jamarchThe Village of Hempstead, once known for Main Street’s thriving retail center, has been overcast by the rise of mega malls such as Roosevelt Field and the changing demographics of the village and surrounding communities.
The area’s shopping buzz has long been replaced by a transportation hub with an estimated 500,000 commuters daily. Nakisaki, a fusion of Chinese, Jamaican and Indian cuisine, boasting a quarter century of culinary excellence, remains Main Street’s most attractive destination; drawing diners from across Nassau County and New York City.
Established in 1985 in the Rosedale section of Queens, NY, Nakisaki is the brain child of the late Earl Lyn Sr. – a Jamaican immigrant who made his name in the early sixties with the formation of “The Mighty Mistics” – one of the country’s most prominent Ska band which helped ushered in the Roots Reggae area. With family recipes and a determination to create a cultural oasis in this community of largely Jamaican immigrants, Mr Lyn created a sit-down restaurant where community residents could socialize, eat and reflect on what’s happening in their respective homelands.
According to daughter Deborah Lyn, Nakisaki was Mr. Lyn’s nickname since childhood.
“As a youth, he was part of popular acrobatic act. When the MC would introduce the group, he would say, of my father, introducing the great Nakisaki from Shanghai.”
Media Writer
