It amazes me that, loving sushi as I do, I continually find delicious Japanese restaurants that I have never heard of! Last night I had an indulgent dinner with my son and daughter-in-law, served at Neta’s sushi bar by Jay, a gentle Tibetan sushi chef with his own private stash of special fish.
The menu is large and unusual – uni porridge is just one such dish – but we, having just spent two weeks in Italy gorging on pasta, cured meats and cheese, were longing for nigiri. Here were some of the outstanding bites: Spot prawn, Mediterranean sea bream, sweet shrimp, delicious yellowtail and, of course, uni, from the West Coast, Chile or Japan. Not only were the pieces prepared in those desirous small bites, but some were topped with finely grated lime rind, shiso leaf or crispy nori. Delicious.
To be noted, the executive chef of Neta is Korean,
Chef Sungchul Shim. Chef Shim brings a unique combination of Western and Eastern culinary craft and philosophy to Neta, honed from years of formal study and practical training in fine dining in Asia and the United States.
He began his career as a chef in the U.S. with an externship at the three Michelin star Le Bernardin and then continued to expand his knowledge working in many of New York’s finest kitchens, including Aureole, and Bouley among others.
In less than three years, Chef Shim’s impressive skills and creativity secured him a position in the kitchen of the three Michelin star Per Se.
It is an amazing island because of its deep history stretching back millenia, because of its more recent history as a glamorous watering spot, because, in the face of a daily onslaught of day trippers, it maintains a dignity and a humor that is almost dismissive.
I also believe there is something in the rock. There is a magic to the island's profile, in its curves and dips and folds, in its extraordinary fertility that breeds lofty pines, walls of flowering vines, pots of geranium and impatiens and feeds out-sized populations of chameleons, songbirds, gulls and, even, three foot tree snakes.
Some favorites:
...to see: La Certosa, Villa San Michele, the floor of the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo
to wander...Capri's backstreets in the early morning, out to the belvedere above via Tuoro, up to Villa Jovis
to shop...Eco Capri for Laetitia Cerio's wonderful prints, Cabana for Helen White's fine eye, Laboratorio for something a little different, Antonio Viva for sandals, Capri Home for household linens
to eat...Ristorante Mamma, Aurora, Da Tonino, Panorama, La Faraglioni, Buca di Bacco, il Riccio
to know... if you want to swim in the ocean you have two options - you can either go to one of the many beach clubs (La Fontelina is the most famous) where you must purchase a chair or sunbed before you can swim OR hire a self-drive or captained boat, and head out with baguette, cheese and fruit in search of a private cove and flat rock to sun and snorkel.
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