A Wave of Sake Hits the Hill

Friar alum Emily Phrasikaysone’s bar is her social life – and she loves it! This Yelper elite loves going out to eat and hitting the gym when she’s not studying for her next degree. Catch her behind the bar at Nami on Friday and Saturday nights.

What does Nami mean?
Nami is the Japanese word for wave. Our menu is Asian-inspired; we serve more than just sushi. We offer incredible filet, New York strip and desserts. We have many vegan and gluten-free options as well. Every bartender here is a mixologist; we’re not strictly drink menu only, we love having fun behind the bar and putting things together. The fresh, raw ingredients that we use in our cocktails are what sets us apart, from fresh cream of coconut for our pina coladas to fresh mint we grow out back for our mojitos. You won’t find any premade mixes here.

Does Nami have a signature cocktail?

Wasabi Martini. We create our own ginger-infused simple syrup by boiling three roots of fresh ginger, adding sugar and some white pepper for extra zing. I’ll muddle fresh wasabi and then add your choice of vodka and our house-made syrup. Surprisingly, it’s not spicy at all. I’ve had people send it back saying, “It’s not spicy enough.”

What has Nami taught you about sake?
That I was pronouncing it wrong! Sake is pronounced “sah-kay” not “sah- kee.” It’s a gluten-free rice wine with no tannins, preservatives or sulfates. At Nami, we offer a variety of sake including some with a 12% alcohol content. Fifty percent of our cocktail list is made of sake. Enjoy it hot or cold and flavored; we offer eight different flavored sakes.

Sake – hot or cold?
I personally prefer cold sake. We have a machine that pours hot origi- nal sake for our guests. Sake bombs are gaining popularity; people like the transition from hot sake to cold beer. Here, a sake bomb is shot of hot sake dropped into a glass of Sapporo and then chugged.

What can we order besides the typical Scorpion bowl?
The Sake Bodo Bowl combines all eight flavored sakes – pear, raspberry, lychee, apple, peach, coconut, lem- ongrass and citrus – with pineapple and orange juices. It’s light, tropical and floral undertones make it easy to drink. It goes great with one of our desserts or lunch bento boxes. We also feature a Nami Bowl made with light rum, gold rum, coconut rum, mel- on liquor, OJ and pineapple juice with a blue curacao float. The blue represents the Nami wave.

Which sake cocktail is a must try?
Lychee Martini made with lychee vodka, lychee sake and lychee juice; garnished with a natural lychee. It’s best paired with a sushi roll. If you’re looking for something on the sweeter side, order the SuperFruit Martini made with raspberry sake, regular sake, citrus sake and Monin SuperFruit puree garnished with an edible flower. Both make great after-dinner drinks.

Besides sake, what are you pouring?
We have a full bar and offer everything from organic cucumber vodka to Tito’s homemade vodka to the owner’s personal Cognac selection. We just started serving Japanese plum wine. For interesting beers, we serve Tsing-tao, Kirian Ichiban and Lucky Buddha, which is actually served in a green Buddha shaped bottle.

When eating sushi, which cocktail should we stay away from?
Don’t order any dessert cocktails. But if you’re going to order a dessert cocktail, get the RumChata Martini. It’s made with Pumpkin RumChata, espresso vodka, pumpkin spice liquor and pumpkin cream; rimmed with cinnamon sugar. It’s amazing.

Why are you so passionate about this craft?
Bartending got me to open my eyes to different diversities and walks of life. I really care about the people I make drinks for. I enjoy listening to people and being there for them to vent to. Bartending is about building relationships with people and networking. Bartending is my social life.