Nobu

Excruciatingly chic to the highest degree, the playground of film stars and supermodels, the restaurants of the Nobu chain are among the hardest to get into on three continents. They are the personal inspiration of a Japanese sushi-trained chef, Noboyuki Matsuhisa, who, with unusual experiences in Peru, Argentina and Alaska behind him, was fortunate enough to open an establishment in Los Angeles into which part-time restaurant entrepreneur Robert de Niro happened to wander. During those years on the Pacific coast Nobu had begun to experiment, combining the pure, fresh, uncomplicated flavours of sushi with the Western flavours of garlic, chilli and coriander. As his clientele moved upscale, these were complemented by luxury ingredients such as truffles and caviar. Nobu the Cookbook represents the current state of play. Exquisite, expensive and breathtakingly stylish, this is food designed to impress with its artful simplicity. Perhaps the two most representative dishes are the most celebrated: the "New-Style Sushi", in which dressed raw fish is given a sizzling dressing of hot oil; and the beautiful "Black Cod with Miso", marinated in sake, mirin and miso for three days then grilled and baked and served with a single ikebana-like spear of pickled juvenile ginger.

There are aspects of this cooking, however, which for all its glamour may require the turning of a blind eye. How many home cooks will be prepared to disembowel a live octopus (rather more challenging than dropping a lobster into boiling water)? And eyebrows may be raised among environmentalists at Nobu's championing of Arctic sea bass, a fish known before its cosmetic rechristening a few years ago as Patagonian toothfish and which is likely to become extinct within three years through illegal overfishing in the southern oceans. Food for thought. --Robin Davidson

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View books by Nobu Matsuhisa.

5 stars for beauty, but only really good for reading - Rated
I have to admit that I love this book purely for the beauty of the content. I know that I will rarely be able to make the recipes to the standard that the book sets. However, I don't care on this one, as I love to pick it up from the shelf, sit back with a glass of wine and dream.

Maybe one day I will be able to save up enough and then get a reservation, which can be very difficult at the London one on an evening.

'ingredients problems' you say? - Rated
you should be able to find most ingredients if you try the japan centre in piccadilly or walk around china town in soho.

Fabulous coffee table book - Rated
Like the other reviewer, I purchsed this book over a year ago, and still havent tried any of the recipies. I remember going throught the book, and thinking "Why did I buy it,I will never be able to find the ingredients" I think thats the problem with some restaurant cookbooks, they assume that the average Joe Soap will be able to find all the exotic ingredients that they source. However, it is a lovely book, well laid out with classy pictures. The different marinade and sauce recipes are lovely, even if all you can find to put with them is monkfish. If anything, this book will give you ideas.

Great shots ... daring recipes ... little to try - Rated
In the past year I did manage to buy quite a few cooking books. This one was one of the very first. The book making is fantastic: beatiful pictures of the plates and ingredients. Great details about the cook (in line with this new trend of life used to explain the why's of the recipes). Gorgeous recipes ... but ... ingredients are very difficult to find where I live. More so for the most interesting recipes. As ingredients are fundamental to this book, this results in frustation. I have so far not tried a single recipe in almost 6 months. I bought the book as a memory of Nobu in London where I had one of the most memorable dinners. The recipes seems faithful, so they should be also memorable.
Before buying, check if you can find the ingredients. If so, but it immediatly ... otherwise, look elsewhere.

An extremely user friendly and entertaining cook book - Rated
Nobo is a fantastic cook book. Its content marks attention to detail throughout. Recipes are beautifully illustrated and easy to follow. Also, loved the anecdotes! Truly, a culinary connoisseurs delight and absolute must-have