NAM

She says:
Atlanta publications have consistently rated Nam the best Vietnamese restaurant in the city, so it has been on our hit-list for months. We finally made it there this weekend, but in my opinion, the jury is still out on this one.

Nam is a strikingly attractive restaurant. Red lighting warms the room’s white walls. Slender tapestries displaying sketches of a woman’s profile stream down from the ceiling. A bamboo theme is subtly carried through in the cutlery and the glasses. And the waitresses, dressed in long, fitted red tunics, only add to the polish of the setting.

Nam’s elegant simplicity is reflected in the menu, an enticing mix of seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes. Unfortunately, with the appetizer, this translated to bland. The Vietnamese crepe we ordered was supposedly stuffed with bean sprouts, scallions, shrimp, and pork. The half that Downtown Boy and I split with our friends was stuffed with… nothing. Even dipping it in the accompanying clear sweet sauce didn’t help, as it slid right off the oily crepe.

He says:
I found the Basil Duck that followed equally disappointing. The thin medallions of duck breast sautéed in basil and garlic were tender but unremarkable. Not to be cliché, but it actually did taste just like chicken. Nam had unhappily removed the fat, a cardinal sin since that is where duck’s distinctive richness derives from.

She says:
I liked the Basil Duck although it’s true; the dish isn’t anything to write home about. The most flavorful entrée was probably the Shaking Tuna. The marinated tuna was cooked “shaking style” (shaken in a wok with very hot oil) with garlic and onions, with yummy results.

He says:
I agree, the Shaking Tuna was the best dish of the night. I’ve had similar stir-fried beef and chicken Vietnamese dishes, but using tuna cubes was an inspired twist. The tuna’s exterior was perfectly seared while the interior retained the delicate texture of sashimi. However, our asparagus and scallions vegetable platter was a dull and forgettable dish.

We say:
Is the hype around Nam warranted? Did we order the wrong things? Nam appears to be an impressive restaurant, but in culinary terms the scales tip towards mediocrity.

He says:



She says:
TBD. Am I a cop-out for not assigning forks? I feel that despite our mediocre dinner, the potential for a great meal here is high, and so I’ll withhold my final judgment until a later visit.

Nam
931 Monroe Drive Suite A-101, Atlanta, GA 30308
http://www.namrestaurant.com/