When the team at Four Seasons Doha incited me back to Nobu Doha to try their first anniversary menu in the company of three of my fellow favorite bloggers my reaction was in four phases:
Phase one: Nobu you say? Let me clear my diary for the next month
Phase two: Wait…it’s been one year already?
Phase three: Who’s coming? Flying Pinay, Boulangerry and The Snapped Fork you say?
Phase four: I’m free ALL MONTH
Bad sushi puns and jokes aside, there isn’t much I don’t like about this restaurant. Exceptional food and service, the sexiest building in Doha and listen people, it’s NOBU.
It took a long time for Doha’s outpost of the Nobu empire to open, nearly eight years in fact. It has been worth the wait. Innovative food, a stunning brunch offering and one of the best happy hours in town has filled this cavernous venue nearly every night.
The anniversary menu, which at QR450 a head is excellent value, takes the diner on a tour of what a Michelin quality team can produce.
The Nagasaki farmed chu toro with karashi miso and asetra caviar as a starter is fatty, rich and salty all at once.Meanwhile the selection of sushi – including gossimer slithers of king crab and salmon – is everything those mall sushi joints arent.
A shrimp and lobster mushroom salad with yuzu dressing had an interesting texture – the firmness of the prawns against the soft mushrooms. Not a combination I would order, but the yuzu (a Japanese citrus) lightened it up enough.
The next course of the king crab ratatouille ponzu split the blogger brigade at my table. A mix of Japanese (ponzu which literally means vinegar punch) and European flavors, it was challenging yet also masterfully executed.
Only Nobu could re-invent the traditional steak and veg and turn it into a work of art. Theb A7 wagyu beef with goma cauliflower mousse and teriyaki jus work of art. I think “melt in my mouth” is a phrase overused by foodies, but I am struggling for a comparable phrase. The grapes addes texture and sweetness against this umami explosion. I wanted to lick the plate, but there were people with cameras present.
Desserts aren’t my jam and honestly I could have skipped the final course of shiso sago pearls and mango agar with peach rosewater sorbet. But I’m glad I didn’t. This is not my gran’s sago pudding. It had just enough tang to keep me interested.
Each dish had a signature that was fundamentally “Nobu” – that little piece of flair that only a world class restaurant can execute.
It takes a lot to impress me. I’m a notoriously tough nut to crack. But this restaurant has managed to woo me and make me swoon.
Here’s to many more anniversaries for Nobu Doha.
The Details:
Nobu Doha Anniverary Menu
QR450 per head for dinner throughout May.
Four Seasons Hotel
The Corniche,
Doha, Qatar
Phone: +974 4494 8500
*Life on the Wedge was a guest of Four Seasons Doha but views are my own. Unless they are Oprah’s. Because you know how I feel about her.
**Apologies for the radio silence in the last couple of weeks and thanks for the messages. Blame a hectic work life and my desire for inertia when not working.
