Courtesy Spencer Pernikoff
Since opening Indo in Botanical Heights, in June 2019, Nick Bognar's received no shortage of national attention, with accolades in Esquire, GQ, and Food & Wine magazine, where he was named one of the 10 best new chefs in America. This week, he'll participate in a seven-course dinner at Orno Restaurant in Miami to showcase some of those chefs' culinary skills. Bognar recently took time out of his schedule to share about the national press, splitting his time between Indo and Nippon Tei, and what's on the horizon.
How did you decide which course to prepare? We all did something that was signature to each of our cuisines or styles. I was joking around that I'm the token sushi chef of the group, so I figured that I would do a raw fish course, which I think every fine dining dinner probably needs. A nice sashimi or something will be great to start with, so they're going to probably have me go first. I think part of the plan there is for me to do something that's a little different than what people in that area have had before. I'm going to bring a full Thai flavor, like I do at Indo—I'm just going make it my own.
What are your nerves like at an event like this? There's always a little bit of nervousness, but for this one, not as much. The best new chefs, we're all friends. I figure that it's going to be really chill. Not to mention Niven [Patel], the hosting chef from Miami, who's been so awesome about the whole thing; he's got me covered on all the ingredients. He's making it real easy for all of us.
What other kinds of opportunity does national coverage provide? I feel people are more accepting in general of the food that we provide and are more stoked about anything that we do. It keeps business levels consistent as well, so we can do more experimental things that maybe we weren't able to do before. Now, I feel if we use some crazy ingredient like sea urchin, instead of people being like, "That's kind of weird," they trust us more. It allows us to cook the things that we're passionate about.
On the flip side, what kind of challenges does it present? I think some people see "Oh, cool, a new sushi restaurant has national acclaim," and then they don't really know what we're doing when they get here. They maybe assume we're different than what we are... We're a small restaurant, so getting the reservations booked out makes things a little crazy, but it's been going well. There are a lot more positives than negatives.
You've said in the past that when you were a teenager, you saved your money to eat at Elaia, and the meal was so meaningful that you shook owner/chef Ben Poremba's hand afterward. Oh, yeah, I did! [Laughs.] I don't think he remembered me.
Poremba owns the building that now houses Indo. What was something that you learned from that dining experience that you may have carried on to Indo today? You know, when I think about it, I was pretty young when I went there and, man, it was just so well done. I was very impressed by how perfect everything was. Basically, Ben was cooking dinner for me and maybe a couple of other people that night. I think he probably has the same idea as me that you don't have to have a full house to try hard. We're going to try to make it special for anybody who comes in. He definitely made it special for us.
Last year at Indo, you created a unique patio space, complete with walls and an opaque roof, as a way to create a safer dine-in experience. How has that evolved, and what's the plan for that in the future? We're definitely going to keep it insulated, because it makes our dining room capacity bigger. It keeps us busier, and we like that. We're able to space out the dining room tables more.
You also own Nippon Tei with your mother, Ann Bognar, who used to own Tei Too before selling it to her sister, Su Hill, who reopened it as Chiang Mai. How involved were you with Tei-Too? That was my first management job. There was a lot of learning—it's hard to learn how to manage a restaurant without actually managing a restaurant, because there are so many crazy variables and different things going on. You have to get your feet wet and figure out how to do it. I made a lot of mistakes while I was there, but we also did some really great [stuff].
How do you split your time between Indo and Nippon Tei? I go back and forth depending on who needs what. I try to get a couple of days in at both restaurants... I can come in and be like, "Let's change this, or let's make something fun or use a new ingredient." I have fun just being able to change things up for myself, too. It's cool to be able to bounce around and even work on the line. I think of it as an opportunity.
Can you share a bit about your critically acclaimed omakase dinner series? Basically it's a prix-fixe tasting menu of several fish, a lot of them being from Japan, and it's usually just nigiri. The idea is that I make it right in front of you at the sushi bar, then hand it to you. That's the best that it is: right after it's made. We're trying to bring that back. With how busy Indo is right now, though, it's a little difficult to do what we were doing before. We have a plan, and I think everybody's going to be really blown away, but it might be a little while. We're trying to bring it back in a way that's better than ever and in a place where it's better than ever.
What next steps do you have planned for Indo and Nippon-Tei? Bigger and better—we have some upgrades [planned]. I think you are going to hear about it very soon.
Where do you go to unwind after work with colleagues? Stella Blues on Morganford. We get the Korean fried wings or burgers and cheese fries. They're all awesome.
