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NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong (Closed)

4

4

218 Reviews

Taste

Decor

Service

Hygiene

Value

|

8793

Tsim Sha Tsui

Above $801

Japanese Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant

147

41

14

Black Cod Saikyo Yaki

6 Recommended

岩崎

Level2

15

0

There is nothing more soothing than a great meal at the end of a long week. For some reasons my Saturday was spent slaving away at work, so I was positively exhausted when the my companion and I arrived at Nobu. I almost fell asleep on the the couches in the lobby! Anyway, I digress..I love eating at the Intercontinental! The fare is usually unpretentious, nourishing and always delicious. Lately they started promoting themselves as the premier Sunday dining destination, with each restaurant serv

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There is nothing more soothing than a great meal at the end of a long week. For some reasons my Saturday was spent slaving away at work, so I was positively exhausted when the my companion and I arrived at Nobu. I almost fell asleep on the the couches in the lobby! Anyway, I digress..

I love eating at the Intercontinental! The fare is usually unpretentious, nourishing and always delicious. Lately they started promoting themselves as the premier Sunday dining destination, with each restaurant serving a scrumptious special menu. The Nobu one in particular gives us a glimpse of the quality it is capable of. The Sunday Set lunch, which is a four-course matter, sets you back 548hkd each.

The good thing about eating with a companion is that you can try more variety. Being greedy Hong Kongers, we opted to try ALL the appetizers in store.

The waiter was kind enough to recommend the order of tasting, so that we could sample the more lightly flavoured dishes first. Our favourites were the Sweet Shrimp Tartar with Caviar on top, which was fresh, sweet and delightfully chewy. The Crispy Rice with Yellowtail was also well executed. I wasn't as impressed with the Short Rib Tacos, however. The texture was too brittle for my tastes, and it was served cool. I like my beef warm..

On to the main courses..

Black Cod Saikyo Yaki

Quite simply, one does NOT dine at Nobu without trying their Black Cod Saikyo Yaki. We soon found out why. Each flake of fish was well seasoned with a thin crust of sweet sauce glazed at the rim, with just the right bite. The skin was crispy. The whole dish was gone in a jiffy.

Lobster Tempura with Amazu Ponzu

Quite visually stunning, the Lobster tempura was. Unfortunately the lobster shell was empty. (We knew it would be, but we were hoping for a miracle...) The flesh, of course, was delicately fried in a thin batter and served with vegetables. It was all fine, but I was most impressed with the fried broccoli. Ask any Western child and he/she would say broccoli is the grossest thing on earth (Reference: Pixar's Inside Out). This specimen, however, was crunchy and sweet. I never thought broccoli could be done this way and this well. We also loved the sauce, which was a tad acidic to keep the oils from inundating your tastebuds.

Then came the carbohydrates. By now we were positively feeling our bellies bulge. The arrival of the Rice with Eel, however, changed the tone dramatically.

Stone Rice with Foie Gras and Eel

The eel itself was normal and well seasoned. The rice was excellent. Every grain was covered in sweet soy sauce. There were small tidbits of duck foie gras in it. The stone pot was still hot, so when we got to the bottom some crispy rice had formed, very much like what happens to a Cantonese 煲仔飯 (Clay Pot Rice).

The sushi was alright. Nothing to write home (or post to Openrice) about.

Ah yes, desserts.

I ordered the Suntory Whisky Iced Cappuccino. I love whisky, the name meant I could not miss it.

Suntory Whisky Iced Cappucino

Looks totally unassuming, doesn't it? Well if you go through the dense foam you will reach a layer of custard, and underneath that you get a lot of crunchy chocolatey goodies. All with the faint backdrop of whisky. Not bad at all.

Shoyu Caramelized Banana Split

This was the most peculiar banana split I had ever tasted. It was nice, but to this day I have no idea what those shreds were. Could someone kindly give me an answer in the comments below.

So, was this worth the money? I would say yes, especially with a credit card discount. To dine with the Victoria Harbour in full view, complemented by attentive service and a relaxed atmosphere, I would probably come back again for dinner. But not before I have tried Spoon...

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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DETAILED RATING

Taste

Decor

Service

Hygiene

Value

Date of Visit

2016-08-21

Dining Method

Dine In

Spending Per Head

$550 (Lunch)

Dining Offer

信用卡優惠

Recommended Dishes

dimshum

Level3

32

9

Nobu is probably a restaurant chain that few haven't heard of, and it's not hard to see why, with its loyal movie-star following and empire of restaurants across the globe, ranging from the Bahamas to Beijing. This was my second time at Nobu Hong Kong, and, in my humble opinion, I think that it really does live up to the hype with its delicious lunch set inspired by both Japanese and Peruvian flavours.Stepping into the restaurant, you're immediately ushered to your seat and your eyes will feast

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Nobu is probably a restaurant chain that few haven't heard of, and it's not hard to see why, with its loyal movie-star following and empire of restaurants across the globe, ranging from the Bahamas to Beijing. This was my second time at Nobu Hong Kong, and, in my humble opinion, I think that it really does live up to the hype with its delicious lunch set inspired by both Japanese and Peruvian flavours.

Stepping into the restaurant, you're immediately ushered to your seat and your eyes will feast upon the impressive coral structure hanging above your head. According to Nobu's website, it's actually a "unique undulating sea urchin ceiling". Either way, the aesthetics of the restaurant are visually appealing and unlike any other restaurant you'll have seen in Hong Kong.
For lunch, I decided to order the Nobu Signature Bento Box , although there are also many other selections available for lunch including a "create your own bento box" option. The bento set doesn't come with drink or dessert but it does include rice and miso soup.

Signature Bento Box

The service at Nobu is great- attentive and detail-oriented but not overly clingy, and our server made sure to describe each dish to us as it arrived. The bento box arrived in two stages- the first being the cold dishes- a salad and a selection of sushi.

Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing,

First up- the Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing, which was made up of tuna tataki atop a bed of endive leaves and sliced radishes. Nobu's Matsuhisa dressing really gave the salad an extra refreshing kick with its soy sauce, mustard and vinegar elements and went very well with the bitter leaves and the plump tuna.

The assorted sushi was also delicious - I especially liked the yellowtail scallion roll.

Nobu Signature Bento Box

Next up was the second part of the Bento box- the cooked dishes! Personally I liked this section more, because it had two of my favourite Nobu dishes in it- the black cod and rock shrimp tempura.

Chicken Antichuho Sauce

The Chicken Antichuho Sauce is typically an affordable Peruvian dish which is served in skewer form, but at Nobu they give it a twist by glazing the grilled chicken in teriyaki sauce.

Black Cod Saikyo Yaki

The Black Cod Saikyo Yaki is Nobu's signature dish and it's not hard to understand why. The cod is SO buttery and flaky, and the natural sweetness and juices of the fish, combined with the slightly chargrilled and caramelised saikyo miso paste glaze, creates a must-try dish for all to savour.

Rock Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce

The Rock Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce is probably one of the most moreish things I have ever tried- after all, who could resist bite-sized pieces of crunchy tempura-battered shrimp, coated with a mayonnaise, spicy and sweet (not to mention patented) sauce? I could eat plates and plates of this and never get sick of it.

To conclude, I had a great dining experience at Nobu. Many people seem to have a preconceived notion that eating at Nobu is very expensive- but the prices of their lunch sets are definitely very similar to the prices seen in many other Japanese eateries in Tsim Sha Tsui/Central/Causeway Bay etc- and you get a lot of delicious, lip-smacking food, not to mention that the portions are quite generous!

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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DETAILED RATING

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Value

Date of Visit

2014-08-20

Dining Method

Dine In

Recommended Dishes

Mister Piggy

Level2

13

0

Environment & Service (9/10):The place is not as big as I expected and can be more casual compared to some other fine dining restaurants (and loud because the tables are closer together). There was no pressure from the staff, they were friendly, attentive and explained the dishes well.The view is great (the sea view above is from our table) but there are only a few window seats so book early!Sashimi Tacos (5/10):Salmon, Crab and Lobster tacos were fresh. On the other hand the Tuna didn’t seem to

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Environment & Service (9/10):

The place is not as big as I expected and can be more casual compared to some other fine dining restaurants (and loud because the tables are closer together). There was no pressure from the staff, they were friendly, attentive and explained the dishes well.
The view is great (the sea view above is from our table) but there are only a few window seats so book early!

Sashimi Tacos (5/10):

Salmon, Crab and Lobster tacos were fresh. On the other hand the Tuna didn’t seem too fresh and tasted very fishy. Overall this dish was quite mediocre.

Toro Tartar with Caviar (10/10):

Toro Tartar wit h Caviar

The Toro cooled to the perfect temperature such that it didn’t feel fatty when eaten. It was accompanied by the salty burst of flavor from the caviar breaking into your mouth, sweet & slight sourness of the accompanying ponzu/soy sauce and the whole dish went absolutely perfect together. A bit pricy, but this was just incredible, best dish of the evening!

Rock Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce (8/10):

Rock Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce

The spicy sauce adds a nice kick to the tempura shrimp pieces. Nice dish, big portion too.

Unagi and Foie Gras with Apple Balsamic (7/10):

Unagi and Foie Gras with Apple Balsamic

The unagi and foie gras were placed in a piece of tempura seaweed and topped with some crunchy rice and balsamic. The quality of the ingredients was high and each piece was executed well but when everything came together it was a bit too heavy in my opinion.

Black Cod Saikyo Yaki (10/10):

Black Cod Saikyo Yaki

The cod was well marinated, the flavors were intense but not overbearing. I particularly liked the areas which were slightly burnt

. The fish was cooked perfectly, flaky while moist and with smooth texture.

Dessert Yon Ten Mori (Chef’s sampler) (8/10):

Dessert Yon Ten Mori (Chef’s sampler)

Mango sorbet (left) – really strong mango flavor

SnowSweet (middle top left) – This was a strawberry/yoghurt/jello combination, surprisingly nice!

Chocolate cake (top) – should be the same chocolate cake from their chocolate bento box. Wasn’t as good as some other reviewers had said in my opinion. This might be because there wasn’t any green tea ice cream to go with it!

Whisky Iced Cappuccino (bottom) – coffee cream, cocoa crumble and whisky foam. The whisky foam was light and went very well with the coffee cream. Quite a special dessert.
Raspberry Marscapone (right) - don't really like marscapone myself so no comment.

Overall (9/10)

I had some of the best fusion japanese dishes I’ve ever tasted here. Portions were generous, service was great and it definately was better value for money compared to many other fine dining restaurants. The overall experience was a lovely one.
Definitely will come again!

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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DETAILED RATING

Taste

Decor

Service

Hygiene

Value

Date of Visit

2014-03-21

Dining Method

Dine In

Spending Per Head

$850 (Dinner)

Dining Offer

信用卡優惠

Recommended Dishes

EAT hard PLAY hard

Level4

1.3K

10

忙了一個星期，來到週末，能與好友邊傾計邊嘆個悠長午餐或下午茶就最開心。早前一個週末就與朋友相約在NOBU來個開心午餐聚。有別傳統日本料理餐廳，NOBU的日菜屬較新派帶點fusion。除了日本，分店版圖在香港和北京，以至英、美、澳、歐、中東，及連南非都有，厲害。香港NOBU店有著洲際酒店的地利，窗前就是星光大道，食客可以透過大玻璃欣賞到中環至銅鑼灣一帶的美麗維港景色。雖然這日天色灰灰看不到藍天，但面對如此開陽景致用餐還是會讓人特別心曠神怡的。這裡週一至週六都serve 同一樣的lunch menu，在週日就另有Sunday set lunch。午市套餐選擇算頗多，有丼定食，壽司定食，便當盒等。午市定價大部分都約兩百多至三百多元一份，不過當然特色和特選套餐除外。想一次過滿足多個願望的我們都同樣看上了可以自選配搭的便當盒午餐。在6款冷盤和6款熱盤中可以各選3款，另包括湯和白飯，$388一份。冷盤便當的選擇以魚類為主。我的選擇是霜降燒金槍魚腩刺身配柚子味噌（左），香辣金槍魚刺身沙律（中）和帆立貝牛油果卷伴酢橘松露蛋醬（右）。霜降燒金槍魚腩刺身配柚子味噌，雖然這柚子味噌頗清甜，但我覺得

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忙了一個星期，來到週末，能與好友邊傾計邊嘆個悠長午餐或下午茶就最開心。早前一個週末就與朋友相約在NOBU來個開心午餐聚。有別傳統日本料理餐廳，NOBU的日菜屬較新派帶點fusion。除了日本，分店版圖在香港和北京，以至英、美、澳、歐、中東，及連南非都有，厲害。

香港NOBU店有著洲際酒店的地利，窗前就是星光大道，食客可以透過大玻璃欣賞到中環至銅鑼灣一帶的美麗維港景色。雖然這日天色灰灰看不到藍天，但面對如此開陽景致用餐還是會讓人特別心曠神怡的。

這裡週一至週六都serve 同一樣的lunch menu，在週日就另有Sunday set lunch。午市套餐選擇算頗多，有丼定食，壽司定食，便當盒等。午市定價大部分都約兩百多至三百多元一份，不過當然特色和特選套餐除外。想一次過滿足多個願望的我們都同樣看上了可以自選配搭的便當盒午餐。在6款冷盤和6款熱盤中可以各選3款，另包括湯和白飯，$388一份。

冷盤便當的選擇以魚類為主。我的選擇是霜降燒金槍魚腩刺身配柚子味噌（左），香辣金槍魚刺身沙律（中）和帆立貝牛油果卷伴酢橘松露蛋醬（右）。

Spicy tuna salad

霜降燒金槍魚腩刺身配柚子味噌，雖然這柚子味噌頗清甜，但我覺得toro本身已經肥美油脂甘香，不蘸味噌都很夠美味。

Toro tatami with yuzu miso

香辣金槍魚刺身沙律，用料新鮮，濃濃的香辣微酸salad dressing味道帶點南美菜的影子呢。

Spicy tuna salad

帆立貝牛油果卷伴酢橘松露蛋醬是我3款冷盤中最喜歡的。除了小卷賣相精緻，帆立貝很多鮮甜嫩滑，整體味道很清新。

Hotate avocado roll with sudachi truffle egg sauce

熱盤同樣又是6選3。我選了慢煮美國牛肉伴粟米餅（左），銀雪魚西京燒（中）和海蝦天婦羅配柚子胡椒醋汁（右）。熱盤與麵豉湯和白飯一起上。

慢煮美國牛肉伴粟米餅，taco包著又juicy又濃肉香的牛肉粒，加上微微香辣的醬汁，實在美味。

Slow cooked US short rib taco

銀雪魚西京燒是這裡的名物，既然便當有這選擇，沒理由不點來吃吧。銀雪魚燒得外香脆而肉質超嫩滑鮮甜，吃得大滿足呢。

Black cod saikyo yaki

海蝦天婦羅配柚子胡椒醋汁，炸得一點不油膩，蝦肉也算鮮甜，味道算不錯，但如果炸粉可以再薄些我會更喜歡。

Prawn tempura yuzu kosho ponzu

本身這個自選便當午餐是沒有包括甜品的。不過午市大家能以$100加一個甜品便當，一盒有3件由廚師安排的甜品。朋友這日就選了一客甜品便當，是一件黑朱古力撻，一球雪糕和一件macaron。而我就從全日供應的甜品menu中的創意甜品list選了Tofu-san / 瀛蜜•營物($148)。

單看這甜品的名字，已經覺得吸引，原來賣相亦都相當精緻。黑豆豆腐雪糕帶清新豆香，與軟綿綿香滑甜美的栗子蓉和新鮮無花果，還有黑豆脆脆片，這道甜品的各樣食材味道和質感加起來都很夾，而且吃完一點不會覺得膩，質感輕盈。

除了食物讓人吃得滿意，用餐環境舒適，服務亦有禮和親切。這裡的確適合與朋友相約在此邊吃邊聊聊天。

Other Info. : 有數張信用卡有折扣，建議可以與餐廳查詢最新安排 :)

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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DETAILED RATING

Taste

Decor

Service

Hygiene

Value

Dining Method

Dine In

Spending Per Head

$520 (Lunch)

Dining Offer

信用卡優惠

Recommended Dishes

為食 dancing queen

Level3

62

6

日本菜是本人之最愛，加上 Nobu 的名氣.........（他的食物能令嘗盡天下美食的影星： Robert De Niro 傾心，從而說服他成為生意上的合伙人）好想親自體驗他的原因，決定在那裡開始我第一篇食評。在一個風和日麗的下午，來到聞名已久位於洲際酒店內的 Nobu, 一位笑容可恭的服務員安排我們坐下，可能是平日的關係，店內客人並不多，此餐廳面對維港，本應可以盡享維港美景，但由於它座落於酒店二樓之中庭，被地下之 lobby 阻隔了一大段拒離，加上我們被安排坐於大廳中央，所以只能看到一團金光，而海景就欠奉了，因此有些許美中不足。我們一行五人，妺妺選了一份Teriyaki Salmon filet lunch set 看上去比較乾‏身，賣相不是太吸引，但妺妹說味道不錯，而其餘四人就選了 NOBU Signature Bento Box 為的就是這餐廳的主打菜 Black Cod Saikyo Yaki好欣賞他們的細心，每道菜都有個別小盒承載，令我們的眼睛大飽眼福，食欲大增，而菜式都十分有水準，魚生十分新鮮，配合廚師特色醬汁，將新鮮的食料推至完美的境界.壽司手工十分精緻，飯糰稀稠適中，

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日本菜是本人之最愛，加上 Nobu 的名氣.........
（他的食物能令嘗盡天下美食的影星：
Robert De Niro 傾心，從而說服他成為生意上的合伙人）
好想親自體驗他的原因，決定在那裡開始我第一篇食評。
在一個風和日麗的下午，來到聞名已久位於洲際酒店內的
Nobu,

一位笑容可恭的服務員安排我們坐下，可能是平日的關係，
店內客人並不多，此餐廳面對維港，本應可以盡享維港美景，
但由於它座落於酒店二樓之中庭，被地下之 lobby 阻隔了一大段
拒離，加上我們被安排坐於大廳中央，所以只能看到一團金光，
而海景就欠奉了，因此有些許美中不足。
我們一行五人，妺妺選了一份
Teriyaki Salmon filet lunch set
看上去比較乾‏身，賣相不是太吸引，但妺妹說味道不錯，
而其餘四人就選了 NOBU Signature Bento Box
為的就是這餐廳的主打菜 Black Cod Saikyo Yaki
好欣賞他們的細心，每道菜都有個別小盒承載，令我們的
眼睛大飽眼福，食欲大增，而菜式都十分有水準，

Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing

Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing

魚生十分新鮮，配合廚師特色醬汁，將新鮮的食料推至完美
的境界.

Sushi and Sushi Roll Assortment

壽司手工十分精緻，飯糰稀稠適中，味道也十分對胃口，

Black Cod Saikyo Yaki

慕名而來的 Black Cod Saikyo Yaki 終於出場了，小小的一片.
有些少失望，吃下去質感一般，並不是傳說中，咁令人（至少
羅拔迪尼路曾有此言）回味無窮，可能放久了才上桌，
本來熱食的變成涼菜，因此有丁點兒腥味.
其餘兩道菜，水準一般，沒有太大的驚喜。
到此見肚皮仍然有空間，叫了他們的特色甜品，
Chocolate Bento Box

Chocolate Bento Box

甜品好渦心地用小盒子上，色彩繽紛，收視覺效果，而亦能做出
日本餐對甜品的一貫作風，味道與質感，跟視覺成正比例，十分讚嘆，
為我們此行畫上完美的句號。
不可不提他們的侍應十分之有禮貌，笑容滿臉，每一道菜也問你
的滿意度，就連上洗手間也親自帶領至門口（註：因餐廳寬大，
而洗手間又設於長廊盡頭隱蔽的地方）
什至埋單時特意提醒我們有沒有花旗銀行信用卡，如用此咭結賬
可有九折優惠，如此一來替我們省去二佰多元，多了一個意外
的收穫。

Other Info. : 附註：多謝妺妺提供的靚靚相片

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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DETAILED RATING

Taste

Decor

Service

Hygiene

Value

Dining Method

Dine In

Spending Per Head

$430 (Lunch)

Dining Offer

信用卡優惠

Recommended Dishes

Little Meg

Level4

130

55

When I first moved to Manhattan, Nobu, located in Tribeca which was extremely close to where I lived and worked, was one of the restaurants that I rushed to try. Why? Because it was THE place – it’s the first Nobu or the flagship store, so to speak, and you frequently see celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, the Olsen twins, etc., to dine there. At that time, I was quite impressed by the combination of food and chic décor, which wasn’t common in Japanese restaurants in NYC at that t

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When I first moved to Manhattan, Nobu, located in Tribeca which was extremely close to where I lived and worked, was one of the restaurants that I rushed to try. Why? Because it was THE place – it’s the first Nobu or the flagship store, so to speak, and you frequently see celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, the Olsen twins, etc., to dine there. At that time, I was quite impressed by the combination of food and chic décor, which wasn’t common in Japanese restaurants in NYC at that time. Unfortunately, as the Nobu’s empire expanded, the quality of the food went in the opposite direction. The head chef, aka the Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, opened up his own restaurants in Philly and NYC. Tons of competitors, from haute fusion restaurants to small Japanese eateries, put Nobu’s signature dishes on their menu; some even managed to surpass Nobu’s renditions at a cheaper price. Gradually, I found myself distant from Nobu except when invited by friends. I somehow stopped going to Nobu in Manhattan.

When a friend organized a reunion dinner at Nobu at InterContinental Hotel, I tried to put my prejudice aside. I realized that many of them were excited about the dinner, as they had never been to Nobu before. After all, I haven’t been to this particular branch, so maybe there would be surprises? As a large party, the restaurant already helped as to set up the menu which included most of the signature dishes which were arranged into platters large enough to share rather than in individual sizes (we had two large platters of everything). Once we placed orders for our drinks, the cold dishes promptly arrived.

The Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño, a famous Nobu’s original creation, was invented by Chef Matsuhisa in the attempt to get Westerners to eat raw fish long time ago. But were the ultra thin slices of hamachi, which completely lost their texture, also an effort to fit the Westerners’ palates? For those who were used to eating sashimi, this dish was probably doomed to be too uninspiring, with the thin slice of jalapeno barely giving any kick to the tastebuds.

Fortunately, they did get the Tuna Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing right. The dressing tasted exactly like the one I had at Nobu NYC (note: at one point, this dressing was available in bottles in US supermarkets, so mass production shouldn’t be a problem for them). The sweetness of Maui onion was balanced nicely with the acidity of the rice vinegar. The intense black peppery seasoning was dominant and was needed to cover up the otherwise bland tuna tataki pieces. I happily mopped up all the dressing with the daikon “noodles” and almost forgot about the tuna.

The large pile of Rock Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce was served hot and was seasoned properly. Nevertheless it was unable to completely invigorate my palate with the wet-doughy batter coating and overwhelming mayonnaise sauce. This dish was far better at Morimoto, an evidence that the student can sometimes go beyond the teacher.

If there is one dish that Nobu always gets it right, it is the Black Cod Saikyo Yaki. I have had plenty of cod saikyo yaki when I worked in Japan, and Nobu’s version isn't one that is just good enough for foreigners. It is indeed an excellent rendition of this authentic traditional dish. It is also the signature dish that happens to be consistently good over time. While cod with miso glaze has become a ubiquitous dish (much to Nobu’s influence) and is literally available in every Japanese restaurant in NYC, the one at Nobu remains to be the one of the best available. It didn’t disappointed this time at Nobu InterContinental, with the saikyo miso penetrated into the plump, meaty, and delicate fish. Not to forget is the hajikami (the pickled ginger stalks) on the plate. They aren’t just there for garnish; they serve as a great foil to the sweet fish meat, much like the gari you have with sushi.

Each of us also ordered individual dishes such as sea urchin and king crab tempura, saga beef tataki, before the platters of nigiri sushi, maki rolls and Nobu signature rolls arrived. Sushi is a weak offering at the Nobu in Manhattan, and it seems that I wasn't able to escape this unfortunate fate. None of the nigiri sushi was particularly impressive, with the fish just of average quality and freshness and rice not molded very skillfully. The signature rolls with fried soft shell crab wrapped in sushi rice, seaweed and daikon once again reminded me of the Nobu in NYC, as they tasted very much the same. But the rolls also reminded me of many average fusion restaurants, like the neighborhood sushi eateries or chain establishments, which also churn out something similar with flavor more or less the same.

The savory portion of the dinner was completed with a bowl of udon in soup, which was as average as you could get beyond instant udon. The dessert platters of fruits, mochi ice cream, and petite four were dramatically presented all at one time. But with the fruits so sour that puckered my lips, and the mochi ice-cream that resembled those from Dairy Farm, who cared even if they were plated on diamond plates?

In the end, this dinner confirmed my belief about Nobu. It was once a great restaurant, one that provided innovative dishes that tried to make Japanese cuisine appealing and approachable to a wider audience. The motive was noble; the dishes were unconventional and delicious. But that was 10 or 15 years ago. With the rest of the world continues to improve, progress, and innovate, the benchmark for excellence in Japanese cuisine has been significantly raised. Nobu, on the other hand, remains where it was in the past. The menu hardly ever changes, and quality, on the other hand, drops with the nonstop expansion. Now, when I go to Nobu, instead of paying for food, I find myself paying for a brand name in history.

Cold Appetizers in Platters

Hamachi Sashimi with Jalapeno

Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing

Rock Shrimp Tempura in Spicy Creamy Sauce

Black Cod Saikyo Yaki

Nigiri Sushi, Maki, and Nobu Signature Rolls

Nobu Signature Roll

Dessert Platters

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Taste

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Value

Spending Per Head

$1200 (Dinner)

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