NAN TEI — Restaurant in Nottingham

Nan Tei is the little hole in the wall you should not pass up on!

I've been intrigued by Nan Tei every time the bus I take into Nottingham stops right outside the restaurant. I've always thought about going in one day and finally trying some of their dishes. Today was finally that day.

Upon walking into Nan Tei, you are greeted with a 'Irasshaimase!' and one of the friendliest smiles I have seen from anyone working in the restaurant business. We arrived just as they had opened so we were the only customers and no others come in during our visit. There were reservation signs on the tables, however I do not recall an option to reserve a table online, you may need to call ahead to secure a table for a large group.

We were given the option of either sitting at the front counter, in view of the kitchen or near the window, we chose to be right at the front of everything. We were taken through their small but appetising menu and made our choices, these were confirmed with the staff in terms of quantity and options before being passed to the second gentleman behind the counter.

The drinks are near the front counter and they have a selection of canned soft drinks and alcohol. For this visit we went with diet coke, however the Asahi and chilled glasses that were on standby in the fridge were tempting. A choice for my next visit I'm sure!

We started off with some delicious gyoza and karaage which were both delicious and flavourful. The skewers also came out to us at a steady pace, allowing us to finish our previous skewers before the next ones arrived. All of the skewers were seasoned to perfection and tasted exceptional.

Once we had received our Shiitake mushroom skewers, our main dishes also were served. I had chosen the Chicken Katsu Curry, whilst my partner went with the Beef Udon. The chicken was crispy and juicy with plenty of rice accompanying it. The Udon noodles were firm but in the best way and the beef just slides down your throat.

During our time at Nan Tei we felt like we were back in Japan, just in any other Yakitori bar you'd choose to walk into. Handing our grilled skewers over the counter with a smile on their face that you can not help but smile back at.

I'd highly recommend Nan Tei to anyone that's been intrigued like I was by simply walking past from time to time. The friendly atmosphere and delicious food makes Nan Tei a restaurant I will be recommending to many people as a spot not to miss out on.

I for one will be going back in the future and making it a destination to bring friends and relatives too that are visiting Nottingham.

Gochisosama...

My sister treated me to this place a couple of days ago as a birthday treat. It very instantly became my favourite restaurant in Notts, and I've been to a few! A dinner that made our weeks.

I had done my research on this place before so I expected to really like it, but wow the food is tasty! And the staff great. I definitely recommend trying out the Chicken Karaage and Takoyaki! The Miso Soup too. And the Beef Tongue! It's all extremely well-cooked and moreish.

I love how charmingly decorated the inside is and the music they play (played one of my favourite songs - Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto :), and the instant you walk in the really nice owner gives you a "irasshaimase"/welcome and it's like you are transported straight into an izakaya restaurant in Japan, along with the signature open kitchen and minimal furniture, and sound of steamy cooking. It's also similarly, very reasonably priced.

It's always a hard thing to really know, but you very much get the feeling here the owners love their jobs and the authentic Japanese yakitori/ton-style food and izakaya experience, and have a lot of pride in their business and ability to offer that in this place - and there can be nothing better than that as a customer.

I'm very happy I could get this experience here in Notts without the plane cost to Japan. Will definitely be back to try more delicious things when I have the money! Thank you. :)

Also, on the "small" menu mentioned in other reviews - everyone should know the smaller the menu, the more heart put into each thing! And I definitely still felt spoilt enough for...

Have you tried robatayaki before?

I went to @nanteinottingham for a dinner and won a Gyoza pen in their ‘EAT GYOZA & WIN’ promotion🥰

@nanteinottingham is an Izakaya, a type of informal Japanese bar that serves alcoholic drinks and snacks. It’s exactly what I love coz I’m a starter and beer lover🍺🥟❤️ In Japan, Izakaya is a casual place for after-work drinking, similar to a British or Irish pub.

@nanteinottingham specialised in robatayaki which is similar to barbecue.

WHAT I GOT 🥟Assorted Gyozas (Vege, Chicken Katsu Curry & Prawn) 🍖Lamb rack 🧀Tofu skin with cheese 🍤King prawn wrapped with chicken skin 🦴Chicken gizzard

The gyozas were deep fried with crispy skin. I loved the colours which highly enhanced my appetite. They were tasty and colourful. Love them so much😍

The owner has recommended their famous robatayaki to me. The lamb rack was grilled medium raw with lovely pink colour inside. Tofu skin wrapped with cheese was slightly grilled and the cheese was melted inside. The chicken gizzards were grilled perfectly and I loved the texture. I was so impressed with the king prawn wrapped with chicken skin since it combined the crispy skin with umami king prawn. Every single skewer was pecfect😍

Ended up I had 3 bottles of beers with these lovely food and I did enjoy eating and drinking🍺🍺🍺

Among all (except gyozas), I loved the king prawn with chicken skin the most. What’s your favourite robatayaki?

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