On Lake Nona, a wave is many things: a ripple, a hotel, a restaurant. At the restaurant, Nami (Japanese for wave), it is also a dynamic where, under the undulating architecture of the Wave Hotel, wave after wave of exceptional plates make their way to eager tables. Yes, a thematic tsunami has splashed down in our eastern reaches, and it’s one you’d best let wash over you.
This exhaustive exercise in brand identity isn’t unexpected — it’s the product of the Tavistock machine, which manufactures polish. And while below the polish there’s often nothing but more polish, this isn’t the case with Michelin-recommended Nami. It seems a corporate restaurant can also be a substantial one.
I’ve read clumsy attempts to classify Nami’s cuisine as Nikkei or Euro-Japanese. It is not. It’s simply modern Japanese, with all that entails — a see-saw of yoshoku and wafu, globally promiscuous but anchored in umami flavors like miso, soy and dashi. And while the concept is not uncommon, at Nami, it’s been wonderfully reimagined by culinary director Freddy Money and executive chef Jason Beliveau.
Prior to the tasty wow of Beliveau’s food, you’ll be hit by the transportive wow of Nami’s dining room. Japanese maple trees, sculpted wood ceilings, wistful murals accented by deep shadows — it’s a bordello-lit foodie Xanadu where pretty people and plates are cast in dreamy chiaroscuro. I could almost smell the opium. I could definitely smell the cash.
A tablemate misread a section of the menu as “Finance Packages.” I would have been unsurprised if she had read it correctly. But while Nami is not for the slim of means, it is a more-than-worthwhile splurge. Case in point, whole Maine lobster ($120): a two-in-one affair featuring a platter of tail and crusher claw with a separate bowl of lobster fried rice deepened with smoked chili and bound with soy-cured egg yolk. Mind blown. One of the better dishes I’ve eaten in Orlando. I’ll leave that last sentence to linger.
Likewise, A5 snow beef was exquisite — wagyu from Niigata treated to the yukimoro snow-aging process. On the fork, a glory of intramuscular fat and flavor we kissed with pops of umami-rich accoutrement like black garlic, lacto-fermented ginger and grilled maitake. A 2-ounce portion is $90. Our jaws would have dropped … if they could have stopped chewing.
This excellence cascades across the menu. When you read “lobster doughnuts,” you order lobster doughnuts ($36) — crustacean-filled, house-made mini-brioche dusted with matcha. A softball, but one knocked out of the park. Vying for table favorite were skewers of deboned yakitori chicken wings piped with chicken mousse ($24), hamachi crudo cut with truffle ponzu ($24), blow-torched baby corn with togarashi ($14) and more. Waves and waves of deliciousness.
At Nami, even less memorable dishes are only less memorable in context. Robata salmon with red miso ($36) or crispy pork katsu ($38) would easily be stars of the show elsewhere — here, they’re Garfunkels. Smart and satisfying, but outplayed by the Simons. Encore!
Desserts are theatrical musts — and while I won’t reveal surprises, you’ll be treated to them when ordering the orblike Gold Rocher ($15) rich with hazelnut and offset by sesame crisp, or panna cotta ($15) with berries and meringue. It’s no spoiler to state both are superb.
Word count limitations mean deserving aspects like the beverage program will go unmentioned, but I must mention the service: knowledgeable and soft-touch, buoyed by the steady but inconspicuous ebb and flow of rotating tableware, underlining the restaurant’s commitment to excellence and a clear differentiator. I’ve lived in Orlando for seven years and can count on one hand the restaurants where every facet of a meal has shined. Add Nami to this list.
Nami
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This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 5, 2025.