Former Kelvin family wins 2018 National Award for Excellence

Nagisa has been named the best Japanese restaurant in Restaurant & Catering’s 2018 Awards for Excellence.

The restaurant was established on Honeysuckle Drive in Newcastle in 2004 by Tetsuhiko Nambo, supported by his eldest son Taiyo and his lifelong friend and executive chef Chris Schofield, a former Gunnedah man.

“This is a new milestone for us and one we're extremely proud of,” Taiyo Namba said last week.  

“We'd like to thank our hard-working staff, our suppliers and support staff for making it possible to receive this national recognition.

“Most of all we'd like to thank our customers for their loyal patronage.”

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Taiyo said his father Tetsu originally moved to Australia to work at a Teppan chef at Restaurant Suntory in Sydney then moved to Kelvin to start a wheat and cattle farm, “embracing the full force of Australian country lifestyle”.

“We enjoyed their time in Gunnedah and to this day [my father] remembers the warmth and help from neighbours that helped and taught him the way of farming,” Taiyo said.

In 2004, Taiyo said his father felt “the urge to jump back into the restaurant industry” and chose Newcastle for his next venture to “experiment and push the world of Japanese cuisine”, establishing Nasiga.

In recent years, Nagisa has been awarded two glass awards for its beverage list through Gourmet Traveller before receiving the mantle of Best Asian Restaurant this month.

Tetsu puts it all down to “the team work of great staff who have worked relentlessly from day one, always aiming for new experiences”.

“The artistic skill set that [executive chef] Chris displays are second to none,” Tetsu said.

“It’s everything I had dreamt in such an adventure.” 

Taiyo said the dedicated team also started up Susuru Ramen and Gyoza Restaurant last year, which “kicked up a storm in Newcastle, with 10-metre lines to get in”.