsburg
The duplex space features an all-day cafe and a second floor speakeasy and Izakaya
Nem’s, a beautiful new Japanese-Scandinavian all-day cafe and Izakaya, has opened in Williamsburg. The modern Danish designed duplex space is airy and bright, wrapped in windows, and built from cool white tile and warm butter-colored wood, located on the busy corner of Wythe and North 6th Street, just next to the International Sawdust music venue.
Nem’s, and its upstairs Koi Izakaya, are the vision of Supranee Phramdang, “Nem,” the charming neighborhood smoothie queen who, for the past six years, has run a beloved pop-up smoothie bar at the Italian restaurant, Fabricca, on Kent Ave.
From a one-woman smoothie show, Nem has expanded her passion to Japanese breakfasts, Scandinavian Smorgasbord, Sushi, Sashimi, and an intimate second floor speakeasy open until 1am and serving a menu of classic Izakaya fare.
Chef Koichi Takayama has created a menu that starts at 7:30am with loose leaf Japanese tea and freshly-whisked organic matcha with cases full of pastries and dishes like miso-butter scrambled eggs, Japandi Eggs Benedict with Norwegian-style house-cured wild Alaskan gravlax, free range poached eggs, miso hollandaise and furikake seasoning, and Norwegian style soft-boiled eggs on rye.
By lunch, her menu shifts a bit to feature Yuzu Avocado Toast, Miso Mushrooms with Leeks on Sourdough, a Japandi Egg Sando, and a full selection of Smorgasbord—gravlax, shrimp and dill, salmon salad, as well as a full menu of sushi, sashimi, unagi, chirashi and hamachi bowls. Come nighttime, the second floor speakeasy, Koi Izakaya, serves a menu of classic Tokyo pub fare — puffy fried octopus fritters, chicken karaage, and more.
Koi Izakaya is also home to a stunning bar, where a goldfish crafted from paper-thin shingles of amber wood hangs above the fray of happy hip folks sipping on craft cocktails shaken from the likes of St. Germain, yuzu, suntory whiskey, mezcal and umeshu.
Nem, who grew up in Thailand, fell in love with Japanese food and culture from a young age. Her father was adopted by a Japanese family, and she was raised in the Japanese community in Bangkok. When she was 10 years old, she opened her first “smoothie business” outside her house with a blender, a bucket of ice, and a small table. While she dreamed of growing up and running her own smoothie business, her mom suggested that she perhaps study something else as well. She went to university for art, but returned to Japan for a summer and became hooked on the food and the culture.
Living in Greenpoint, she never did give up on her smoothie dream; for the past six years she’s developed quite a following for her creative fresh fruit and vegetable shakes, blended at her Kent Avenue pop-up at Fabricca, by Nem alone, as the lines grew longer and longer. With her new restaurant, Nem’s, the community she built has all come along, now without having to wait in line in the cold.
“I have built a big family over the past six years,” she said yesterday at the soft opening. “They are all here and the room is full of so much love.”
Nem’s Japandi Bistro is located at 80 North 6th Street. Follow on Instagram.