Food fanatic approves of Nobu: a high end yet comforting Japanese restaurant

Photo by Anjali Pai

Nobu offers dynamic dishes inspired by Japanese and Peruvian cuisine.

I clutched my mother’s arm as we scurried past a slightly suspicious alleyway, scrunching our noses at the pungent smell of tobacco that infested the air from a nearby smoke shop on a chilly Friday evening. In the near distance across Hamilton Street, we spotted the holy grail of Palo Alto: Nobu.

Nobu is an upscale restaurant that serves Japanese cuisine with a distinct Peruvian influence. I have dined at Nobu before, though it was at the LA location. While I had a remarkable experience dining there, food and service quality may vary from location to location, so I set out to review my experience at our local Nobu in Palo Alto.

As my parents and I stepped into the restaurant, a pleasant warmth washed over us. Dim yellow-hued lights illuminated the building, enhancing the restaurant’s cozy atmosphere. 

The lady at the service desk welcomed us promptly and guided us to our outdoor seating, which we reserved because no more indoor seating options were available. Although we were initially weary of reserving an outdoor seat, fearing the cold would interfere with our dining experience, the overhead heat lamps above our table immediately relieved our worries. Providing the ideal warmth and a pleasant view of downtown Palo Alto, the outdoor seating option was comfortable and just as viable as indoor seating. Sophisticated yet upbeat tunes played quietly in the background, setting the perfect ambience.

The waiter greeted us promptly and handed us our menus. I was impressed by his kind and accommodating manner. When we showed him the photos we took of our preferred dishes from Nobu LA,  he immediately identified them and impressively memorized our long list of orders without writing them down.

Looking through the drink menu, the spicy lemonade immediately caught my eye. The mocktail, consisting of jalapeño slices, lemon wedges, brown sugar, honey syrup and sparkling water, was a heavenly concoction — cold, crisp and hydrating. From the first sip, I tasted subtle undertones of refreshing spice and zesty lemon paired with a light sweetness. The drink was so irresistible that I gulped it all down before my food arrived.

Impressed by the dish from our visit to Nobu LA, we ordered the spicy edamame. The edamame was warm, tender and flavorful. A slightly spicy paste coated the edamame, which made eating my greens a pleasant experience for once.

I also ordered the light yet filling eel and cucumber sushi maki. The dish came with six pieces. After a bad experience with raw fish in the past, I’ve generally steered away from raw sushi and instead, resorted to eel — the perfect alternative. Cooked to perfection, the eel, coated in sweet and savory teriyaki sauce, melted in my mouth. Paired with crunchy cucumbers, the texture of the sushi was phenomenal. I have nothing but good things to say about that dish, and I would definitely order it again.

Then, I ordered the squid pasta with light garlic sauce. It’s not what you might think, as there is no pasta in this dish. Instead it consists of squid shaped like pasta, dressed in a tangy garlic sauce and an array of roasted vegetables like mushrooms, asparagus and broccoli. The squid and vegetables melted like butter in my mouth. I ordered this same dish in LA, and Nobu Palo Alto perfectly replicated the exceptional dish I had before. No matter the location, this dish never disappoints, and I would not hesitate to order it again.

At this point, I was stuffed and could feel myself heading into a food coma, but I can never deny dessert. So, after scavenging through the menu, I decided on sorbet. You can never go wrong with sorbet, right? Boy, was I wrong; the sorbet was a disaster. 

The flavors were passionfruit, which I discovered was not my thing; raspberry, which tasted like perfume; and last and most certainly least, chocolate. Because it came at an astounding cost of $18, I persevered through the pain and ate both the passionfruit and raspberry scoops, but on the third scoop, I had to surrender. While chocolate flavor is heavenly as an ice cream or gelato, it’s a tragic flop as a sorbet. It tasted powdery and slightly bitter and tangy, which is odd for chocolate. I will not be ordering this again in the future.

Fortunately, we did not end the night on that disaster of a dessert; my dad saved the day, ordering one of the best dishes of the night: the banana soy toban. We shared this dish and demolished it in record speed. The caramelized bananas were warm and sweet, and the candied pecans provided the perfect crunch that contrasted beautifully with the cold malaga ice cream. Whoever came up with this dish is an absolute blessing to society and I wish them nothing but the best in life.

Despite an initially uncomfortable walk to the restaurant and a subpar sorbet, which I will look past, the dining experience at Nobu was phenomenal and solidified its standing as one of my favorite restaurants.