Food Review: Nobu Singapore At Four Seasons Hotel Singapore | New-Style Japanese Cuisine By Celebrity Chef Nobu Matsuhisa

Posted on July 10, 2022 by theRantingPanda in Food

The Place One of the exciting new restaurants opening in Singapore this year, I checked out Nobu Singapore located in the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, a renowned dining concept by celebrity chef and restaurateur, Nobu Matsuhisa. The setting of Nobu Singapore is beautiful. It is located on level 3 of Four Seasons Hotel Singapore where the space features a designer outdoor Japanese garden which you need to walk past before reaching the main restaurant building. The restaurant is helmed by Executive Chef Hideki Maeda, a protégé of Nobu Matsuhisa, previously Head Chef at Nobu London.

The interior of Nobu Singapore exudes contemporary Japanese style, with wooden finishings and is also the world’s first Nobu restaurant to feature a Chef’s Table as part of a private dining space within the restaurant.

The main dining hall spots a high ceiling and is elegant looking, complete with private dining rooms and two customised Teppanyaki private rooms.

The Food The menu showcases New-Style Japanese cuisine, mainly split into cold and hot dishes, tempura, sushi maki, sashimi and desserts. For beverages, expect bespoke craft cocktails along with world-class Nobu sake brewed exclusively by Hokusetsu brewery for Nobu restaurants worldwide.

I started with some easy snacks, Salmon Nobu Taco (S$7/per piece) and the Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna (S$36). The crispy rice is quite unique as it features the fried rice cube paired with tuna sashimi and butter soy sauce by the same. Good starters here to go with some cocktails!

One of Nobu’s classic signatures is the Yellowtail Jalapeño (S$39), a refreshing starter which is fresh and delicious. Little hint of spiciness from the Jalapeño.

Alternatively, there is also the Salmon New Style Sashimi (S$32) with yuzu soy sauce seared with olive oil and sesame oil.

I then had the Baby Spinach Salad Dry Miso with Shrimp (S$52), which is a whopping S$52. It may sound incredulous for a salad dish, though the portion is good to share for 2-3 pax. I rarely say a salad dish is delicious, and this is. The huge and fresh shrimps are probably the reason for the price tag.

For sashimi, the menu offers a wide assortment priced per piece, with the likes of Japanese Red Snapper (S$16/per piece) and Chu-Toro (S$28/per piece).

Another seemingly unassuming dish is the Rock Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce & Ponzu (S$54). This crispy shrimp is coated with creamy sauce, and it is very additive. The size of the shrimp makes it easy to pop into the mouth, and it is one of my favourite dishes here!

If you love a good cod, you will likely enjoy the Black Cod Miso (S$68). The cod spots a fatty and flavourful taste, where the texture is just about right for me. I recommend sharing this between two diners as it can be quite rich as a stand-alone dish.

For meats, I had the Beef Toban Yaki (S$56/120g) served in a hot sizzling plate where the beef is cut into thick slices. Relatively flavourful meat here, along with different types of mushrooms, all done teppanyaki style.

For desserts, I was expecting something for dramatic when I spot Bento Box (S$24) on the menu. Instead, it simply houses the Nobu Valrhona Dark Chocolate Fondant and a Choice of Ice Cream – Vanilla or Green Tea, with the box. No drama on the presentation, but you can expect a rich chocolate fondant.

Alternatively, there is also the Homemade Mochi (S$18) which features Green Tea, Chocolate, Mango Passion Cream with Almond Coconut Base wrapped in Soft Rice Dough.

Rants Prices are definitely on the hefty side. Nobu is not a restaurant to visit if you are on a budget.

Will I Return Again? While the dining experience at Nobu is not a cheap affair, you can expect good modern Japanese dishes in a beautiful setting. Service is quite polished, which is not unexpected for the brand. The dishes are also more designed for sharing, so it is a good idea to come with small groups if you want to try a good variety of dishes.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.