New Japanese farmhouse restaurant in KC offers fresh farm products and high-end seafood
Amante Domingo was working on his second Kansas City restaurant when his father died.
He had grown up on his father’s organic farm near St. Joseph, and worked at the family’s vegetarian restaurant in the business district. He wanted to do something to honor him.
“His last words to me were ‘Let’s get out of here, I want to go eat sushi,’ ” Domingo said. “We always fantasized about having all the time to eat sushi. I wanted to make a restaurant with all of the things in there being his favorite things, who he was.”
Noka, Japanese for farmer, opened this month in midtown. Domingo describes it as a Japanese farmhouse restaurant specializing in fresh farm products and high-end seafood.
While a rush-hour accident in front backed up traffic for a couple blocks on opening night, inside all was serene.
Customers gathered at the bar and at three large community tables, each seating 20 people.
“With everyone being separated during COVID we’ve almost created a spread out experience, physically and emotionally, and I wanted to bring people together,” Domingo said.
One couple kept the small plate orders coming: edamame (with house-made cheese, sesame and seven-spice seasoning), bone marrow (beef fat pate, pickled onion and kimchi sourdough) and the Nightmarket chicken wings (in a nod to after-hour dining at a Japanese market).
Two friends, unwinding after a stressful work day, checked out other orders at their community table, then debated the choices over the menu: wild bass with miso and a black garlic glaze, risotto with colossal wild prawns, duck (confit leg and thigh, lotus leaf and black rice) and short ribs (24-hour braised beef with black bean sauce).
The seared scallops with sweet potatoes from De Soto’s Thane Palmberg Farm have been one of the most popular orders.
Desserts: Creme brulee, chocolate cake and ice cream from Kansas City’s High Hopes Ice Cream.
As a teenager, Domingo worked at his family’s Sunshine Cafe and sold surplus vegetables from the family’s farm at the City Market in Kansas City.
Domingo, who is half Filipino, also studied art, supporting himself as a sushi chef, and later worked as a commercial photographer. His mother and grandmother were artists.
He opened The Russell and Tailleur restaurants in midtown with a partner. But when they decided to open new concepts, they split up the partnership “in a friendly parting of the ways,” with Domingo taking The Russell.
He spent nine months converting the former Bond’s Chicken & Blues spot, at 334 E. 31st St., to Noka. Customers have views of food cooking over the open fire at binchotan charcoal grills.
The west wall features antique Japanese pottery on shelves made from 150-year-old barn wood from the family farm. A few of the antique boards also cover bathroom ceiling lights, giving customers the feel of being in an old barn on a bright sunny day.
“It is my first concept on my own but it is very personal, with an intent to feel my past and my farm,” Domingo said. “It is terrifying to put yourself out like that but so rewarding when people get it.”
