Nobu at the Hard Rock Hotel

02/01/2008 Posted 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

09/04/2007 Posted 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...

08/26/2007 Posted 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

04/16/2007 Posted 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

03/28/2007 Posted 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

03/21/2007 Posted 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

01/08/2007 Posted 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

01/08/2007 Posted 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.

12/24/2006 Posted by mya25

I went there mostly because I wanted to experience the trendy & hip atmosphere and the great food. I had some fancy appetizer (forgot what it was) and some sushi, and yes, it was delicious but somehow i felt like i got ripped off considering the amount of food i got with the price i paid for it. But i guess that's what happens when you go to any fancy place. What i was most disappointed was the atmosphere...the whole restaurant is just real dark and there isn't any trendy & hip atmosphere i was hoping for. All I can remeber was seeing these bamboo (?) partitions throughout the restaurant and that was it (i'm writing this review a year later from the actual visit so i may not be accurate). From pictures i've seen, it looks like Sushi Roku at Caesars has a better atmosphere.

Pros: Food, Service

Cons: Ambience, Price

11/22/2006 Posted by lvp

I've been to the Nobu in NYC and London and this one does not disappoint in terms of quality and style. Still, Nobu is overpriced no matter where you are - while the food is great and the restaurant has a refined atmosphere, there was nothing truly amazing to justify the high prices. Go check it out if you want to see what Nobu is all about but don't go out of your way to do so.