February 12, 2009 12:06 pm

Tacos Nobu Style

Whenever you crave high quality Japanese food, the nearest Nobu always satisfies the urge. I've been to the Miami, L.A., Aspen, Vegas and New York locations many times. The food is always top notch and the hip, sophisticated scene draws a fun mixture of businessmen, entertainers and designers. After frequenting Nobu New York downtown on Hudson, I was relieved when Nobu Matsuhisa partnered with Robert De Niro, Drew Nieporent and Meir Teper to open and Nobu 57 , enabling me to get a quick sushi fix in midtown and make the occasional new acquaintance while dining solo at the sushi bar. Designed by David Rockwell, there is an elegant bar downstairs, complete with sake barrels imported from Japan and a spacious dinning room upstairs. A few nights ago, as my friend Kate Secor and I headed over to the trendy spot to meet our dinner companions, I decided to take notes for Behind the Burner.

Packed on a Monday night, there were no signs of the recession in the pricy locale. With all the women dressed to the nines in high-end labels like Chloe, my new fleur wood dress (bought on sale, of course!) fit right in. After spotting a few familiar faces, we settled into a booth near the kitchen and ordered hot sake.

The service was disappointingly slow--a problem that I have experienced at Nobu before. Although I enjoyed the company, too much sake on an empty stomach after a long day at the office is never a good idea. Luckily, the waitress was very nice and I took solace in the fact that their business appeared to be booming even during these turbulent economic times.

At last, our first appetizer arrived-- small tacos filled with king crab, cilantro, green tomato sauce and a special berry tomato. Definitely worth the wait! I would never have known to order them, but I am so glad that our host selected these unique tacos. They were truly divine and I savored every bite. The crab mixed with the tomato and cilantro gave it a burst of flavor that made me want to bite into the crunchy shell for more. Next time, I'll try their Wagyu beef tacos, and tuna tacos--I've become obsessed with the mini tacos at Nobu!

Keeping it light at the start of our busy week, we followed with sushi, sashimi, and kobe beef. As always, the food was perfect--fresh, healthy, and beautifully displayed. For dessert we indulged in the bento box, a chocolate fondant cake with warm chocolate oozing from the center and goma tuille complemented with green tea ice cream. We also had the caramel and vanilla bean mochi ice cream. If you haven't tried mochi, you're missing out. Sweet and refreshing, the chewy rice flour coating on this palate-cleansing dessert conceals a light ice cream inside. It was the perfect way to end another great night at Nobu. We'll be back for more!

Caroline Alexa McBride

— Written by Caroline Alexa McBride

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