02/18/09

Nobu at the Hard Rock, the best Japanese cusine in Vegas

by JKWarner

A couple hours ago I treated myself to a birthday dinner at Nobu, the Japanese restaurant at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The food was superb and appeasing both to the eye and the palate. Visually the presentation was a cross between Rembrandt and Michelangelo it started my taste buds dancing with joy from the first glimpse. Each dish was as carefully explained as it was prepared. As I placed each bite into my mouth, my palate was climbing up moonbeams, dancing on clouds, and sliding down rainbows. The food was carefully prepared with the finest ingredients and the flavor was incomparable. I had the one-hundred fifty dollar seven course Chefs? Sampler. I could describe in intricate detail every course, but that would take away from the mystery, that allows one?s imagination to run wild in eager anticipation as you?re awaiting the next course. Suffice it to say a glimpse is all I will divulge, the fois gras and Kobe beef with caviar made my legs nearly commence dancing. The significance of this is a thrice broken back, which has left me partially paralyzed and numb from the waist down. In addition not only is the quality unsurpassed, but the quantity as well. Nobu is a must add to your Bucket List. I?ve eaten at some of the best restaurants in Las Vegas both nouveau and classic. (Restaurants like the Alize? at the Top of the Palms and classic old school Vegas like the Golden Steer, both phenomenal, in my humble opinion.). The wait staff is friendly and accommodating, as well as knowledgeable and informative. I?ve eaten at restaurants from San Diego to Vancouver, BC. My last vice is the enjoyment of cuisines from around the world. Nobu has earned a spot at the top of my list as one of the most enjoyable restaurants I?ve ever experienced and some of the best food I?ve ever had the luxury to consume. (Tonight was my third visit, and the good lord willing, far from my last.) If there are chop sticks in Heaven then Nobu will be there as well.

• Pros: Greeat
• Cons: NONE

07/25/08

Simply delicious!

by code232

I had a great time here on my B-day two weeks ago. The staff was fast and friendly. Our waiter was very helpful in selecting our meal. I will definitely go back. It was some of the best food I have ever had. Try the Black Cod for the hot dish it was some of the best food I have ever had.

• Pros: The food was great
• Cons: The hard rock hotel itself is in need of a face lift

02/01/08

Nothing short of amazing

by jiggat23

After reading the previous two reviews I feel inclined to write one. I was at Nobu two weeks ago with a large group of people. There were nine of us at the table and all walked away beyond satisfied. We had the chief's tasting menu and if I tried to explain how incredibly good each course was, this would be a book. Our waiter/the rest of the people who helped out were great in explaining each course, getting us drinks and helping out. They may have changed staffs since the previous bad reviews.

If you want to have an amazing meal, this is the place to go. As far as sushi standards are, this is at the top of the class. Highly recommend this place, but also recommend being ready to pay severly for the quality food.

• Pros: Food-food-food
• Cons: Pricey

09/04/07

No, boo! Prima Donna staff thinks rudeness = class. A disgrace to Matsuhisa's legacy. The worst dining experience ever!

by no_boo

A NYC advertising exec introduced me to Nobu's extraordinary Japanese cuisine and exceptional service in the fall of 97. Based on past experience I jumped at the opportunity to attend a friend's Birthday celebration at Nobu last week. Unfortunately my friends, all highly successful, professional gay men (an Ivy League oil tycoon, a flight crewman for a charter airline catering to the ultra rich and famous, a prominent Las Vegas show dancer, and an e-Commerce exec) experienced much attitude from the moment we walked Nobu. The hostess rolled her eyes when we asked to add an extra guest (who would arrive later). We offered to make up for any inconvenience. They reluctantly added an extra seat to our adequate table after we seated. The waiter incessantly blabbed as if high on speed, scoffed at a request for Chardonnay instead of Sake, and ignored us after somebody mentioned a seafood allergy which prevented him from following the traditional Japanese course sequence. We hailed him for drinks after 30 minutes, and reminded him of our request about 25 minutes later when our food arrived. He forgot us but meticulously attended to his other tables? needs. In the meantime our wheelchair bound friend arrived and laboriously wheeled through the restaurant tables, finally reaching us, only to have the hostess tell him to leave because she noticed his foot (the one which was not in a cast) had a sandal on it. Consequently he had to wheel all the way back out. All friends except the Birthday boy wanted to leave even though he voiced great disappointment in the events to that point. We noted the abrasive vibe of the staff, the haughty attitude, and agreed it had been the worst dining experience any of us had EVER! Was it because we?re gay? Who knows, but it certainly wasn?t a ?gay? experience, we?ll let our friends know about it, and won't be returning. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa should be ashamed of this staff. No, Boo!

• Pros: Decent Sushi
• Cons: Rude staff, too loud, neglectful waitstaff...

08/26/07

AWFUL SERVICE! Wait staff horrible, and manager equally horrible!

by plpruitt

I am shocked that this place has as many stars as it does on this review. At best, it should NOT exceed 2 stars. Our waiter was rude and very short when we asked about a particular sushi. When we tried to use our gift card, he told us it that gift card was not accepted, even though we received it from our friends who dined their the month before!

So instead of arguing, we just paid for it with our money. After we got back home, we contacted the manager there, who was EQUALLY rude to us, even AFTER she told us that the waiter was wrong, and SHOULD have taken that gift card. DO NOT EVEN WASTE YOUR TIME going to this restaurant!!!! Unless your Brittany Spears or Paris Hilton, you can forget about great service. Nobu has gotten a bit egotistical and big-headed.

• Pros: Nice decor
• Cons: Service was the worst

04/16/07

Bizzare behaviour

by johnlf35

Made reservation through our consierge for 6:30. Upon arrival told for the first time that we had to vacate our table at 8:00. Having no other arrangements, we reluctantly stayed. Food was good but pricey. Noisy and waiters in great hurry to feed people and get them out of there.

At 8:00 sharp' while still eating, we were told to pay and leave. Our bill was produced in seconds and two buss boys cleaned our table immediately with great efficiency. I travel for years all over the world and never had this experience. Bizzare.

It was the definition of "Fast Food" at high prices.

Go where people love to see you. Avoid the arrogant frustration of the people at Nobu.

• Pros: Above average Japanese food, Good location
• Cons: They do not honour reservations, Mgmt tries to maximize revenue, arrogant and rushed waiters

03/28/07

Wonderful experience

by lesanglierrouge

I was wowed from the moment I walked in the door. The design of the restaurant was unique and stylish without looking too trendy. Between that and an interesting clientelle (which I agree can be a bit annoying, but hey it's the Hard Rock Hotel) we remained very entertained throughout the course of our meal. Ordinarily I have great disdain for any Asian fusion cuisine. However the Japanese/Peruvian style practiced here is brilliant. They play off of each other wonderfully and have what almost all of the other attempts lack, focus. This is not where I'd go to order my day-to-day sushi favorites because it is expensive. You should order that which gives the chef an opportunity to display his talents.

• Pros: Excellent food and flawless service
• Cons: Yep, it's expensive

03/21/07

Great sushi..... at an astronomical price

by redline325

We were seated promptly and the server was very helpful in reccomending a variety of dishes to try. The sushi was great but the prices are crazy.....As much as I had a good experience here I wouldn't go back based on the value. I spent more money the previous night at a different restrauant on the strip and felt I got my money's worth, but not here....I've had sushi in LA and NYC just as good for 33% less.

• Pros: Helpful server
• Cons: Even at this quality it's overpriced

01/08/07

2 Hours of Heaven

by aagandhi

Nobu is simply amazing. I was literally in heaven for the 2 hours that I was there. I will admit that it is a bit pricy, however, it's definitely worth it. We had the sashimi salad, black cod in miso, rock shrimp, toro with miso and caviar, yellowtail sashimi, and finished off with their signature bento box dessert. All of the dishes were plate-licking good. I definitely look forward to going back!!

Disclaimer: If you're looking for typical sushi, this is not the place for you.

• Pros: Innovative dishes

01/08/07

A bit overprice for what you get.

by berhsu

I've had a great dining experience at Nobu Next Door in New York City and was looking forward to dining here. Overall I was not impressed. We tried to be advantureous and took some of our waiter's recommendations. Unfortunately none of the dishes seem all that special that you couldn't find in mid-tier sushi restaurants. Everything was fresh but for the premium price the food lacked innovation as one would expect at Nobu. My food bill with tip came out to be $100pp. One advice skip the Tuna on a chip. It was a 5 very small portion of sashimi tuna on a ruffles potato chip. That was my biggest disappointment of the night.

• Pros: Ambiance
• Cons: Average food + Premium Price = Below average value.