Sashimi, spring rolls, sea bass: Asian flavors spice up Nomai, Hingham's newest restaurant

Alexandra Weliever, The Patriot Ledger
·3 min read

HINGHAM – Nomai, a new restaurant from Brian Moy, the restaurateur behind the popular Chinatown spots Shōjō and China Pearl, has opened in Hingham at the Derby Street Shops.

The 6,300-square-foot restaurant has 130 seats and serves Asian-inspired cuisine that includes a raw bar and appetizers and entrees designed for sharing and group dining.

Outside the restaurant is one of Hingham's busiest shopping centers, but when you walk inside Nomai, the towering Japanese maple trees and hanging lanterns transport you to a calmer, less rushed atmosphere.

Nomai is a new Asian-fusion restaurant at the Derby Street Shops in Hingham.
Nomai is a new Asian-fusion restaurant at the Derby Street Shops in Hingham.

Moy, a Canton resident and longtime restaurateur, has remodeled what used to be Rustic Kitchen into a place fit for dinner tapas style, after-supper drinks, a nightcap or more.

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"We wanted to do more lighter fare," Moy said, sitting in a booth. "We wanted to have hints of Asian flavor."

Diners coming to Nomai can order dishes for themselves, but Moy said ordering plates tapas style, to share with the table, helps bring more flavors to each person in a single meal.

Wok-charred cauliflower, sesame yogurt, herb salad and pomegranate is on the menu at Nomai in Hingham.
Wok-charred cauliflower, sesame yogurt, herb salad and pomegranate is on the menu at Nomai in Hingham.

The owner described a few dishes sitting before him, including one of his favorites, wok-charred cauliflower. The plate is filled with color, from the bright purple and yellow of the roasted cauliflower florets to the pink pomegranate seeds sprinkled around the dish. The bed of vegetables sits in Nomai's special yogurt sauce, Moy said.

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Spring rolls show off another light dish that Nomai does differently, Moy said. Instead of serving shrimp wrapped in rice paper, Moy's spring rolls come wrapped in marinated daikon. Thick chunks of tuna stand upright, wrapped together with marinated carrots and beet sprouts in a thin daikon blanket.

Tuna spring roll with daikon and sprouts is on the menu at Nomai in Hingham.
Tuna spring roll with daikon and sprouts is on the menu at Nomai in Hingham.

Nomai's drinks are just as colorful as their dishes, both in hue and in backstory. One, called Winter Strawberry in Japan, is themed on the country's rare white strawberry, which is only in season in the winter. The drink is light and tart, and happens to be one of Moy's favorites, he said.

Other drinks such as the Shisho Rita and Derby Mule combine familiar favorites with a twist. Red shiso, a red Asian herb, adds a light taste to the margarita, while the addition of baijiu, a Chinese rice wine, makes the Derby Mule Nomai's own.

"We wanted to highlight not only Japanese whiskey," he said, "but we all wanted to be able to highlight Asian spirits in general."

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Beyond the array of flavors Nomai packs into each dish, the restaurant's personality also shines through as soon as diners walk in the door.

The restaurant is split into sections with distinct personalities, Moy explained. Where he was seated, near the front bar, is the "backyard" area. The overhanging trees, string lanterns and rustic floors, reminiscent of dust-covered bricks, give the impression diners are enjoying a meal in a calm garden.

Nomai is a new Asian-fusion restaurant at the Derby Street Shops in Hingham.
Nomai is a new Asian-fusion restaurant at the Derby Street Shops in Hingham.

Along a wall near the restaurant's back bar is the "living room" area, where booths with armrests sit under a giant wooden chandelier. A neon sign of Chinese characters reads "seafood station," and glows bright red above diners.

The restaurant has been open for two weeks and "it's been a super-warm welcome," Moy said.

"Now we have to live up to those expectations."

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Canton resident Brian Moy is the owner of Nomai, new Asian-fusion restaurant at the Derby Street Shops in Hingham.
Canton resident Brian Moy is the owner of Nomai, new Asian-fusion restaurant at the Derby Street Shops in Hingham.

If you go

What: Nomai

Where: 94 Derby St., Hingham

When: 4-10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday

Contact: 781-385-7983 or nomaihingham.com

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Reach Alex Weliever at aweliever@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Restaurateur Brian Moy opens Nomai, modern-Asian cuisine in Hingham