Today’s chefs love to talk about simplicity, as in “I take fresh local ingredients and prepare them simply.” But much of the time, it’s just lip service, and they proceed to gussy up the food with sauces, seasonings and, now, chemistry class experiments.
Nobu Matsuhisa is the master of simplicity.
I first discovered this pioneer of contemporary Japanese cuisine in the mid-1990s in New York City, where he opened NOBU (with partners Robert De Niro and restaurateur Drew Nieporent) in 1994. (His first restaurant had opened in L.A. in 1987.)
On my first visit I was blown away by his Black Cod with Miso. On my second visit I was blown away by his Black Cod with Miso.
And last weekend, at the year-old NOBU in downtown San Diego’s Hard Rock Hotel, I was blown away by his Black Cod with Miso.
I’m telling you, this dish is so fabulous that I cannot seem to move beyond it on the menu. The rest of my group swooned over voluptuous fresh uni (sea urchin roe) served with just a sprinkle of Peruvian chile paste; and plump seared scallops with a daub of peppery wasabi sauce; and fresh sole from Greenland, simply broiled and buttered, with a few wispy, deep-fried celery root leaves scattered on top. All the while, I sat quietly, savoring and marveling at each luscious, lightly perfumed, beguilingly sweet morsel of my cod. It sat alone on the dish. No sauce. No garnish. No sidekicks. Pure, delectable simplicity.
Of course, I did TASTE a few other things…and I was particularly spellbound by the elegance and effortlessness of two vegetable dishes from the brick oven. Fresh baby corn, still in their husks, were roasted and then spritzed with citrusy yuzu-butter. Roasted cauliflower rosettes had a sweet subtle, lightly caramelized flavor that was accentuated by a barely-there sauce of pureed jalapenos, garlic, Japanese vinegar and discreet grapeseed oil. I wouldn’t so much call this a sauce as a “mist.” Semantics aside, I lapped up every last droplet with gusto.
For such a high-end and cutting-edge establishment, NOBU has some very gentle prices. The brick oven veggie dishes cost $11; and the extraordinary black cod is just $22.
Simple.
Sensational.
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