The Miami Herald 2004

Fri, Nov. 19, 2004

EAT / Surf legend

Nobu might just be the best on the Beach, the Big Kahuna of South Beach eateries.

BY BILL CITARA

Dining at Nobu is like hanging out at the beach. It's true. The toniest restaurant in the snobbiest hotel on the most attitudinal stretch of Collins Avenue is as much fun as lounging on fine, white sand with a couple of sixers of beer, a barbecue grill, and all the sun your 50 SPF lotion can stand. How can this be?

Well, it starts with the unfailing professionalism of Nobu's staff. The model-perfect gatekeepers at the entrance handle the ceaseless scrum of wannabe diners at the adjacent Shore Club bar with grace and aplomb. (Nobu takes reservations only for parties of six or more so you put your name on the list and wait.) The servers know the menu, explain dishes clearly, and serve them properly, without a speck of 'tude. An army of bussers glides constantly around the dining room, looking for the stray licked-clean plate or drained-dry glass. And the kitchen cooks (or in the case of sushi and sashimi, assembles) the hell out of the food.

What this rarefied level of food and service does is free diners to relax and abandon themselves to the experience. And they do. Let's face it, nobody goes to a restaurant that charges $15 for a pair of oysters unless they're really rich and stupid or really into food. So you seat a hundred-plus hard-core gastronauts at banquettes and tables close enough to invite sexual harassment lawsuits, start bringing out dishes almost erotic in their lusciousness, and pretty soon you have a giant foodie clusterfuck. By the end of the meal you'll know all your neighbors, have oohed and aahed over each other's dishes, and had the most fun eating great food that you'll ever have.

Like everything else, Nobu's wine list shows a professional's consideration and a sensualist's touch. It's surprisingly less expensive than those at similar establishments, with many excellent wines around $50. Among them is the 2002 Ceretto Arneis Blange ($55), whose soft, peach and melon fruit, and clean, mineral-y acidity are a fine complement to seafood in a variety of guises.

Nobu's version of tuna tataki shows how impeccable quality and a few simple garnishes can take a dish from ubiquitous to unique. Thick slices of seared-around-the-edges tuna, almost purple in color and tasting like filet mignon of the sea, arrived in a pool of tangy ponzu sauce with slivers of raw garlic, shredded ginger, and diced scallions. Taken with a bit of each and a quick trip through the sauce, the tuna was a revelation.

Even more revelatory were those oysters, a dish offered only in Miami. Each plump, meaty bivalve was wrapped in shredded phyllo and deep-fried only until the wire-thin pastry strands were golden and crispy, then crowned with creme fraiche and caviar -- a symphony of flavors and textures in a single bite. Rock shrimp tempura were more homey than haute but no less satisfying, crunchy little nuggets napped with a citrusy-spicy-salty aioli. Lobster ceviche, though, was undone by its puckery, overly tart marinade, which dulled the crustacean's delicate, distinctive flavor.

Nobu's signature dish, black cod marinated for days in a bath of sweetened miso paste and saké, reinvents the species, giving the cod an indescribably plush and elegant texture and a frank sweetness that somehow enhances its mild ocean flavor. Sushi is uniformly superb. Don't miss the uni, which melts on your tongue like brine-infused whipped cream, and the exquisite live scallop that is like eating the physical manifestation of luxury.

There's no more fitting way to end a meal than dulce de leche banana harumaki. It's a witty paean to local culture -- caramel-coated bananas wrapped in thin pastry fried to crunchy, presented with a tart citrus dipping sauce and unctuous sesame ice cream.
 
Nobu: ****
LOCATED AT: 1901 Collins Ave. (in The Shore Club), Miami Beach; 305-695-3232. Open Monday-Thursday, 7 p.m.-midnight; Friday-Saturday, 7 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.-11 p.m. (Lounge opens at 6 p.m.) All major cards. $$$$