Nobu: The Cookbook (Hardcover)

by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (Author), Robert De Niro (Author), Martha Stewart (Foreword) "Many of the recipes here involve unfamiliar Japanese ingredients with difficult-sounding names..." (more)
Key Phrases: fairy squid, aori squid, asatsuki chives, Creamy Spicy Sauce, Mustard Su-miso Sauce, Wasabi Pepper Sauce (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Excruciatingly chic to the highest degree, the Nobu restaurants are among the hardest to get into on three continents. They are the personal inspiration of a Japanese sushi-trained chef, Nobuyuki 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 and actor Robert De Niro happened to wander. During those years on the Pacific coast, Nobu began to experiment, combining the pure, fresh, uncomplicated flavors of sushi with the Western flavors of garlic, chili, and coriander. As he attracted a more upscale clientele, he complemented those flavors with luxury ingredients such as truffles and caviar. Nobu: The Cookbook represents the current state of play. Exquisite, expensive, and breathtakingly stylish, this food is designed to impress with its artful simplicity. Perhaps the two most representative dishes are the most celebrated: the New-Style Sushi, in which 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. Altogether a beautiful production.

There are aspects of this cooking, however, that for all its glamour may require the turning of a blind eye. How many home cooks will be prepared to disembowel a live octopus? 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 tooth fish and that is likely to become extinct within three years through illegal overfishing in the southern oceans. Food for thought. --Robin Davidson, Amazon.co.uk

From Publishers Weekly
Nobuyuki Matsuhisa began his career modestly swabbing floors and carrying fresh fish at Tokyo's venerable Matsuei, where he learned the sushi-making secrets that underpin "Nobu" food. Next he worked in Peru and Argentina, adding Latin-American influences to his repertoire. When he opened his flagship Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills in 1987, it was the first step in the making of an international superstar of Japanese-inspired cooking. The interplay of celebrity with fine dining is important to Matsuhisa. Illustrated by stunning photographs byFumihiko Watanabe, the exciting ideas presented here are challenging and full of expansive knowledge. The compositions range from the relatively simple Oysters with Nobu's Three Salsas to the complex Scallop Filo with Truffle Yuzu Sauce or the signature Latin-style Octopus Tiradito. Many of the dishes present traditional ingredients in fresh interpretations: Chilean Sea Bass with Black Bean (Chinese-style) Sauce, Monkfish Pƒt‚ with Mustard Su-miso Sauce, the Sea Urchin Roe Meringue topped with Frothing Blue Crab, or the Black Cod with Miso (business partner Robert De Niro's favorite). Many of the traditional Japanese and fresh seafood ingredients will be difficult to find. But since more North Americans are being turned on to sushi as a new way to enjoy fresh fish, this is the perfect time to introduce Matsuhisa to a wider audience.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 196 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International; 1st edition (September 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770025335
• ISBN-13: 978-4770025333
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #110,423 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars great photography, somewhat impractical, February 19, 2002

By	Sushi_Grrl (Orange, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I love the local L.A. Nobu restaurants (Matsuhisa and Ubon), and I enjoyed the book from a purely entertainment perspective. The photographs are beautiful, and I found some of the recipes to be fairly do-able. However, it is noteworthy to mention that quite a few ingredients are difficult if not impossible to find in the U.S., even at Japanese specialty markets (Nobu himself admits that he included recipes that have "many ingredients that can only be found in Japan."). These are interesting, but I don't make it to Japan often enough to be able to whip these dishes up for my dinner parties.

Another thing I found somewhat annoying was all of the Hollywood name-dropping the book is peppered with. I don't really care which celebrities have dined in the various Nobu restaurants, nor do I care what their favorite dishes are. The fact that Nobu once made lunch for Princess Di was equally unimportant to me. The thing I really appreciated was learning more about the quality and "kokoro" (heart) that goes into some of the dishes I've enjoyed at Matsuhisa. The book definitely inspired me to go and eat there again soon!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Readable and useful, November 4, 2001

By A Customer

After sampling a variety of creations at Nobu-London, I was thrilled to receive this cookbook. However, in the hours between receiving it and reading it, I pondered the seemingly inevitable: I thought I'd be let down, and would discover a shallow book assembled by the Nobu marketing staff.

My passing qualms were misplaced, and I couldn't be more pleased. The writing is lucid, the book readable, the advice welcome and reasonable, the recipes clear, and the range of dishes exciting. Already, I've made 2 superb appetizers, and have a main course marinating in the fridge. Other dishes are to come. My spouse, a non-sushi-eater until a few years ago, has glowed about the dishes sampled thus far, and is anticipating many more soon.

This is not anybody's main cookbook (or even in the main set), but should accessorize any amateur chef's collection when in the mood for fusion food and inspired/inspiring combinations.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great food, but labor intensive, November 6, 2002

By A Customer

While many of the recipes we have tried from this book have produced excellent results, it is not for the novice nor for the cook who cannot find exotic ingredients. We live in the San Francisco Bay area and must make special trips to the Asian seafood markets because the local grocer, although high-end, does not carry the exotic varieties of fish and shellfish that he uses. He does not offer suggestions for substitutions.
The food is very good, but you can tell that this is definitely a vanity cookbook. I don't think most home chefs could use this book - it is definitely for the obsessive foodie who would go to any lengths to prepare his recipes. Good for special occasions or for those who have a lot of time and resources for foods.