Introducing: NAO, a new Asian steakhouse on Avenue Road from Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji
Introducing: NAO, a new Asian steakhouse on Avenue Road from Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji
Name: NAO (an acronym for “New and Old”)
Neighbourhood: Yorkville
Contact Info: 90 Avenue Rd., 416-367-4141, naosteakhouse.com
Owners: Charles Khabouth, Hanif Harji, Stuart Cameron and Tim Foley
Chefs: Stuart Cameron (also the exec chef at Patria, Weslodge and Byblos) and chef de cuisine Andrew Bradford.
The Food: The Asian-American fusion trend finds full expression in this plush new steakhouse from restaurant impresarios Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji. NAO offers some caveman-sized cuts of beef—including a 64-ounce rib steak that’s carved tableside—but it’s not just a boys’ club. “We wanted NAO to be female-friendly,” says Kabbouth. Lighter options (salads, tartare) are punched up with predominantly Japanese flavourings, like miso, yuzu, ponzu and “Bull-Dog” sauce, a sweet and savoury Japanese condiment. (NAO makes its own version in-house.) Cameron spent months researching and sourcing the very best of everything, including fresh wasabi from B.C., Wagyu beef from Japan and bamboo barrel–aged finishing salt from South Korea.
The Drinks: Michael Garrett was brought over from Weslodge to create a cocktail menu featuring 14 signature drinks crafted with house-made tonics, syrups and bitters. (The Basho Sour, for instance, blends pineapple-infused sake with lemon juice, hibiscus syrup and egg whites.)
The Place: A multi-tiered chandelier hangs over the split-level space, which is flush with fancy design details (Italian-leather banquettes, African oak floors). Painted mirrors depicting skeletal fish, among other scenes, are simultaneously eerie and enchanting.
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- The restaurant is located in the former <b>Boba</b> space at 90 Avenue Road.
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
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- Swiveling chairs were deliberately chosen to make people-watching more convenient. “This isn’t Ossington,” says Khabouth.
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- A gigantic chandelier hangs over the split-level space. (It’s made up of 156 acrylic tubes.) Years ago, Harji saw the chandelier in a magazine from the 1920s and cut out the page. He had a local lighting company recreate the centrepiece.
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- This butter-lettuce salad is Cameron’s play on the complimentary iceberg salad that always comes with a take-out sushi order. It’s topped with carrots, avocado, ricotta salata and chili-spiced pecans ($14).
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- Seared scallops are perched on oxtail <em>gow gee</em> (steamed dumplings). They’re bathed in a soy-flavoured beurre blanc with porcini mushrooms and shaved white truffles. A sheet of crispy rice, reminiscent of a savoury tuile, sits on top ($24).
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- Dungeness crab <em>korokke</em> (croquettes) are splashed with <em>nitsume,</em> a glaze made from eel broth, mirin and soy. They’re topped with <em>furikake,</em> a dry Japanese seasoning made from seaweed and sesame ($14).
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- Beef tartare is flavoured with kaffir lime and served with squid-ink chips ($17).
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- This massive porterhouse was dry-aged for 40 days before hitting the grill ($160).
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- It’s sliced tableside and served with Bull-Dog sauce (basically a Japanese version of Worcestershire).
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- Patatas bravas is a traditional Spanish potato dish. NAO’s Japanese rendition is flavoured with fruity tonkatsu sauce, mayo, bonito flakes and chili ($10).
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- Co-owner <b>Hanif Harji</b> and exec chef <b>Stuart Cameron.</b>
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![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-nao-new-asian-steakhouse-avenue-road-charles-khabouth-hanif-harji/&title=Introducing: NAO, a new Asian steakhouse on Avenue Road from Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/nao-intro-624x395.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_300321" align="aligncenter" width="656"] (Image: Caroline Aksich)[/caption]
Name: NAO (an acronym for "New and Old")
Neighbourhood: Yorkville
Contact Info: 90 Avenue Rd., 416-367-4141, naosteakhouse.com
Owners: Charles Khabouth, Hanif Harji, Stuart Cameron and Tim Foley
Chefs: Stuart Cameron (also the exec chef at Patria, Weslodge and Byblos) and chef de cuisine Andrew Bradford.
The Food: The Asian-American fusion trend finds full expression in this plush new steakhouse from restaurant impresarios Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji. NAO offers some caveman-sized cuts of beef—including a 64-ounce rib steak that's carved tableside—but it’s not just a boys' club. “We wanted NAO to be female-friendly,” says Kabbouth. Lighter options (salads, tartare) are punched up with predominantly Japanese flavourings, like miso, yuzu, ponzu and "Bull-Dog" sauce, a sweet and savoury Japanese condiment. (NAO makes its own version in-house.) Cameron spent months researching and sourcing the very best of everything, including fresh wasabi from B.C., Wagyu beef from Japan and bamboo barrel–aged finishing salt from South Korea.
The Drinks: Michael Garrett was brought over from Weslodge to create a cocktail menu featuring 14 signature drinks crafted with house-made tonics, syrups and bitters. (The Basho Sour, for instance, blends pineapple-infused sake with lemon juice, hibiscus syrup and egg whites.)
The Place: A multi-tiered chandelier hangs over the split-level space, which is flush with fancy design details (Italian-leather banquettes, African oak floors). Painted mirrors depicting skeletal fish, among other scenes, are simultaneously eerie and enchanting.
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