A lot of sushi has crossed the seas since then. Nobu opened a second branch on Berkeley Street; like its mother, it also holds a Michelin star. Japanese has gone mainstream and I've sampled a variety of restaurants in London and abroad. You can pay a fortune, or you can pick up a tasty, reasonably-priced take away box at Itsu. And it's inevitable that I'm eating a lot of it in January, when I'm trying to make up for the excesses of the holidays with serious dieting. There's nothing like sushi for healthy eating.
Last week found me back at Nobu, this time at the Berkeley Street location. In line with my memories of the original, lunch at this one presents a panorama of affluent business people and a lot of willowy model types grazing on exquisitely formed bite-sized morsels within sleek, modern architecture.
Like any sushi place, and you can order by the piece from an a la carte menu. But at £5 or more a bite, you'll break the bank quickly with that approach. The logical option is one of their set luncheon menus. We, like most of the people around us, went for the deluxe bento box at £45.
The presentation is exquisite. The waitress arrives carrying something that looks like a small, narrow coffin. She sets it before you and unstacks it, revealing two rows with a total of five segments, each filled with a distinct treat. Best of all, I calculated this lavish spread at 30 Weight Watchers points. Which is still a blow-out, but probably far more restrained than an impressive two course lunch at a Michelin star restaurant with European origins.
My first time around, I thought Nobu was far better than any Japanese I'd had before; each bite delicate and distinctly flavoured. I can't say that again. It was good. And, given the variety of dishes and their quantity, not bad value for a posh London venue. But great?
The individual pieces of sushi (top right) were the stars of the box. At too many sushi spots one type of fish can taste much like another. These were distinct and melt-in-the mouth succulent. And, frankly, from both a price and Weight Watchers points perspective I'd order the sushi and sashimi combo rather than the box if I had it to do over again. Keeping it simple was the way to go.
Sadly I'd been tempted by the promise of king crab tempura, front left, but I'm sad to say the delicate flavour of the fish was lost in a somewhat heavy-handed batter. The teriyaki rump steak pictured front centre, which no doubt added £8 to the dish price thanks to its "Wagyu" derivation (and 8 Weight Watchers points thanks to its saturated fat), was tasty but nothing special. The spicy garlic scallops on the bottom right were slightly overcooked. Which, honestly, is inexcusable for this level and style of restaurant. If I hadn't been enjoying the company so much I might have even considered sending it back.
The most innovative bit of the meal was the cold Asian vegetables presented as sushi roll on the top left; beautiful, an interesting new taste sensation and doubtless 0 Weight Watchers points.
All in all, a perfectly enjoyable meal but I'd much rather be spending my own £45 (I was someone else's guest for this lunch) at our perennial favourite Hiroba. And if I were pushing the boat out, I'd return to Zuma, with a tasting menu that was more expensive than Nobu's boxes, but miles ahead in taste and innovation. I described both here. And for sheer atmosphere? Forget the London sophistication and the supermodel crowd. Take me back to the gloriously over-the-top Japanese movie set that is Yamashiro, with its view over the lights of Hollywood.
If my lunch was anything to go by, Nobu … like the faded movie stars who retire into those Hollywood Hills … has had its day.
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