Rating: 
Summary: great photography, somewhat impractical
Review: I love the local L.A. Nobu restaurants (Matsuhisa and Ubon), and I enjoyed the book from a purely entertainment perspective. The photographs are beautiful, and I found some of the recipes to be fairly do-able. However, it is noteworthy to mention that quite a few ingredients are difficult if not impossible to find in the U.S., even at Japanese specialty markets (Nobu himself admits that he included recipes that have "many ingredients that can only be found in Japan."). These are interesting, but I don't make it to Japan often enough to be able to whip these dishes up for my dinner parties. Another thing I found somewhat annoying was all of the Hollywood name-dropping the book is peppered with. I don't really care which celebrities have dined in the various Nobu restaurants, nor do I care what their favorite dishes are. The fact that Nobu once made lunch for Princess Di was equally unimportant to me. The thing I really appreciated was learning more about the quality and "kokoro" (heart) that goes into some of the dishes I've enjoyed at Matsuhisa. The book definitely inspired me to go and eat there again soon!
Rating: 
Summary: Great read
Review: I purchased this cookbook to learn more about Japanese food and it didn't disappoint. However, some of the recipies, though spectacular, are more complicated to make. If you are a beginning cook you may find some difficulty with the ingredients; but the recipies are simply delicious and totally worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful addition to my cookbook collection!
Review: This cookbook has beautiful pictures that show off this great collection of Nobu recipes. The recipes are well written and easy to follow. You don't have to be a gourmet cook to make them. I don't care for sushi myself but many of the other recipes sound really good! Some reviewers mention the hard-to-get ingredients but even if you live in a small town like I do you can order most of the seasonings online. Just do a search under Asian food and you will find several online stores with reasonable prices. As for the exotic fish, just substitue any similar fish from your local market! Don't let the recipe ingredients intimidate you and you will really enjoy this cookbook!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful addition to my cookbook collection!
Review: This cookbook has beautiful pictures that show off this great collection of Nobu recipes. The recipes are well written and easy to follow. You don't have to be a gourmet cook to make them. I don't care for sushi myself but many of the other recipes sound really good! Some reviewers mention the hard-to-get ingredients but even if you live in a small town like I do you can order most of the seasonings online. Just do a search under Asian food and you will find several online stores with reasonable prices. As for the exotic fish, just substitue any similar fish from your local market! Don't let the recipe ingredients intimidate you and you will really enjoy this cookbook!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful.
Review: This cookbook is full of amazing recipes and pictures (I love cookbooks with pictures, you can see what it is supposed to look like and work based on that!) Anyway, I had the privelege to visit the restaurant in NYC twice through a relative of mine, and was pleased to realize that some of the dishes we tried were available in this book. I also think that, while on the difficult side for cookbooks (obviously, Matsuhisa is a true master of cooking,) the recipes are not impossible if you are familiar with the techniques and ingredients listed.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Charming and Creative Cuisine
Review: This is a intimidating cookbook when first opened. It's source is one of the world's renown chefs and the cuisine shall we say is one that most of us don't have access to (all of the exotic seafood: eels, abalone, etc. and sushi). However, there are many dishes which one with access to fresh, high quality seafood and basic chef skills can achieve some success with. I've had raves over the Grilled Scallops with Tabbouleh Salsa as well as Baked Monkfish Medley with Tosa-Zu and the Lobster Salad with Spicy Lemon Dressing, Green Tea Parfait. High level cooking with fusion of Japanese and other cuisines. Beatifully composed and produced with wrap-around photos of brilliant color. Inspiring book to challenge one's menu with this creative, famous cuisine.
Rating:
Summary: Hot and Cold
Review: This is more of a coffee-table cookbook; it has very high production values, the pictures accompanying the recipes are fantasitic (think Charlie Trotter) and the recipes are inspired and beautiful. However, the recipes include many ingredients (both primary and secondary) that might not only be difficult to find, but are also something you just WILL NOT cook on your own. (e.g. Whole baby squid? Sea eels?) This cookbook deserves five stars for its beauty and creativity, but only gets three stars for its actual practical use. Your best bet is to check it out for yourself at your local bookstore, and then (of course) come back here to Amazon and buy it.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute Gourmet cookbook!
Review: This is one of my favorite cookbooks - an absolute gourmet experience that will appeal to everyone who loves Nobu's cooking. For those who also loves cruises: the book features some of his recipes found on board Crystal Serenity where the Sushi Bar features menu selections prepared by a Nobu-trained chef, and the Asian restaurant, Silk Road, features a six-course menu with dishes selected by Nobu as well. Fabulous photographs make cooking really easy and enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Great food, but labor intensive
Review: While many of the recipes we have tried from this book have produced excellent results, it is not for the novice nor for the cook who cannot find exotic ingredients. We live in the San Francisco Bay area and must make special trips to the Asian seafood markets because the local grocer, although high-end, does not carry the exotic varieties of fish and shellfish that he uses. He does not offer suggestions for substitutions.
The food is very good, but you can tell that this is definitely a vanity cookbook. I don't think most home chefs could use this book - it is definitely for the obsessive foodie who would go to any lengths to prepare his recipes. Good for special occasions or for those who have a lot of time and resources for foods.
Rating:
Summary: Great Reference for the Experienced Cook
Review: Wonderful plate presentations. Recipes are more for the experienced cook. Obviously, reading and actually executing the recipes are totally different things. Procedures appear simple but technique will play a very important role in Nobu's dishes. If you're a beginner and interested in Nobu's type of cuisine, get your copy and practice, practice, practice! Ingredients are not easy to get (hard to find and/or expensive).
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