Nobu
- Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Garage, Valet
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
22 Reviews for Nobu
Awesome decoration in the restaurant. Very spacious and tall ceiling.
I was actually surprise I didn't order any sushi/sashimi here. But they weren't all that special. So I went with the hot dishes...
First I got the beef kushiyaki (2 skewers), it was marinated and cooked just right, the beef was very tender.
Then I ordered the Tobanyaki "Sizzling Dome" with salmon (with mexed mushrooms). It has an amazing sauce the salmon was cooked perfect (just medium rare - not too cooked and dry).
And the dinner ended with complimentary white chocolate.
So it was a great experience. I wish the services was a little more attentive.
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Visit #1: I went to Nobu to celebrate my birthday with some friends. Even though it was my birthday - I really wanted to do Omakase, but was considerate of everyone wallets. Nonetheless, we ordered tons and shared family style so I definitely sated my curiosity.
First, skip on the sushi rolls. My friends wanted to try out a few items so I couldn't very well veto. The rolls (spicy tuna and spider) tasted like standard fare that you can get at any sushi restaurant. If you must do sushi - definitely take advantage of the freshness and stick with sashimi.
Second, splurge on the hot and cold offerings. Best of the night:
Yellow Tail Sashimi with Jalapeno
Rock Shrimp Tempura
Seared Chilean Sea Bass
Black Cod with Miso
For dessert we had Banana Dulce de Leche - basically this is like taking an egg-roll wrapper and filling it with banana, deep frying it and serving it alongside a scoop of ice cream with a passion fruit syrup drizzled over it. I would pass on this next time and go for something more "exotic" - it was just sort of meh.
All in all, we enjoyed ourselves. Next time, I am going to Omakase. I think whenever a restaurant has this offering - should totally partake in the experience - no matter the cost.
UPDATE 05/11/08 - Since Yelp has a word limit - best of Visit #2
* Lobster ceviche - not your traditional ceviche, served more like a lettuce wrap with a citrusy dressing. There's only 2 per order, so we had to place an extra 1/2 order
* Seared scallops with jalapeno salsa - this was my favorite of the evening. Scallops were HUGE and fresh. Again, needed to order an extra 1/2
* Creamy spicy jumbo lump crab - large lumps of crab meat on a hot plate paired with what tastes like the sauce for Volcano rolls (comparatively - good value for the money)
* Rock shrimp tempura (we liked it alot the first time and got it again) - ask to split the order so that you get to sample both sauces. I prefer the creamy spicy sauce
No complaints, but be prepared to drop some major coin. Both times we dropped $200 sans alcohol. Overall, definitely recommend that you try out the restaurant at least once and sample some of the hot and/or cold fare.
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Located at likely the most awesome hotel in Dallas. I felt like royalty driving up in my crappy American rental car in front of the hotel to valet the car.
True to Dallas style, this place was HUGE! Possibly the biggest sushi place I've ever been to. Decor was hip. I also recall a number of tall 20 year olds that also seemed to serve as decorations as well...possibly eye candy for the men in business suits. Their outfits reminded me of bandeaus that they were somehow able to stretch out to make into dresses - sitting down was problematic for them.
Dallas is not really known for good sushi, but I thought Nobu would be different because that's what this place is known for. I was totally wrong. Sushi was not good. Everything else was fantastic!
Lesson learned: don't try to eat sushi ever again in Dallas.
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If you have perused any of the drivel that I have posted here, you may have determined that I have a certain love--no, passion-- for sushi. While I am not Japanese, my affinity for sushi was rooted when I was still being wrapped in diapers.
My mother, finely tuned to my pre-toddler tastes, somehow understood that my budding palate had a certain craving for all-things-Japanese. Thus, for the first fifteen months of my life, she spiked my bottle with a whiff of wasabi. As a toddler, while my peers devoured hot dogs and chips, I fastidiously enjoyed sushi rolls, accompanied by my own personalized , Mickey-Mouse emblazoned, pottery container of soy sauce and sushi dishware, while sitting at my pint-sized, pre-school table. (How many Anglo kids mastered chopsticks at the age of two?)
When I entered grade school, as my classmates were enjoying school-bought lunches or home-prepared bologna sandwiches delivered within the metal confines of their GI Joe or Munsters lunch-boxes, I regularly enjoyed my Japanese bento box, while the faces of my sixth-grade compatriots demonstrated signs of nausea-induced distress.
So, when the sushi phenomena hit the states a number of years ago, for me, it was akin to proclaiming that meat loaf was suddenly hip.
Throughout my life, I have always been on the hunt for the newest purveyor of sushi. In the mid-nineties, my job required that I spend alternating weeks between NYC and Dallas for a number of years. Since the sushi terrain was more developed and broad in the Big Apple versus Dallas, I thought I had died and gone to Nigiri-zushi heaven. Since I spent a considerable amount of time in lower Manhattan, I remember my personal shame over my sadistic envy of those who were lucky enough to secure a reservation at Nobu, the hip new sushi place that opened in Tribeca.
Back then, I would shamelessly squash my face against the windows of the arriving limos outside the restaurant, which were delivering lucky and privileged passengers to the ultra-hipness of Japanese dining, while I attempted to bid for a black-market reservation from the crusty upper-strata of the dining elite, only to be dismissed as just another street vagrant restaurant reservation whore.
So, you can imagine my delight when Nobu announced that they were opening a location a few years back at the Crescent Hotel near uptown.
Since it opened back in 2005, both SO and myself have been to Nobu numerous times. But, most often, such as tonight, when SO is on the road leaving little 'ole me home, I hit the Nobu sushi bar by my singular lonesome.
Why? Because, since Nobu is located at the Crescent, where there are numerous business travelers, when sitting alone at the sushi bar you don't look like a lonely freakoid with a nervous twitch and no friends, muttering to himself over a cup of hot saki. (Honest, I lost my facial twitch when I was 33. And when I mutter to myself now, I only do it when I'm pondering the possibilities of interplanetary life.)
(But, beware ... if you're a guy, sitting alone at a sushi bar (or the regular bar) in a nicer hotel, might result in you being the target of--shall we say-- independent business women, looking to earn a fast $400 dollars. On a few occasions, I have witnessed several budding entrepreneurs at work at the sushi and beverage bar at Nobu--believe it or not.)
The menu at Nobu is reasonably wide---albeit expensive. They offer up a number of house sushi dishes, as well as the ala carte menu.
For the most part, I'm a sushi purist. Just give me my miso soup, a couple of quail eggs, some mackerel, salmon, tuna, yellowtail, octopus, fish eggs, and similar fare, and I'm a happy camper.
And Nobu does a fine job in giving you top-notch fish delivered by authentic sushi-chefs that know their stuff. Especially when you're at the sushi bar.
But, even dining solo, be prepared to drop a C-note for a reasonably-decent sized order.
My verdict on Nobu? You can't shoo me away with a Rickster-sized fly swatter.
But, I might add that the Nobu experience is a tad over-hyped and rated.
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As you all know, from my reviews, I love Japanese food! So I have to write this review.
Nobu is a beautiful restaurant with amazing decor and layout for the atmosphere. It is most definetly a place to go for social gatherings, a night out for drinks, or for a relaxed business dinner, or even to have large parties. A mix of younger and older adults all in one restaurant. It is a place to have fun.
The sushi was delicious, so was the Edamame-with the perfect amount of salt. If you have special requests, they can prepared those too! The Mochi Ice cream and the Banana rolls are a MUST for dessert, very sweet and delicate once in your mouth!--YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! and for alcoholic drinks--I recommend the Lychee Martini.
Dressy attire, I would say. Price is fair. Service is good. I definetly recommend Nobu.
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having already dined at Nobu Waikiki, my expectations were extremely high. after two nights of Texas beef, I thought how about a real treat?
Omakase is chef's choice.
this was my choice tonight paired with a small bottle of onigorishi sake. i quickly made friends with Vickie the manager as I had a very limited time to dine since my plane was departing in two hours from DFW which was in Irving Texas.
I had an incredible dining experience.
I started with pleasant amuse bouche of seared ahi tuna in a cilantro sauce. all fish was very fresh and tasty.
next up was a tasty salmon tartare in a wasabi sauce.
a whimsical shrimp spring roll served in a martini glass followed. still rolling with "nothing but net" dishes.
miso black cod wrapped in a banana leaf (check out the photos)
I also befriend the sushi chefs since I sat my quickie Nobu meal and I noticed the marinated baby ika (octopus) from japan.
I get it included in an incredible dish with paper thin slices hearts of palm in an awesome salad. btw the salad also included a giant scallop sized slice of seared escolar, an oily but very yummy ocean white fish. next up - Texas sirloin served in an iron platter with enoki and shitake mushrooms. WOW! nice texture and super flavor.
sushi platter did not disappoint.
Japanese mackerel aji, blue fin tuna belly (chutoro), amberjack, clam, and sea eel. double WOW!
dessert was a molten chocolate cake with green tea ice cream. which i had to take to go (just the cake).
If you read this Yelp and get an op to dine here, please tell Vickie, one of the managers hello from JYW!
she was a wonderful host and very accommodating for my special requests.
a true 5 star experience!
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Almost everyone from my company was staying at the Crescent Court Hotel so we all decided to have our last dinner inside the hotel at Nobu. The ambiance was great, wait staff were helpful and overall the food was good. They had an amazing Yellowtail with jalapeno that seriously insanely good. I would've never thought to put a slice of jalapeno on my sushi--fantastic kick at the end. I also recommend the rock shrimp (both the spicy and non-spicy) and the 'soft shell crab roll'--aka Spider Roll.....super tasty. I don't really enjoy how they try to sell you on the 'family style' sushi cuz I just feel like I never get enough food....but that's probably cuz I'm a glutton.
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Well, if you're looking for a posh, super-stylish evening filled with fresh fish and delicious martinis (and you're not worried about the damage to your wallet), I'd definitely recommend Nobu.
I went with some girlfriends, and we were dressed to impress (but it was nothing compared to the hostesses' garb). We sipped fruity drinks (the pineapple martini was to die for, and my friends dug the lychee variety), tasted all kinds of Japanese/Peruvian delicacies (the seared tataki beef was exquisite, and the spicy tuna roll was the best I've ever had) and flat out indulged. We had the hook-up with one of the chefs, so several random items made their way to our table. Frankly, everything was delicious.
Obviously, all the Dallas big-wigs can be found here, and we spotted at least one Mavs player while we dined. But don't let the clientele intimidate you, the waitstaff was super friendly and we felt right at home. For a special occasion, it's a great choice.
The acoustics were a little lacking, and we couldn't really hear our waiter (nice though he was) ... also, the menu was definitely confusing, but overall, YUM. It was worth the large chunk of change we dropped.
And, when we were ready to leave, the hotel even offered us one of their cars to take us to our next destination! Major points for Hotel Crescent Court!
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Hmm let's see. The sushi was not as fresh as I would imagine a place that is part of the Nobu franchise would have. We were charged for a bottle of wine that our friends at another table already had bought for us. They messed up our order with the sushi. And they took an inordinate amount of time in getting us anything we asked for (more water, soy sauce, wasabi, etc...). Dallas has so many great sushi places, why would anybody in their right mind was to come here. The only reason I didn't give them 1 star is because some of the food was actually pretty good.
Overpriced, underserviced, not worth coming to this Nobu.
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Okay this is the place to be on Thursday nights if you want to celebrity watch (i.e. Terrel Owens, Tommy Lee) or network the bar (people are more than they seem to be so don't misjudge). The latter part of the evening I was chatting up with a couple of young millionaire dot.com guys as if they were my peers.
The ambiance is very relaxing. Dress to impress. Take a stroll through the hotel courtyard with a glass of wine. My choice for happy hour if only I lived closer to Dallas. Try the lychee martini, yummy.
We were guests of the management that evening. The waitstaff is very attentive. But the food is wonderfully creative and I'm very picky when it comes to sushi. If I eat sushi and must be adventurous it has to be at a place like this $$$. The kitchen kept rolling out dish after dish to our table for us to sample their many talents.
Lucky for me this was an expense-free evening. So food and alcohol tastes even better when its free.
Thanks to the management at Nobu for a wonderful evening.
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I feel sorry for the Dallas NOBU addition, as this franchise has such a high and respected reputation around the world. Since I haven't had the opportunity to eat at the others, my review is strictly Dallas oriented. I am very mixed even to this 3-star rating as I feel my experiences here have been somewhat inconsistent. Let me show you why:
1st time- terrible service, 4-hr dinner because the food was sooo incredibly slow, final tab came out overcharged with things we didn't order, food was good though....overall chaotic!
2nd time- Restaurant Week. Talk about small portions, not stellar food quality, good service
3rd time- good food
So, if you do decide to visit here, I do recommend the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno. That is amazing! The yellowtail comes with a small jalapeno pepper that you eat simultaneously with as both are drenched in a soy-ponzu sauce. I also love the Rock Shrimp in the Sichimi Ponzu. The one thing that disappoints me tremendously about Nobu is their rendition of the Black Cod with Miso. It is NOT fresh (fishy actually) and marinated with too much Miso. The texture of the entree becomes steak-like and is not how it should be. You would think that since they run a global franchise that they could at least get this staple Japanese dish right! Dessert wise, if you've never had Japanese mochi, order it in Green Tea, Mango, and Strawberry. You will love it!
All in all, the ambience and decor of this place is nicely done. Trendy and very pleasing to look at and be surrounded by. Nobu needs to get rid of its ego and start paying attention to its food quality more and service.
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I went here for my 18th birthday with my parents and it was just beautiful. The ambiance is very peaceful and elegant.
We had the chef choice meal which is pretty much tapas, for 100$ each. I would keep Nobu for very special occasions for that main reason, it's expensive as get all.
The food was exquisite and they are willing to adjust the chef's choices to your dietary needs. No spice? Fer sure! No red meat? No problem! Straight vegan? They'll make it work!
The beautiful plate they decorated with raspberry sauce for my birthday was gorgeous. It was all so beautiful and I hope to go back ASAP.
You need to make a reservation and it is very high class so dress for the occasion because there's nothing like being disrespectful in ratty jeans in a place like Nobu.
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I enjoy Nobu primarily for the ambiance, but for a nice sushi dinner, I'll stick with Steel.
Nobu is beautiful and the fare is as well, but I've found that, like so many places in Dallas, it's somewhere you go to be "seen" (a la Dragonfly, Ghostbar, etc.)
Besides that, if you can afford it, it is a beautiful place to take guests.
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Excellent sushi but expensive. Please PLEASE don't go here if you expect to order a california roll or just to dine on rolls. True sushi eaters do not just go eat rolls when they go eat sushi, and you shouldn't at Nobu. You would be selling yourself short. Go if you really enjoy eating sushi and sashimi or want to be adventurous. The wait staff was attentive and well educated about the menu. We ordered a few things that they suggested, and each dish was excellent.
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I was staying at the Crescent Court Hotel on business and decided to eat here my last night in town. That was a GREAT idea! Sat at the bar and started the evening off right with a large hot sake; the first of four that night. The miso soup is great and I like the large chunks of tofu versus chasing the small pieces with my chopsticks everywhere else. Had the toro sushi and it was melt in my mouth fresh. Also had the spicy tuna roll, a negihama roll and unagi. All were fresh and delicious. Followed it up with the miso cod and enjoyed that; it was a big meaty piece of fish. The waitstaff was OUTSTANDING. On a personal note, the chefs were super friendly, comped me some food and drink then one took me out afterwards. Who knew wanton debauchery with a side of wall banging sex was on the menu too?
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We had a wonderful restaurant week experience at Nobu. The food and atmosphere of the restaurant were both five star. The decor was modern and typical of an asian fusion type atmosphere with dark wood and mixes of blacks and browns. However, the service was not extremely professional and the bar scene was definitely not our scene. While our waiter was very friendly, it looked like he smoked one too many bowls before waiting on us. Service was definitely accomodating, but they took away entree plates one at a time instead of waiting until everyone was finished...a pet peeve of mine in a nice restaurant. And, two of the drinks came out wrong in our first order. They did immediately fix the drinks but it was obvious that our waiter was not all there.
We started with the edamame, which was typical and good (not on restaurant week menu). Then, I had the cucumber and seaweed salad. It was fresh, tasty and delicious. The portions were pretty good for restaurant week and we were all extremely satisfied with the main course. I ordered the black miso cod, which was possibly the best fish I have ever had. It had a sweetness that was perfect and was nice and flakey. I ended up giving half to my hubby, because he could not believe how great it was. The beef was also well prepared and flavorful but the cod was the big winner. The entree came with assorted sushi rolls and the house roll, spicy tuna and eel were all great...the others were forgettable. Our group also ordered some family style dishes for a whopping 18 bucks each...ouch. However, they were all spectacular. The yellowtail with jalapeno was spicy and fantastic...a definite must. The tuna tataki was also wonderful and the rock shrimp was fried heaven. The mochi ice cream dessert was a little to strange for my liking as it was chewy, but our friend enjoyed his chocolate cake.
All of the cocktails were innovative and I highly recommend the Champagne 95. It was too sweet to continue drinking but it was a perfect starter cocktail. I also enjoyed the Emporio Martini but would thought the ginger was a little overpowering. About the bar area - I expected it to be a highbrow hangout of the uptown types, but it was not. It was definitely a different scene than expected. It was also very loud and overly crowded for a restaurant bar. All in all, Nobu was a great experience and I am sure I will return at some point in Dallas or elsewhere.
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How I love Nobu Matsuhitsa. I've been to Nobu in Las Vegas and Matsuhitsa in Beverly Hills and Nobu Dallas did not disappoint! The yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno is my favorite dish! It is fabulous! The wonderful thing about Nobu's food is the different flavors he combines to make something wonderful and tasty! He is truly a culinary genius! Personally, I don't eat sushi here. Nobu has never claimed to be an authentic Japanese sushi restaurant. It is a FUSION restaurant so go there and get yourself some fusion, a mix of cold and hot dishes. Our waitress was also extremely helpful! Despite this being my third trip to a Nobu restaurant, we asked for recommendations and she was right on the money with all her recommendations. Your waitress will also know about some goodies that are "off the menu". =) If only Nobu wasn't so expensive! Expect to spend at least $50 per person, not including drinks. Anyway, this place is awesome and I can't wait to go back.
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The best Jalapeno Hamachi Sashimi with Ponzu Sauce. Nobu is kind of pricey and a little overrated but it's worth to try. It's a place to see and to be seen!
P.S. We tried to go there for lunch last week but we were told that they were no longer open for lunch. FYI
Heard so much about Nobu that I had to try it. Unfortunately, the experience didn't live up to my expecations; I think the place is over-rated. It's located inside the Crescent hotel, which is a gorgeous hotel and the ambiance is dark and sexy. I orderded the rock shrimp which was good, but not great. I also tried the california roll and it was average. The whole experience was dissapointing because I think it was all about the ambiance. I can't say I"ll try another Nobu restaurant after this. I can't eat ambiance!
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Pineapple Martini's, Shihitso Peppers, Jalapeno Hamachi Sashimi OH mY!
Gorgeous foods, incredible service, pretty decorations and superb ambiance. The Crescent Hotel lends an aura of chichi-ness.
My only complaint? The ladies room is down a flight of hard marble steps - not easy on heels!
Went with a large group and the waitstaff was outstanding. They recommended many dishes for us all to share, despite the incredibly high prices, was pleased with the experience.
Until, five of my party complained that night of stomache pains and sickness. It could have been the mixing of so many different spices but something in the meal made us sick and at over a hundred dollars a head, not how you want the night to turn out.
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my wife and i went to nobu and had the omakase. it was pretty good, though not as memorable as other places we've been -- we don't recall most of the dishes, though the sushi was good as was the uni shooter. while i'd probably go again, i'd go knowing that it wasn't going to be a mind blowing experience.
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