Nobu - BEYOND Ridiculous!

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Nobu - BEYOND Ridiculous!

$675 would cover round-trip airfare for three to Lanai AND dinner at the Lodge at Koele.

I wish our consumer supply chain would embrace the cryogenic way. The best scallops I've ever had were day boat scallops from the Gulf of Mexico. Those tender morsels were flash frozen on the fishing boat and were the freshest-tasting bivalves I've had the honor of sticking a fork in.

[scrivener]

Re: Nobu - BEYOND Ridiculous!

umm, the prices they charge is very profitable since..well if they order their fish through the auction block, tamahshiro, tropic, fresh island, it would cost roughly 12.95-18.95 per lb depending on grades.

That's not where they get that super-duper high-grade toro. For the really good stuff that claims those kinds of prices, you're usually talking (I think) about Spain.

There's a place in the airport district called Mitch's Sushi. One of its options is a $75 per-person eat-what-we-bring-you meal and my friends say it is worth it, especially if Mitch has in the restaurant the Spanish toro. My sushi-loving friends say it is the best sushi they've ever had in their LIVES.

My understanding is that the high-end sushi places use that super-duper-quick-frozen sushi that thaws months later to fresh-quality. In a Food Network special about Masaharu Morimoto's opening a new restaurant in Philadelphia, Morimoto talked about how almost all the good restaurants in Japan serve fish that has been deep-deep frozen that way, and that only in America is there this hang-up about only eating fresh-never-frozen fish.

[Mike_Lowery]

Re: Nobu - BEYOND Ridiculous!

could've bought 92 Burrell's transcripts.

[mel]

Re: BEYOND Ridiculous!

This brings to mind Creative-1's "What $4 Billion Dollars Can Buy" thread (regarding the rail transit issue).

In light of Kalei's experience, we may have to start one titled "What $675 dollars Can Buy"....

$675 can buy a dinner for 3 at Nobu in Waikiki ...OR...

A 16 GB iPod Touch and an 80GB iPod Classic at the Apple online Store and a handful of songs with the change from the iTunes Music Store.

Those will last longer than steak, sushi or anything else from the dreadfully expensive restaurant.

[CranBeree]

Re: Nobu - BEYOND Ridiculous!

Nobu is ridiculous, very arrogant as if the world revolved at his command.
well that was my impression of him when i met him anyway.

umm, the prices they charge is very profitable since..well if they order their fish through the auction block, tamahshiro, tropic, fresh island, it would cost roughly 12.95-18.95 per lb depending on grades.

[Composite 2992]

Re: BEYOND Ridiculous!

This brings to mind Creative-1's "What $4 Billion Dollars Can Buy" thread (regarding the rail transit issue).

In light of Kalei's experience, we may have to start one titled "What $675 dollars Can Buy"....

$675 can buy a dinner for 3 at Nobu in Waikiki ...OR...

• 8 Prix Fixe dinners for 2 at Roy's Waikiki (16 total covers)
• 25 All-You-Can-Eat Sunday Breakfast Brunch covers at The Willows
• 105 Zippy's Zip Pacs
• 122 "Lunch Box" Sushi Bento Packs from Kozo (or Aloha or Sushi Man) .. and probably taste just as good, if not better than the above

There's a Korean plate lunch place in Waipio that gives very generous portions for less than $8. In fact, it usually lasts me two days: Dinner, then lunch, then maybe even another light dinner.

With that, $675 could feed someone like me for almost three months.

[Paul Ogata]

Re: Nobu - BEYOND Ridiculous!

Yeah, that stuff gets expensive. Earlier this year, I went to eat at Nobu's in the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas. Toro there was $16 per piece, but brokdamout good. My wife and I ended up shelling out over $300 just for sushi, but it was all worth it. Thick cuts of fresh fish... *drool*.

But you do have to watch out for Wagyu (Kobe-style) beef. Some places will sell you non-Japanese Wagyu at Japanese Wagyu prices.

Hey, Leo... after Nobu's folds in Waikiki maybe you can talk Yuji into opening a Kona Kitchen it its place. (Kona Kitchen in Seattle had probably the best Lomi Salmon I've had in ages.)

[Menehune Man]

Re: Nobu - BEYOND Ridiculous!

Wow!

Here's a story from years ago somewhat along the same vein.

An aquaintance's wife invited us, and others to "Ruth's Chris" Steak House for a birthday gathering. I had no idea of the prices there and should have called ahead to investigate. They were business owners so it was nothing much to them. Needless to say, I had to borrow money to pay our portion of the bill and we ordered very lightly. $40 per average steak, then plus for brocolli and potatoe.

Sheesh... pre-credit card days so very embarrassing.

[LikaNui]

Re: BEYOND Ridiculous!

They may as well charge you by-the-grain for rice.

Good gosh, man -- don't give Nobu any ideas!
And yes, BEYOND Ridiculous, indeed! Kalei99's story makes me appreciate the "bargains" in everything on the menus at Ruth's Chris, Hy's, Nick's Fish Market, and Morton's.
I also see the relevance of her sig line:

So long...and thanks for all the fish!

That's been her sig for a long time. I wonder if she'll edit that now.

[Tiabla]

Re: BEYOND Ridiculous!

What can I say? I've been to Nobu three times now and every time I thought it was great. Perfect service, beautiful decor and amazing food!

Did I mention someone else picked up the bill each time?

[tutusue]

Re: BEYOND Ridiculous!

DAYAM...I don't think any of us can top your story, Kalei! I haven't had any yearnings to try Nobu and now I know I never will. Did the waitperson really not tell you the Kobe steak price was per ounce? If not, you probably had just cause to refuse to pay for it or at least negotiate it way down. Must admit I thought the $27. price was a deal. Eldest spawn and I had dinner at the Chart House earlier this year and she ordered a steak off the menu that was $36. (iirc). I found that way over the top!

To add to the BEYOND ridiculous thread...
All I'll say is...an employee at my Makaha condo. Ooooh how I'd love to elaborate!

[Mike_Lowery]

Re: BEYOND Ridiculous!

damn, that much for a dinner? I coulda used that money for 5 more pairs of shoes.

[joshuatree]

Re: BEYOND Ridiculous!

This brings to mind Creative-1's "What $4 Billion Dollars Can Buy" thread (regarding the rail transit issue).

It can buy Hawaiian Airlines a brand new Airbus widebody fleet.

[kiwidiva]

Re: BEYOND Ridiculous!

Lucky it wasn't me... I would have been in the back washing dishes to pay off that bill!

I lived in Japan for seven years so am used to BEYOND ridiculous prices - once we sang karaoke in a room, ate some pupus, dranks some cocktails and beer and were charged over $700! Luckily, there was no tip!! A friend who was with us (gaijin but been in Japan forever) was just going to pay the bill - no questions asked!!! On principle, I refused. Luckily, I was sober enough to go through the itemized bill and I did get it down (I think they reduced the bill just to avoid confrontation) but no way that was worth $700!

The alarm bells went off while reading your story when I got to the $20 or $27 kobe steak. You've had it before so you might have known that it is the world's most expensive beef - the cows are fed organic grain, beer and sake and massaged by hand to produce the tenderest meat. Although is what they serve here actually kobe beef or kobe-style beef? I don't remember how much Kobe beef goes for in Tokyo but know it's in the hundreds so that $20 or $27 per ounce is about right.

That being said, this isn't Tokyo and that server of yours should have been more specific!

Arigatou gozaimasu for posting of your experience here so that we can all boycott Nobu! Well, I couldn't afford to eat there even if I wanted to!!

[Leo Lakio]

Re: BEYOND Ridiculous!

Sounds like another restaurant that is past its prime days of being something new, innovative and special - and is now coasting on its reputation. The next step on that path is generally either (a) get it together and return to being something truly worthy of their name and price, or (b) fail. The only question is the timeline.




Whoa! 5000th post! I am a motormouth!