NOBU Tokyo - Minato City

he thumb-length pillows of rice with raw fish on top – and I realised it really could be all about the rice. Good sushi rice should be just warm, each grain capable of letting go of the next with barely a shrug. Unfortunately the rice at Shiori just ain't all that: cold, claggy, under-flavoured, underwhelming. It is such a shame, because everything else is so good. Although there is a longish menu of various sushis and sashimis, you can, when you book, ask for an omakase – a Japanese-style tasting menu prepared according to what's best and available. A delicate Japanese woman with small feet and perfect hands brings it to you. We asked for an omakase for two.It started magnificently, with four cylinders of white crabmeat, tightly wrapped in nori – toasted seaweed – with a fine dashi broth. That was followed by slices of sea bass sashimi, arranged as an albino peacock fan tail, each carrying a dot of sticky plum sauce, and on the side a small bowl of ponzu (citrus sauce), which we were invited to pour over. In that combination of the subtle and the sharp, the clean and the precise, it was exactly what lovers of Japanese food get most excited about. There was another bowl of cool dashi broth with, lying at the bottom, thin, slippery soba noodles. Most impressive of all was the sashimi, arranged with exquisite attention to detail: on one side, a hollowed-out lemon, its cut edge serrated, the peel bowl filled with chopped mackerel and tuna. On the other side, slices of sweet scallop brushed with a slick of something that lifted the flavour without declaring itself. We failed to identify it and had to ask: it was truffle oil. Too often merely tiresome, here, used with a light hand, it was perfect. In between there were slices of the best raw fish, deftly sliced. The sushi looked beautiful and the fish itself really was marvellous. The attention to detail – the way slices of spring onion were balanced here, or shining balls of bright-orange salmon roe were clustered there – beggared belief. The eel was especially good. But the rice both here, and on a subsequent course of sliced wagyu beef, seared and presented nigiri style, made us mourn self-consciously. There were compensations: a superb black sesame ice cream, the slate-grey shade of an expensive kitchen floor, and an equally pleasing plum wine sorbet.

9/10 American Japanese shall I say? Using local Japanese ingredients, it comes as no surprise that everything was fresh and tasty. For those craving for westernised style Japanese dining, this is it. Ambiance is okay, nothing too OTT but at least they change your plate after every meal, which is a lot of washing for the kitchen-hand ? Pro tip: a la carte selection is not usually offered, so make sure you ask for the menu.

Absolutely delicious. This is very classy place, they pay attention to details and the quality of their ingredients is superb. This is what makes the difference between average and high end place. Staff was also super attentive. Can’t wait to go back

Ive been to Nobu Malibu but the quality of the foods are wayyyyy better here in Nobu Tokyo! Especially their raw fishes (sushi, rolls, etc). Their sashimi tacos and crispy rice are soooo gooood! Must try! Staffs are nice & friendly, great for special occasions or dinner with group of friends!

Nobu restaurants always keep its consistency. Great food with a good tough of local Japanese culture. The service is excellent as well. Totally worth the price.

My family had a Wedding anniversary dinner. My daughter is allergic to gluten and nuts. They were really careful about the food allergies and even made a anniversary desert with gluten free. It was so impressive!

Top service! I ordered chicken with vegetables, rice and miso and didn’t regret. It’s super delicious? I suppose due to corona situation it was quiet during lunch time. I would definitely visit this place again to try other options! ?

I went there for a bit of late lunch on this past Monday holiday. Upon arrival, we were greeted nicely by the staff. The only female staff member near us made sure to politely ask my wife if she could take her bags but didn't even look my way nor ask to take mine, which was clearly heavier and easy to see. I had to ask her in Japanese. I've been to many restaurants, bars, etc, over my lenghty time living in Japan, and I can almost always tell right away by their mannerisms which people don't like or want to serve me due to me being a black man, foreigner or both. It's not an uncommon situation, and I felt she had that air about her. More on that later. The male wait staff at our table was very attentive and explained each different part of our meal clearly. I had the chef's box (see pictures). Everything was extremely tasty, but the cooked fish had bones in it, and I wasn't aware that it would, which isn't a big deal to many but is for me. Maybe most people know about the bones, or maybe he even mentioned, and I just missed it. Whatever the case, I didn't finish it all due to that, but the taste was great, and the dessert, cappuccino, and table service were outstanding. The restaurant was clean, looked great, and had a lively but not noisy atmosphere. They even pulled down the blinds when the sun was shining in on my tablet as I caught the end of a March Madness game. On the way out, everyone made sure to say a farewell greeting, but again, the female staff avoided eye contact and looked down when I was headed out the door, so I have to knock them down to four stars because she showed me her true feelings twice. It's still a great place, though.