Loss of names in order to get a coveted table in a popular restaurant is not uncommon. But to drop a famous chef’s famous restaurant to get a table … for an even more famous musician? It’s a bit bizarre. But that is exactly what happened in the Japantown restaurant Nari run by chef and owner Pim Techamuanvivit before the musician Kayne West came for dinner.
According to a Chronicle report, someone called the upscale Thai restaurant and asked for a last minute reservation for “a table with Noma people” – Noma is the award-winning Danish restaurant that has recently launched a range of vegetarian and vegan garums. When the party hit, the chef and noma owner René Redzepi (or anyone associated with the restaurant) was nowhere to be found. Instead, a waiter discovered that West and his entourage had settled in the restaurant’s semi-private dining room.
Patricia Chang
Ironically, Techamuanvivit told the Chronicle that the not very elaborate ruse was completely unnecessary as it would have been both willing and able to accommodate the group if they called and dropped the world famous musician’s name. But that doesn’t mean she’s ditching West and his group for the stunt.
“I went to the table and asked which of you worked for my friend Rene? Oh yes, I have, ”Techamuanvivit tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
I went to the table and asked which of you worked for my friend Rene? Oh yeah i did
– Pim Techamuanvivit (@chezpim) July 1, 2021
A woman at the table simply replied, “He’s not here,” she told the Chron.
The group was polite, undemanding, and enjoyed the food, according to Techamuanvivit. They ate Som Tum Mamuang (spicy mango salad with cashew nuts), Gaeng Rawang Muan (chicken roulade in green curry), and Gaeng Kua Pla (black cod with curry), the owner also said.
Since Nari is one of San Francisco’s most renowned restaurants, it’s not that the staff aren’t used to seeing celebrities in the dining room. Still, some were “very, very fangirl-excited” to see West while others were disappointed not to see Redzepi, Techamuanvivit said. And while, to most of us, it may never quite make sense why one of the most famous musicians in the world (or someone on their behalf) has to drop someone by name in order to get preferential treatment, the mysterious caller may just be excited they had to don’t eat McDonald’s for dinner.
