Words by Samantha Harman
www.nanima.co.uk
Bravo Award finalists (2024) Nanima Asian Kitchen on St George’s Road in Kemptown are renowned for fresh, healthy food offered via a daily changing menu. Discover Brighton went along to see what all the fuss is about…
You can’t miss Nanima, with its bright pink signage and cute collection of outside seating and the welcome you receive inside is just as vibrant as the outside.
Owner Lonnie and his partner and chef Nicky, pride themselves on providing fresh seasonal food, with zero wastage. The menu changes everyday, so this also means food can be taken away and enjoyed at home. Not only that, if you bring your own lunchbox you will receive a 10% discount. The business promotes sustainability wherever possible.
Lonnie is a talking menu and explains all the dishes on offer for the day in great detail. He is clearly enthusiastic about his food and wants to ensure you choose the best option. Lunchtime is always super busy and by 4pm options can be limited, as we mentioned before, they don’t over cook to avoid wastage, so try and arrive earlier if you can to avoid missing out.
We visited on a Saturday with the explicit intention of trying the Singapore Laksa which is only made at the weekend. (This is due to the complex cooking process apparently). Depending on your dietary requirements, you can have chicken, prawns or tofu, but we opted for all three. The soup arrived in a giant wooden bowl and was a feast for the eyes. Where to start? This is indeed a complex dish. The base is a slightly spicy, well seasoned broth with hints of chilli, lemongrass and sweetened with coconut milk. Then there’s the thin noodles, tender prawns and chicken with slices of light tofu with a scattering of coriander. It is heaven in a bowl and we will definitely be visiting during the colder months to consume gallons of it.
We also tried the Thai Green Salmon, stuffed pepper and tuna fish cakes with sides of noodles and a crunchy, warm salad bowl. All were delightful and fresh and made with locally sourced ingredients. We were full after the meal was finished, but not horribly so. It was evident that really healthy food had been consumed.
Visiting Nanima is like going to a relative’s house, everything has high-end home cooked flavours and the welcome is warm with a relaxed ambience. Make sore you visit and support this wonderful local independent business.
Nanima, 36 St. George’s Road, BN2 1ED / 01273 600 932 / @nanimaasiankitchen / www.nanima.co.uk
