Nami Nori is officially coming to West Palm Beach's Nora District
- Jake Nicholas
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Nora District has officially landed one of its most anticipated F&B announcements yet with the addition of Nami Nori, the acclaimed New York City-based Japanese temaki restaurant—and its first-ever Palm Beach County location.
Best known for popularizing open-style hand rolls, Nami Nori is taking over a 4,300-square-foot space with patio dining on North Railroad Avenue, just across the street from IGK Salon. The Nora opening marks Nami Nori's second Florida location, joining its Miami Design District flagship and outposts in New York's West Village and Williamsburg, Montclair, and Virginia Beach.
From chef-partners Taka Sakaeda and Jihan Lee, Nami Nori reimagines the traditional sushi experience. Each hand roll features a crisp sheet of nori wrapped around warm rice and layered with fresh, high-quality ingredients, designed to be enjoyed immediately and visually striking by design. The concept blends modern sensibility with authentic Japanese technique, built around the idea that exceptional sushi should feel both accessible and uncompromising.
"We want every moment at Nami Nori to create a lasting impact that feels truly special," said Takahiro Sakaeda, Chef-Partner of Launchpad Hospitality. "At our core, we approach everything with a deep respect for tradition but a desire to create something new and unexpected. A pillar of our organization is omotenashi, a cultural element from Japan, which raises hospitality from service to an art form, and we're excited to introduce this experience to West Palm Beach."
The menu spans both inventive and classic temaki, a dedicated vegan selection, Japanese-inspired small plates, snacks, and a curated beverage program. The brand has earned two stars from The New York Times along with recognition from Esquire ("Best New Restaurant in America 2020"), Robb Report's "10 Best New Restaurants in America," and Bloomberg's "Best Restaurant Dishes"—and the Miami Design District and Virginia Beach locations were opened in partnership with Pharrell Williams, who serves as a partner and advisor to Launchpad Hospitality.
"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Nami Nori and its incredible team to the neighborhood," said Joe Furst, Founder and Managing Principal of Place Projects. "This is one of our key restaurant spaces, and we were very intentional about finding something truly special and destination-worthy. What makes Nami Nori so compelling is the combination of exceptional food, a thoughtful customer experience, and a high-design yet welcoming environment. It's exactly the kind of business we're building Nora around."
Nora's first phase, completed in 2025, transformed 13 former industrial buildings along North Railroad Avenue into more than 150,000 square feet of curated retail and dining, anchored by a linear park and connected to creative office space on the second floor. Nami Nori joins a stacked tenant lineup including Celis Juice Bar and Café, Del Mar West Palm Beach, H&H Bagels, IGK Salon, Indaco, Juliana's Pizza, Le Labo, Loco Taqueria & Oyster Bar, LUCE, Mint, Pompanos Boutique, Sana Skin Studio, [solidcore], Sports & Rec, The Spot Barbershop, Sunday Motor Co., SWEAT440, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Warby Parker, and Zen Hippo.
Later this year, The Nora Hotel—a 201-key boutique hotel developed in partnership with BD Hotels and Sean MacPherson—will open within the district, anchored by Pastis, the iconic New York Parisian-style brasserie from James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Stephen Starr. Together, the two openings continue to position Nora as one of the most active and design-driven new neighborhoods in South Florida.
