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Located at 122 West King Street in Hillsborough, The Nomad offers globally influenced small plates and craft cocktails. It is open from 4:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 12-9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Indoor (via reservation) and outdoor seating are available as is online ordering.
A relative
newcomer to the Hillsborough dining scene, The Nomad is the latest
establishment from the team behind the Viceroy in Durham and the TanDurm food
truck. As the name suggests, it features foods that tend to wander from one
cuisine to the next (i.e. Indian meets Latin). It’s an ambitious concept, but
the folks here have the chops to make it work.
They also
happen to be friendly and welcoming people. We happened to wander by shortly
before lunchtime opening on a Saturday just to check out a menu, and one of the
owners offered a warm greeting. Our server was attentive and provided several
helpful food and drink suggestions.
At a place
like this, those suggestions can come in handy as the vast majority of The
Nomad’s offerings sound appealing. Though the menu isn’t large, it offers a
little bit of everything, including vegan and gluten free options. You can
embrace the familiarity of a classic chicken pakora or masala or battered fish
taco branch out into one of the fusion dishes like Thai chimichurri steak or
paneer pimento.
We opted
for a few small plates for our first time out, and though it was a tough
decision, we settled on sweet potato-stuffed kolaches, fried yuca poutine, and Korean
esquites. Food came out quickly and did not disappoint. The kolaches were thick
and pleasantly doughy with a warm, curried filling. Yuca sticks made for an
excellent potato substitute in the poutine, and the mushroom gravy was rich and
savory even if the mushrooms were a bit chewy. The esquites (de-cobbed Mexican
street corn) brought heat from its Gochujang sauce and dusting of chili lime,
but the refreshing crema kept it from overwhelming the palate. While Korean
tacos/burritos are nothing new, this particular Korean-Mexican combination was
like nothing I’ve seen elsewhere. My wife also enjoyed the Salted Fig cocktail.
Hillsborough
being Hillsborough, The Nomad isn’t exactly cheap, but it also is worth the
money spent. You’re looking at $8-$10 for small plates, and three were enough
to feed two hungry adults. Entrée-sized rice bowls run in the teens.
Opening
amid the COVID pandemic has undoubtedly been a brutal experience for many restaurants,
but from innovation to food quality to service, The Nomad has all the looks of
a keeper. I look forward to returning the next time I’m in Orange County.
