With an emphasis on quality and sustainability, Restaurant DaKan is officially open for business in downtown Nevada City.
In the spot most recently known for housing One 11 Kitchen and Bar, Chef Garett DaKan is offering his take on cuisine from around the world, while honoring the rich culinary heritage of Nevada County and its many agricultural resources.
Since opening in January, Chef DaKan said the reception so far has been “pretty fantastic. I am really proud of a very diverse clientele demographic, folks from all walks of life and a lot of locals—a lot of really good local support from local business owners and all kinds of different folks. Word’s getting out there and we have guests from the Bay and Sacramento and it seems to be becoming a destination in itself.”
The menu varies from season to season all while encompassing DaKan’s taste for locally sourced and handcrafted ingredients. His vision for his eponymous restaurant is to create a memorable experience for each visitor, who he prefers to call guests rather than customers.
“It is also about creating a community and a place for all of our employees to thrive and a place for our guests to enjoy excellence in food and hospitality,” said DaKan. “I cooked in the United States in many different places. I traveled the world for many years on a sort of culinary journey. There is definitely a lot of influence from places I’ve been.”
As we move toward warmer months, Restaurant DaKan will introduce a pizza program with selections made in an outdoor pizza oven soon to be installed on the patio, where guests can enjoy the warm air and pleasant outdoor vibes.
Additionally, the restaurant will host on April 6 the first of its quarterly five-course tasting menu events in a Spring Gourmet fashion. The $85 pre-fixe tasting menu will include halibut ceviche, black cod prepared with fiddlehead ferns, sweet potato udon, cacao lamb and pho, and an opera cake with red wine glazed strawberries.
“It is really highlighting all the elements of spring and all of these items that we are serving on April 6 will become part of our regular menu and we will phase out some of the winter items,” said DaKan. “There is not exactly a schedule but when the weather changes and we get new ingredients we’re going to put them into the menu.”
Other menu favorites include venison striploin, Hokkaido scallop, handmade ravioli, duck confit poutine and a variety of seasonal salads.
DaKan opened his restaurant after serving as head chef at Stone House in Nevada City. He said the transition from his former position to his role as owner of his Commercial Street eatery was relatively quick, and gives him the chance to share his culinary experiences with the community and beyond. He takes pride, for example, in offering affordable experiences that can suit a wide variety of diners.
“What I am really trying to do is create an excellent experience, cost effective and approachable. And in return I feel like we’ve had the repeat business to support that program,” he said. “The menu is also very diverse in the aspect that you can come and enjoy a lot of the menu on a lower budget. You can get certain items—ravioli by the piece, pomme croquettes by the piece—and you can come and enjoy a burger and beer for under 30 bucks or you can come and enjoy fantastic high quality wines and a more gourmet experience.”
Along with the hospitality aspect, DaKan said his staff’s and patrons’ wellbeing remains at the forefront of his mind as he takes the community on a global expedition via his cuisine.
“Our menu is an ode to global influence and the places we’ve traveled and all the food that we’ve loved from all over the world, focusing on locally sourced ingredients and quality ingredients, hand-crafted,” he said. “We will continue to provide an excellent experience and will continue to make creative food and deliver hospitality.”
Restaurant DaKan is proud to offer ingredients from local providers Mountain Bounty Farm, Riverhill Farm, Crest Point Farms, Deer Creek Bakehouse, Twin Peaks Orchards, and others.
The restaurant is also available for private events.
For more information and to make reservations please visit www.restaurantdakan.com or call 530-264-7015. Restaurant DaKan is open Wednesday through Sunday 5:00 pm. to 9:00 p.m., with a 10:00 p.m. closing time on Fridays and Saturdays.