Nobu Dallas Sushi Review

One finds Nobu Dallas beyond a heavy nondescript wooden door tucked to the side of the main entrance of the Rosewood Crescent Hotel. Picture Gandalf arriving at Bilbo's small home, except in this case the Shire is $10,000 per square foot real-estate. Even writing this review is intimidating.

The old wizard wouldn't have banged his head on this ceiling. A soaring room of warm wood and stone surfaces greets visitors. The sushi bar met all of my criteria: high comfortable stools with someplace to put my feet and an excellent view of the chef's work surface. All the stress produced by navigating downtown Dallas to get there melted away instantly. The bar also kept our backs to the regular parade of local elite coming to be seen.

Frankly, I would have enjoyed smaller, less extravagant surroundings in which to enjoy this food, but not if it meant giving up the service. I can't recall ever having been served better in my life. The staff seems to have telepathic powers that bring them by whenever the smallest need arises, but never otherwise. I'm also willing to accept an explanation of consisting of hidden cameras and microphones.

Prior to our meal my wife and I planned on this visit being a once in a lifetime event. We've since begun strategizing a way to become regulars. In accordance with the former plan, I ordered the omakase. This comes in two versions, one $95 and another $125. Our server described the difference to us as the $125 omakase using more exotic ingredients and more items not available on the menu. Nobu describes their omakase as a meal 'from the heart' of the chef - custom created based on a dialog between him and me. That became true to a degree. When asked about my favorite fish, I replied yellowtail. This produced a somewhat yellowtail theme. However, certain dished were clearly standard among everyone ordering omakase that night - an off-the-menu menu sampler of sorts. I know this because the person sitting two stools to my right ordered the same omakase. We'll get to him later. Here's the meal - by course, in order.

We started with Edamame. Our server asked, so why not. Well, I'll tell you why - even though we're talking top notch edamame here (yes, something as simple as steaming can be done better at Nobu), the stomach only has so much room to expand.

The usual little treat for sitting at the sushi bar came next - a small round of minced salmon wrapped in a thin radish strip topped with cilantro pesto. The fish looked a little white to be salmon, but a very nice way to get the brain switched to eating.

Course one consisted of a small round cake of minced toro topped with black caviar sitting in a brown wasabi sauce. All presented in a glass cup nested in a bowl of crushed ice. Our server presented a small spoon used to scoop all three ingredients into each bite. The flavor blew me away and this course stands out as the best of the night.

A raw seafood quartet cam next- eaten in order per instructions clockwise from the top left:
* Yellowtail w/ thin jalepeno pepper slices.
* Raw oyster half shell drizzled with ponzu.
* White tuna with miso flakes.
* Seared Japanese golden wall eye in chili oil.
Here the white tuna stood out with a sweetness enhanced by the miso flakes. The oyster was good, but the yellowtail and the wall eye were better.

Course three arrived as yellow tail sashimi set in a plate of hot mustard miso sauce. The excellent sauce overpowered the delicate nuances of the very fresh fish. My least memorable course of the night - but still excellent.

A salmon trio then arrived not from the sushi bar, but form the kitchen. Three large pieces of almost completely raw salmon seared across the top, each served with a different style. Cajun spices dusted salmon one, a Hawaiian chutney crowned salmon two, and salmon three sat with a small dollop of guac and another of finely minced pico de gallo.

Course five turned a bit heavier with wagyu beef seared rare w/ mushrooms and bok choy. Perfectly tender and flavorful. I'm really running out of room at this point. The chef sensed this and told me he would only prepare sashimi for the next course instead of sushi.

Ah, the sashimi: toro, yellowtail, aji, octopus w/ roe, and giant clam. I requested the aji and yellowtail, but he didn't let me miss out on some really excellent toro. I can't really distinguish between good and bad giant clam.

Course seven, a bowl of enokitake mushrooms in a clear hot broth arrived quickly after the sashimi to help settle things down (and make me drowsy). To be honest, I liked the soup, but I don't remember much more about it.

Our server decided we should share the desert so my wife and I split some sort of chocolate cone filled with a sort of chocolate mouse accompanied by a small cup of fruit-infused sparkling saki with a tiny floated sherbet ball inside. The chocolate cone was good, but the sake was truly original and interesting.

Go. Worth every penny no matter how many times you do it. I hope.

End Notes:

I was expecting hot green tea as good as the nutty green tea at Ra. Nope. Just the standard hot green tea served everywhere but Ra.

Our neighbors at the sushi bar came dressed in vans, jeans, and leather jackets - apparently guests at the Crescent. The snippets of overheard conversation convinced me they worked for the Val Halen tour recently arrived in Dallas. Cool reserved guys that worked hard at steering conversation away from their reason for being in town. I got a lot of questions about mtb racing.

If your trying to follow the order of events, here's the weekend's time line:
* Friday evening drive to Dallas
* Saturday morning pre-ride at Bar-H
* Saturday night dinner at Nobu
* Sunday afternoon race
* Sunday night drive back to Houston

This will sound like bragging, but a night at Nobu can only be enhanced exponentially by the accompaniment of a hot, young, slim, 5' 11" former model turned fantasy fiction writer. Fortunately for me, I've taken her off the market (for you gearheads out there: the ring is 6/4 titanium).

Our Lexus usually seems out of place at the mtb races for obvious reasons - even if the gigantic trunk does swallow the Yeti. Watching the valet pull it up at Crescent Court made it look out of place for a whole different set of reasons. Maybe it was the mud splatters on the sides and the bike tools in the back seat. Or maybe it was the sea of Bentleys and Lambos surrounding it.