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He may be more famous for his rib-eye and ravioli, but now acclaimed restaurateur Giorgio Nava is turning his hand to Japanese cuisine too.
Nava – the chef behind CARNE and much-loved 95 Keerom, which closed in 2020 – last week opened Temaky at Heritage Square, with a concise menu of Japanese bites at a price perfectly pitched to grab-and-go.
Temaki (or temaky) are Japanese hand-rolls of sushi rice and fillings wrapped in a cone of nori seaweed. They’re eaten by hand rather than with chopsticks (but they have those on hand if you prefer), and unlike sliced maki or California sushi rolls, temaki are usually made and served as a single cone-shaped portion.
“Every day, I see sushi,” says Nava. “At the supermarket and even at the petrol station today, we buy sushi. It’s everywhere. But temaki is something I don’t see much in town, and I think it’s an interesting thing to eat.”
Temaky shares Nava’s Caffe Milano space in Heritage Square, in the same passageway that leads you to Sloppy Sam and The Drinkery (It’s a perfect pairing for a cocktail upstairs. Would love to see that happen!)
Review: Nava brings Italian flair to meaty fare at CARNE
Step inside, and the small menu is dedicated almost entirely to temaki, with five variations on the theme. The cone of nori and perfectly seasoned sushi rice (plump, not too soft) is the starting point, and then you can choose between tuna, salmon, line fish, vegetables, or prawns. The prawn temaki, with generous sesame and avocado, was probably the standout for me.
The focus, says Nava, is on good rice, great technique and quality fish, and the menu is deliberately lean: no sprawling sushi menu or overworked platters.
Well, except for two extra plates. The bowl of edamame beans is great if you’re in a group, and as winter sets in, I know I’ll be back for another bowl of the excellent miso soup with generous helpings of tofu.
Tables are available in the covered passageway, making it an ideal option for a quick lunch, but it’s also an easy takeaway order to enjoy at home or if you’re dining al desko. Nava says they’re already seeing steady interest from delivery platforms.
‘It’s fresh, it’s light, it’s delicious, and it doesn’t need to be warmed up, and it’s very easy to enjoy,’ he says.
The pricing is another selling point: R55 per temaki.
“For R55 each — two pieces, R110 — you have a fantastic lunch,’ says Nava. “It is hard to have a third or fourth, unless you’re very hungry.”
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