Japanese Food Archives - Good Food St. Louis

Nippon Tei: Shakin’ Up the St. Louis Sushi Scene

May 8, 2019

Chef Nick Bognar of Nippon Tei shown giving a sushi demo at a local school.

You’ve got to admire a young guy, who goes off into the world to seek his fortune, learns to excel in the Japanese culinary arts, and then returns home to showcase contemporary sushi in his mother’s Ballwin restaurant. Chef Nick Bognar of Nippon Tei did all that.

His mother, Ann Bognar, operated the restaurant in a strip mall off Manchester Road, when Nick was a kid. He worked in the kitchen as a teenage while studying culinary arts in high school and Forest Park Community College.

Nippon Tei in Ballwin

In 2017, after working under some sushi masters at Uchiko in Austin and later in Cincinnati, Nick is back home. He’s now in his late 20s and turning out some of the best sushi in town from the attractively transformed space he knew as a youngster. His intention: to merge classic American sushi and traditional Japanese cuisine to form a contemporary sushi.

Sushi to Write Home About

Robin, JC and I munched on some edamame as we pondered the array of choices at Bognar’s sushi haven.

Edamame, a tasty and healthy nibble

We had made reservations at Nippon Tei, which one must do, or risk not getting a table. Yes, word has gotten out that Chef Nick is shaking up the St. Louis sushi scene. As part of his culinary shtick, you’ll find him sporting a hiachimaki headband—a stylized bandanna worn in Japan as a symbol of perseverance, effort and courage. For his effort, Nick was recently designated a James Beard “Rising Star Chef” semi-finalist.

The Fabulous Feast

Menu at Nippon

Roasted Hijiki Seaweed with with lotus root. Hijiki seaweed is black or dark brown and is found along the rocky coastlines of Japan, Korea, and China.

Himachi Crudo with ponzu, chili, and orange supreme

Gyoza: pork and chicken dumpling, with fried garlic, scallions

Sake Toro, from the sweet underbelly of the salmon, is among the Japanese specialties at Nippon Tei.

Pad Thai

Panna Cotta with melon, kakigori, and popping boba

Japanese Cheesecake with yuzu curd, almond praline, and creme. Superb!

Keeping the Family Culinary Flame Alive

There’s even more to come this month, when Nick opens iNDO, where he’ll be serving Southeast Asian-Japanese cuisine, including Thai. The connection is a natural one, since his Thai mother is a chef and his grandmother was a professional cook in Thailand. Today, his aunt owns Sushi Koi in the Central West End.

Look into iNDO

Nick’s new restaurant, iNDO, will open across the street from Olio and Elaia in the “Ben Poremba Culinary Complex” on Tower Grove Avenue. Incidentally, Ben, himself, is opening AO&CO Gourmet market on the corner, just a stone’s throw from iNDO.

Nippon Tei. 14025 Manchester Road (in strip shopping center); Hours: Tue-Fri 11:30a-2p; Sat 5p-10p; Sun and Tue 5p-9p. Closed Mondays. Chef/Owner: Nick Bognar.

iNDO. 1641 Tower Grove Ave. Scheduled to open: May 2019. Chef/Owner: Nick Bognar; Seats: 40 with 6-8 chef’s seats at counter.

Central West End and the Pursuit of Happiness

July 3, 2017

On the street in the Central West End, where things are always abuzz and good food abounds.

The Pursuit of Happiness, 2017

John Adams predicted that the Fourth of July would be forever celebrated with fireworks, music, pomp, parades, shows, sports, bells, bonfires and speeches. And that’s exactly what happened. It appears we’ve also added feasting to the list. But I’m sure the Founding Fathers—many of whom were foodies—would find no harm in the addition.

Kalanchoe

In that spirit, I began my extended Independence Day celebration on Sunday with a stroll through the Central West End. The charming neighborhood is awash with sidewalk cafes, galleries, boutiques, shops and pubs.

It’s easy to find a slice of Americana on any street corner. Flags waved from poles and buildings. People with pets in tow gathered around tables strung along the sidewalks. All were happily exercising those “unalienable rights” set forth in the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

During the course of our wanderings, Robin, JC and I lunched at Sub Zero, had ice cream at Jeni’s, and a stop at a friends house, where I was gifted with a lovely kalanchoe plant.

Flags Flying in the Central West End

Outside Sub-Zero where we had lunch.

The streets bedecked in color for the Fourth of July.

I Pondered: “What Would the Founders Eat?”

The founders would undoubtedly frown upon many of the foods that we “dare” to eat today. During our stop at Sub Zero, Robin and JC got some superb sushi, though it’s unlikely 18th century Englishmen ever ate the ancient Japanese dish.

I had a Lobster BLT. Lobster! Forsooth and for shame! In early America, the crustacean was considered fit only for fish bait, fertilizer, or prison food. And my iced tea would not become a mainstream beverage until after the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.

Only my ice cream enjoyed at Jeni’s would have been recognized by our ancestors. During his presidency, Thomas Jefferson popularized the delicacy by serving guests a concoction made by means of an arduous 18-step ordeal.

On the flip side, the founders enjoyed food combinations we no longer favor. For instance, Dolley Madison had a taste for ice cream made with fresh Potomac oysters. You won’t find that at Jeni’s.

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Ice Cream Stop at Jeni’s

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On Tuesday, the Fourth of July, I’ll gather as usual at Tom and Lisa’s for more food and a view of the fireworks from his porch. We’ll do some of the things John Adams said we would. But we’ll also feast on burgers and brats. We’ll even cook them on an outdoor grill—a technique that would have been quite familiar to the Founding Fathers.

Happy Fourth of July!

Jeni’s Ice Cream. 389 W. Euclid. Open: Daily 11a-11p. Take a look at these fascinating flavor s.

Sub Zero Vodka Bar. 308 N. Euclid. Open: Mon-Fri 11a-1:30a; Sat 10a-1:30a; Sun 10a-12a. Extensive sushi menu as well as burgers, sandwiches, salads, and brunch dishes.