FUSION Confusion
A triumphant return for the city’s favourite sushi joint might not be the experience guests expect when they visit the new
Who didn’t love the old Nobu? It was an institution of the InterContinental Hong Kong, itself an institution of the Fragrant Harbour. Its dark, seductive interiors, well informed staff and luxurious, innovative menu ensured an intriguing dining experience, one that led Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa’s eponymously-named restaurants to become some of the hottest tables around the world.
A few months ago, it was announced that Nobu would return to its original space at the newly-opened Regent Hong Kong, which had taken over the InterCon as part of a multimillion dollar reinvention. We decided, once the dust had settled, to return to this coveted kitchen and see how the experience stood up.
I don’t really want to say ‘oh how the mighty have fallen’, but the thought did cross my mind as we entered the restaurant on a Tuesday evening. While I’m sure the interior designers, in opting for a minimalist décor, wanted to showcase the restaurant’s spectacular Victoria Harbour vistas – and they are undeniably some of the best in the city – I feel it falls rather flat. Reminiscent of a Café de Coral with the lights turned down, the space’s timberclad walls and naked ceiling create an echo chamber in which every baby’s cry and every over-reacted punchline is amplified.
While I suspect that the round booth seats nearer the entrance probably enjoy a little more serenity, our broad booth at the back seems to capture much of the noise and the result is a far cry from the intimate dining experience once associated with a night at Nobu.
A waiter slaps down a tasting menu printed on a slip of paper and disappears just as quickly – there’s no introduction to Nobu’s once ground-breaking Peruvian-Japanese concept, the restaurant’s return to the city’s dining scene, to the ingredients being prepared or the experience that’s ahead of us.
Our waitress returns with all the composure of a contestant battling the clock on a Japanese game show, slapping down a plate of shishito peppers doused in some kind of sauce without breaking stride while another pours glasses of non-descript sake. While the peppers are flavourful they lack any of the heat you might anticipate; and are followed by a pair of pint-sized salmon tacos that are pleasingly crunchy but lack any real flavour. Meanwhile, the restaurant’s soundtrack slips into a blaring dance rendition of the Narcos theme song. It should be said that glowing online reviews indicate that this might be more of an anomaly rather than the norm, but combined with the fast food-esque minimalism, it doesn’t bode well.
While the yellowtail with jalapeno, a nod to chef Nobu’s time in Peru, where he developed his signature “Nobu-style” cuisine, is a fresh and zesty favourite; and the tiradito, a Latin American take on sashimi with rocoto chili sauce, has just the right amount of heat, there isn’t really anything that says I’m eating at a premium sushi hotspot, a shortcoming that’s backed up by the sushi platter, some pieces of which are very fishy, with rice the texture and firmness of raw oatmeal.
While the king crab tempura with amazu ponzu, a Japanese sweet and sour sauce, is utterly addictive, Nobu’s signature black miso cod, a dish usually so silky that it falls apart under the weight of its moreishly sticky, caramalised miso glaze, falls as flat as the decor and is left virtually untouched. Now, this is a dish I’ve had many times, and this is the first time it wasn’t snapped up in a flurry of chopsticks, so I’m as surprised as anyone.
A highlight of the meal is the Wagyu flambe, a dish that’s more a flaming spectacle than a culinary gem (although the beef is delicious) while the baby spinach and dry miso salad with four plump shrimp on top is crunchy, tangy and quite enjoyable.
We finish with a dessert platter that includes a trio of mochi and the signature chocolate fondue but I’ll admit that by now the frustration has already set in.
I’m happy Nobu is back, and I’ve long been a fan of the chef’s globetracing fusion cuisine and the sense of curated service we associate with his restaurants. But I think the good chef himself needs to come back and help get his Hong Kong outpost back on track, sooner rather than later.
— NICK WALTON