Not long after Nobu opened its first location, cofounder Drew Nieporent noticed that diners were coming in with special lists.
This was decades before the likes of Yelp or TikTok. But some customers had been blogging about their experience on personal websites, sharing posts like “how to order at Nobu.”
“Guests would come in with printouts of the list, with step-by-step tips to make the most of the meal,” Nieporent recounts in his new memoir, “I’m Not Trying To Be Difficult: Stories from the Restaurant Trenches.”
Now Nieporent, who helped launch the legendary restaurant empire with sushi chef Nobu Matsuhisa and the actor Robert De Niro, is ready to share his own list of Nobu favorites. But first, a brief history lesson.
In his memoir, Nieporent recounts how he and De Niro courted the chef for three years after being mesmerized by the unique dishes at his Beverly Hills restaurant Matsuhisa. They finally opened the first Nobu in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood in 1994, becoming an instant hit with locals, foodies, and celebrities (even Princess Diana).
In the three decades since, Nobu has become a luxury brand with over 50 restaurants and more than a dozen hotels — and it’s still growing.
“Nobu is now 31 years in, it’s extraordinary,” Nieporent told Business Insider. “It’s a thing that happened very humbly and just grew and grew and grew.”
Nieporent, a partner of Nobu New York City, Nobu Fifty Seven, and Nobu London, is still a regular in the dining room. Here are the three dishes he always orders.
Yellowtail Sashimi Jalapeño
Nieporent’s favorite Nobu dish is the yellowtail sashimi jalapeño, a signature of the restaurant. It features thinly sliced yellowtail sashimi with a yuzu-ponzu sauce and thin slices of jalapeños.
“It’s the greatest dish in America,” Nieporent said. “I’m on a diet. I just lost 50 pounds, and I eat it. It’s just amazing.”
The yellowtail sashimi was one of the dishes that first won Nieporent over when he dined at Matsuhisa’s Beverly Hills restaurant.
“Nobu turned out exquisite stuff,” Nieporent wrote in his memoir. “The simplicity of the room melted away as soon as Nobu’s food hit your mouth.”
“He fused flavors from Japan and South America, mixing ingredients that had never seen the inside of a sushi bar: chiles, olive oil, garlic, truffles,” Nieporent continued. “He put jalapeños on top of yellowtail sashimi and twisted deep-fried eel spines into festive bow-tie garnishes.”
Whitefish Tiradito
Nieporent’s second must-order dish at Nobu is the whitefish tiradito, which he said is a dish that Matsuhisa learned while running a restaurant in Lima, Peru, in the 1970s.
The dish features fresh whitefish sashimi flavored with yuzu and lemon juices. Each slice is topped with a dot of rocoto pepper and some soy salt.
Black Cod Miso
Last but certainly not least is the black cod miso, probably Nobu’s most famous dish.
“The dish we’re most noted for all around the world is the black cod miso,” Nieporent said. “It’s in every restaurant.”
In his memoir, Nieporent described the “ethereal miso-marinated black cod” as “sweet and savory all at once, with umami sneaking in before people even knew what umami was.”
These three dishes “are the core” of Nobu, Nieporent told Business Insider. Now you know what to order — but first, you’ll have to get a reservation.
“It’s our 31st year and we’re as busy as we’ve ever been,” Nieporent said. “It’s extraordinary, it really is.”
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