Nami Nori Design District

A New York-born temaki bar on NE 41st Street serving open-style sushi hand rolls, Japanese snacks, cocktails and sake.

Checked October 2026

Good for a hand-roll lunch or an early dinner with friends, vegans included. The trade-off: it's $$$, rolls add up fast, and tables run on a timed seating.

The hand rolls

Temaki is the whole point here: open-style sushi hand rolls rather than sliced maki on a board. The menu splits into signature rolls, crunchy versions, modern takes on the classics and a dedicated vegan section, so a mixed table doesn't have to negotiate. Japanese-inspired snacks and appetizers fill in around them. Prices sit at $$$, and hand rolls are the kind of thing you keep ordering one more of, so pick a loose count before you start. It's a New York import from partners Taka Sakaeda and Jihan Lee, with branches in New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Florida.

Lunch on 41st Street

Doors open at 11:30 am every day, which makes this one of the easier sit-down lunches in the Design District. It closes at 10 pm Monday through Saturday and 9 pm on Sunday, so think dinner, not a late night. The drinks list covers signature cocktails, beer, sake and wine, enough for a round with the rolls or one while you wait for a seat. It holds 4.6 from about 620 Google reviews, a solid number for a chain branch. Sunday's earlier close catches people out, so plan around it.

Getting a table

Reservations open up to two weeks ahead for indoor dining, and a limited number of seats are held for walk-ins. Tables run on the clock. At dinner it's 1 hour 30 minutes for parties up to 3, 2 hours for up to 5 and 2 hours 30 minutes for 6 or more. At lunch it's 1 hour for up to 3 and 1 hour 30 minutes for 4 or more. There's a 10-minute grace period if you're running late. These rules are posted chain-wide, so it's worth confirming with this branch when you book.

Reservations

Book up to two weeks out; walk-in seats exist but they're limited.

Good to know

Lunch tables for up to 3 get 1 hour, so don't plan a long, slow lunch.

Questions people ask