Nobu London

Ever since my brother J and my parents had a meal at Nobu in Hong Kong, they couldn't stop raving about it. So, when we were trying to pick a place to celebrate my brother R's Chinese birthday in London, they decided on Nobu, saying that the three of us who haven't been must try it. The three of us first timers in Nobu went for the Omakase meal. My sister and I did the 60£ Omakase meal which included 7 of Nobu's signature dishes and my brother went for the 70£ Omakase meal that had more exotic dishes. 

Nobu's interior is bright and inviting. Everything looked perfectly clean and presentable that you would really feel like you were dining in a fancy restaurant, which you are. According to their website, Nobu opened a branch in London back in 1997 and was awarded one Michelin star. 

Our server would describe the ingredients and preparation with every dish that came out. Our first dish was Yellowtail sashimi topped with caviar and spring onions, with a side of peach to clean the palate. Out of the 7 dishes we had, this was my favorite. The fish was served on a bed of ice but it was just the right temperature. I am a big fan of sashimi, but have never had yellowtail sashimi. I can say now that it is delicious. I cannot get enough of it. 

The next dish was Seared tuna salad with sauce that is a mixture of black pepper, green onions and Japanese yellow mustard. This dish wasn't anything special. The tuna wasn't as tasty as I would have liked. It also came with vegetable rolls that reminded me of Vietnamese spring rolls. Everything still tasted fresh though. I will give it that.

I quite enjoyed the next dish that came out. There wasn't really anything original about it except for its presentation. It was Black cod marinated in miso sauce for 3 days. Maybe the fact that it was marinated for 3 days contributed to the tastiness of the fish. The fish was flavorful and buttery; I couldn't ask for more. On the side was a slice of lemon to balance the sweetness of the cod. 

Next came the meat dish. It was a simple beef teriyaki flamed with sake served on a hot plate. The meat was served medium rare, but it could have been more tender. 

After the beef, we were served soup. I guess at this point we are already trying to cleanse our system from the oils of the meat and the fish. I cannot remember what the soup was. My notes and recording do not help because the server seemed to be speaking Japanese terms which I could not make out. I don't find it on the menu either. My notes say "Wagame. Aragage. Ujamame." and a quick search on Google for soup surrounding these terms returned Wakame miso soup which sounds just about right.

When the sushi came out, the server didn't explain anything anymore. It was probably because there wasn't really anything to explain. It was a plate of sushi assortment and honestly, I've had better sushi. The rolls were a bit bland.

Lastly, what my dad and my brother J have been most waiting for, dessert! When we were at the Vancouver airport awaiting our flight to London, my dad described this dessert in detail, saying it was the best he has ever had. It was so good that they ordered an extra one when they were in Hong Kong. When my dessert came out, my brother J said that it wasn't the same, though certainly similar. It is called Suntory Whisky Cappuccino and is described as milk ice cream, crunchy coffee cacao and coffee creme brulee served in an espresso cup.

It was a good meal and certainly a nice break from our fast food dinners and fish and chips. However, considering that I had a much better meal at Cascina Spinasse (10 courses of unique dishes created personally by the chef) for about the same price, I wasn't too impressed with Nobu. Maybe I've become a food snob after all. 

Nobu London

19 Old Park Lane

London, UK

+44.207.447.4747