Naoki Japanese Cuisine Palm Bay

Ever since Daisen closed years ago, I have lamented the loss of a "real" Japanese restaurant in Brevard. Asian fusion restaurants - with Thai dishes and flashy sushi rolls - have their place, but they are a dime a dozen in our area and none of it matches the elegance of authentic Japanese cuisine to me. NAOKI is a pretty unassuming place from the outside, and very simply furnished inside. We visited pretty late so it was especially quiet. The ambiance is enjoyable, with music just loud enough to occupy the air without overpowering conversation. In traditional fashion, they delivered oshibori (small, hot towels used for washing your hands prior to eating) to the table as we sat down. Little details make all the difference in the world to someone very familiar with this cuisine: the green tea was excellent, rich in color and flavor, and even the glass of water I was given impressed me - it didn't have that metallic taste that tap water in our area has. (If it was from the tap, they use a high quality filter. I noticed, too, when my husband purchased a soda, he was given a bottle and not a fountain soda, so it's possible they don't use the tap for drinks.) I ordered the miso ramen, something I consider to be among my favorite foods (if not the very top of the list). It was spectacular. The miso base was flavorful without being overly salted, the pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth tender, the bean sprouts refreshingly fresh and crunchy, the noodles cooked just right. Presentation was equally top-notch; in true Japanese cuisine, the presentation of food is just as important as the food itself, and they did not disappoint. We also sampled some sushi - a simple tuna roll, and a fancier roll recommended by the chef. Once again, the little things matter: the gari (ginger) and wasabi were high quality, and the fish incredibly fresh. They certainly have traditional, simple rolls down, but I think they may have found a happy medium by also offering a few more exotic selections. I didn't look at the sushi options very extensively, but from a brief glance I saw they still had choices with wasabi mayo and other sauces and toppings. Our fancy roll featured a yuzu (a citrus fruit) sauce that was very refreshing and unique. I am so glad we discovered this place, and have already started raving to friends about it. We will most definitely be back!