Nubori — Restaurant in Iñaquito

Visited in August 2024. Ecuador. Quito.

Nubori, located conveniently near our hotel, caught our attention with its positive reviews and tempting photos. Japanese cuisine is a favorite of ours, so we were eager to give it a try. The restaurant is spacious and stylish, with a modern lounge-like ambiance. The interior, though, is rather dark, a feature that might not be to everyone's taste.

Food: We typically order several small plates at Asian restaurants to get a better feel for the establishment. This time, we were drawn to the Stone Crab Salad. The photos looked enticing, and the dish lived up to the visual appeal initially. However, it was more of a crab presentation than a salad. We received a few crab claws in a nest of fried dough with a minimal amount of green salad and cherry tomatoes on the side, perhaps two small handfuls. The crab itself was cooked well, but served cold, which negatively impacted the overall experience. The fried dough nest was incredibly dry and inedible, seemingly an unnecessary decorative element.

Another dish that caught our eye was the hot Lobster Roll, beautifully presented in photos. It tasted good, but the lobster was overshadowed by the creamy cheese and avocado. The rolls were a bit misshapen, but the warm temperature saved the dish, making it melt in our mouths. Overall, a good dish with a few reservations.

We also sampled other rolls, with the Foie Gras roll being a standout. The hot rolls were also well-received. The rice in the rolls was cooked perfectly, slightly firm with a pleasant texture and taste.

Service: The servers were not very fluent in English, but we managed to place our order successfully with the help of some pictures. The service was decent, but there were a few misunderstandings. When we ordered sake, they informed us it was unavailable and brought a different sake without asking. This felt strange, as a simple question would have sufficed. However, the dishes arrived quickly, and the staff was friendly.

Conclusion: Nubori is a decent Asian restaurant with a stylish interior. They offer many interesting appetizers, and for Quito, the ambiance is a rarity. However, we felt the prices were inflated for the quality and taste they provided. Nevertheless, Quito's restaurant scene is limited, and this might be one of the best options available. We visited Nubori multiple times and would recommend it - you'll have a...

Bizar experience. We arrived tonight at a totally empty restaurant. No guests. We were put in front of a huge projector screen while Equadorian anthem started playing. It was the beginning of the football match Equador -Chile. We were handed the menus altough being a bit confused about the situation we asked if they would be so kind to switch it off because it is not a very pleasant way to dine. Mind you, this restaurant has a very large, seperate bar with 3 huge TV screens. Like a sports bar. The staff refused to switch of the screen. When we asked to get another table we were moved although the screen was still very distracting. We asked to at least turn of the volume but again the awnser was no. The love for sports in my opinion has it's limits when it comes to an establishment like this. It is not Mc Donald's. When staff decides against and refuses to adhere to a reasonable request from it's guests to be able to have quite dinner, you should rethink your priorities.

Staff watching the game in the bar would have solved the whole problem. It was also empty.

Remember, soccer does not pay your salary, but...

Excellent Nikkei food alternative. I took the 5 course tasting menu, it was fantastic. It is an experience worth saving. Dishes are very well balanced, adequate portions and consistent serving times. Good selection of wines and cocktails, recommended the bloody Mary. Free parking in the building. The service needs improve, there seems to be a bit chaos between the maitre and waitress, as there appears to be a lack of internal communication on simple things like when you order a cocktail and three different people come up to ask you about the same thing or you order a wine and then they tell you that they don't have 🙄 they brought us the first course, and nobody explained what it was. With the following dishes I had to ask what the sauce was, how it was prepared, they served us a piece of meat well done, but never asked us or mentioned the doneness it came with. The are service mistakes you wouldn't expect at a restaurant...