Temaki Party at BrightSide: Hand Rolls, Noodles, and NightJar Cocktails

If you read my Bright-O Bagels post, you know I’m a fan of what Josh Lanning is doing at BrightSide Kitchen on McClure Ave. So when Josh sent an invite for a one-night-only Temaki Party from his BrightBelly Ramen crew, I didn’t need to think about it. Sign us up.

An Intimate Night

On Thursday, October 1, BrightSide went full Japanese izakaya with hand rolls, noodles, dumplings, and drinks. Josh kept it small and casual, with four seatings through the evening and RSVPs by invite only. We grabbed the 7 PM seating, a foursome: Margaret and me, plus our friends Daryl and Sarah. We landed at Table 15, which quickly became the fun table.

What Was on the Card

The ticket covered a full spread:

• Temaki Rolls: unagi, tuna, and burdock, hand-rolled in crisp nori
• Tomato Ponzu Udon: heirloom tomato, quail egg, and shiso
• Pork Dumplings: with Cha Cha Chili

That udon bowl was a looker: bright heirloom tomatoes, a jammy quail egg, and fresh shiso over thick, chewy udon noodles, and like all the noodles at BrightBelly, they’re made in-house. It was light, fresh, and a little tangy from the ponzu.

The Add-Ons

Of course we went for the add-ons. First up, the Yaki Cheezu Onigiri: a grilled rice ball made with Cheese Pleasure, sitting in a pool of cheese sauce and buried under Hot Cheeto furikake and black sesame. Yes, Hot Cheetos. It’s ridiculous in the best possible way.

Then came the Short Rib Skewers, glazed in yuzu kosho caramel and crusted with crunchy tenkasu. These did not last long at Table 15.

Daryl and Sarah go to work on the short rib skewers

NightJar Behind the Bar

Since this is The Beer Report, I have to talk drinks. BrightSide doesn’t have a bar, so NightJar brought one, building out a full bar just for the evening, with a menu of cocktails created specifically for this night and this food. When you hear the drinks are being made by NightJar here in Peoria, you know it’s not going to be a ramen-and-Coca-Cola kind of night. The receipt tells the story: Table 15 worked through three of NightJar’s creations, all named for the occasion: the Bright After Dark, the Bright & Bubbly, and the Greener on the Bright Side. I had the Old Fashion specially made for the night, served on a big cube with an orange twist. (God I hate when the wrong ice is used!!!!)  The other one at our table was a bright green number in a coupe, topped with some kind of foam. That had to be the Greener on the Bright Side. (Why didnt I take a photo of the drink menu???)

Quality control on the NightJar cocktails

One Small Gripe (I made it small!)

If I had one complaint about the night, it was the clock. Each seating got a 60-minute block, and for the amount of food we were putting away, 60 minutes just wasn’t enough. It felt a little rushed, and that kind of stunk, because we were loving the food and the conversation was great. For a night like this, 75 or even 90 minutes would hit the sweet spot.

That said, I get it. The dining room is small, and with four seatings to get through, they need to turn the tables. So we took the party on the road and headed over to Yeni’s Palarte in Peoria Heights for an ice cream nightcap.

The Takeaway

I’ve eaten in this dining room many times now, and it just keeps getting better and better. This is what makes BrightSide special. Josh treats the place like a playground for chef-driven ideas: bagels in the morning, chicken sandwiches at lunch, ramen on Thursday nights, and every so often, a party like this one. Good food, good drinks, and good friends at the fun table.

When you get an invite to a special dinner night at BrightBelly Ramen, you take it.

BrightSide Kitchen
106 E. McClure Ave, Peoria, IL
brightside.kitchen · Instagram

NightJar
nightjarpeoria.com

Yeni’s Palarte
Peoria Heights, IL
Website

Cheers!