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| - First I gotta get something out of my system: you people giving bad reviews on this place need to get a grip. Nobuo is not your spot if you want to get in and out quick before a concert. Nobuo is a destination in itself. Diners need to allow enough time to appreciate the flawless execution of each dish in turn. And there is no division on the menu between "starters" and "mains." Yes, dishes are served individually, in succession, tapas-style, choose your descriptor. No, you can't whine that your "main" came out after your dining companion's "main." Yes, eating here takes time. If you do not have that time, go somewhere else. But if you do have that time, you will be richly rewarded. I keep using the word "perfect" in this review because there is simply no other word to use.
Hubby and I enjoyed a definite splurge Saturday night with five dishes. #1: the grapefruit and hamachi, which is as fantastic as all the other reviewers say. I could eat it all day long and never get sick of it (but never get full either - it is very light, and the portion borders on a taste). #2: a special that day, tuna with charred greens and an onion vinaigrette. The tuna was seared on the outisde, raw on the inside, and simply melted in our mouths. #3: the warm duck salad, with a roughly equivalent portion of greens to the previous dish, but a slightly larger portion of duck, again expertly crafted. This is the first duck dish I've ever been served where I had no desire to try to peel back and discard portions - it was perfect and we practically licked the plate. #4: coconut curry lamb, perfectly trimmed, delicately but richly spiced, with the clean, sharp and sweet flavors of the mango fennel salad setting off the rich lamb perfectly. #5: the shiromi carpaccio, fanned slices of white fish over which the server pours hot oil to cook the fish right at your table. The "focaccia" was more of a spiced steamed bread, and I wished we'd had a bit more of it, but we really didn't need more: the portion brought was exactly right to sop up the majority of the delicious ginger, yuzu, sesame and garlic sauce while leaving behind most of the cooking oil.
Drinks: Hubby had a sweet potato lager, which was interesting, but nothing I would go out of my way to order again. I enjoyed my first exposure to shochu, ordering the potato flight. My favorite, the white potato, reminded me of grappa; I can see why people compare shochu to single-malt whisky.
Bottom line: I could drop my finger on the menu and order absolutely any dish, and I have no doubt it would arrive to my table expertly crafted, with great attention to flavor and detail, at the height of its perfection. We paid dearly for that perfection; even with a $50 for $100 Deal Chicken deal, this was a real wallet-buster at $70 per person with tax and tip. But it was worth it. For an anniversary or other special evening, I can think of no better celebratory splurge.
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