Nobu Houston — Restaurant in Houston

Having been to the Nobu overseas in Doha, I had high hopes to take my wife to the Houston location. What started off pretty good went downhill fast. First, the good: Our server, Kiara, was very attentive and explained almost everything on the numerous menus. The secondary staff that delivered the food and explained the dishes were outstanding. Now on to the disappointments- The drinks: we were asked if we wanted water and said yes. A bottle of water was brought to the table. We ordered cocktails as well. They were pretty good. So what was the problem? HOLY COW THE PRICES ON THE BILL! Found it peculiar that we had a bottle of water while tables around us were getting ice water refills from pitchers. And the sticker shock started with the $10 charge for a liter of water. Why didnt we get the pitcher water? No choice was offered. Then the cocktails each priced at $24 and - wait for it - $58!!??!! That isn't even justified for the drinks we received. Take note, the OVERPRICED MENU will be a common theme. The appetizers, My wife ordered the Artichoke salad and after specifically asking what came on the sashimi tower, to gage the size of my appetizer choice, was told that it came with about 12 pieces, or 2 each of 6 kinds of Sashimi. And that the difference when ordering the premium was that you received higher quality fish. Not that I would ever expect to get low quality fish at a place like this, but went with the Premium knowing it was $65. Hoping to be absolutely wowed at that price point. So my wife's salad came first, it wasn't bad for cold noodles and artichoke, but not worth the $32 price. Then my tower came and was explained what each item was by the server who delivered it. Presentation was good, but I've had seafood "towers" before. This was no tower. The portions were laughable. Very, very small portions. And the "high quality fish," each served with its own sauce, did not impress at all. When the bill came after our meal, I questioned why I was charged the $65 twice when I ordered only one tower, and Kiara explained that it was because there were two of us. Wait. What?? She further clarified that the order had two of everything because we were actually each getting a tower. We'll that's not how it was explained to me nor was it our intention to order two. I told her that that was VERY DECEPTIVE. There was no description in the menu, and she told me it came with two pieces of each type of Sashimi. What should I have thought?? The main course: wife ordered the Rock Shrimp Tempura. DONT BOTHER. The level of presentation and quality of the dish were on par with Chinese takeout. Again, another $32 wasted. I ordered two cut rolls, the yellowtail Jalapeño and the Eel cucumber....neither were anything to write home about and again, small pieces. I've had better sushi at the corner restaurant by my house. Bottom line, as has been mentioned in so many other reviews, this place is WAAAY OVERPRICED for what you get. Our bill was almost $400. I have never felt so ripped off. The seating arrangements are not very intimate. We were seated very close to two other couples that all shared the same bench seat. The atmosphere was basic with very little flare. It's in the mall after all. Parking is so scarce that cars are just circling, waiting for a spot to open up. Again, it's the MALL. However, valet service is available if you want to pay for it. I don't know if the restaurant validates. I expected so much more for this Houston location. Doha far outshines in...

We went there for the New Nobu brunch. I have heard about Nobu being a top restaurant and was expecting a fantastic brunch. Here are my thoughts.

Basic rundown if you don’t want to read the whole review. Parking is OK. Need clarification how to get to the restaurant once parked Unless you choose valet. Service was very mediocre. Atmosphere was good, food lacked luster. And even though the manager tried to make up for the errors out of the 10,000 restaurants in Houston would not recommend.

First, we get there and it is outside of the Galleria, but they do have plenty of parking spots with the garages. The only issue is the signs are not clear about how to get to Nobu and I ended up walking past the hall where Nobu was located at, and had to walk back outside just to get to the restaurant. Yes, you can valet for $12, which would be so much more convenient, But that wasn’t my choice. So take that with a grain of salt. We get to the restaurant they have an elevator, which is very helpful because it is on the second floor.

Second was the service. I was meeting some friends and my sister for the brunch, she was already sitting at the table. The waitress poured us still water from the bottle did not ask our preference, just poured. Our table ended up paying for the several bottled waters we didn’t know we were getting charged for which was a terrible surprise because not once did she never ask our preference. She just asked my sister originally not the rest of the table and went from there. Like I said we paid for it but it was a lesson learned. When we asked for our check, since we’re a table of six she asked if she could split it in to two instead of four separate checks. I’ve never quite understood why this has been an issue, especially when you have handheld payment machines. Plus me being a manager in the food industry it’s not something I find as inconvenient as everybody has their own payment preference. When we told her no, we would like it split the way we wanted it split. It took her at least 15 minutes to get the checks which was fine. Once she dropped off the checks, it took another 25 minutes for her to come back to collect the payment, which was highly annoying. The manager understood our frustration and was very gracious.

Third, the food. The buffet line was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. My top things were the beef ribs…. AMAZING! Croissants were impeccable by far the best croissants that I’ve had in Houston they were fluffy, They were crunchy, They were buttery without the butter. The miso sea bass wrap was melt in your mouth good. Now to the sushi… the maki rolls they were ok, sushi was ok, fish was fresh, the crispy rice with tuna is a definite SKIP, hard and tasteless. Overall I have had better sushi at other restaurants in Houston, including other sushi buffets. The overall selection was monotony.

Last, the atmosphere was good. They had a DJ, music was fine find myself dancing everyone in a while, wasn’t too loud. They did have an AC problem but by the time we had left the restaurant they had fixed the AC, which was great. The Manager was understanding as he knew that we were already irritated, but he was very nice and understanding.

Overall, would I recommend it, No, None of us at the table would. In a city that has over 10,000 restaurants, I could’ve spent my money anywhere else and been more satisfied for half the price of my bill. Just not worth...

I recently stopped by Nobu Houston while shopping at the Galleria Mall, ready to experience the renowned Nobu brand I’ve heard so much about. Unfortunately, the reality fell far short of expectations. The atmosphere was surprisingly underwhelming—dark and lacking the vibrant, upscale feel I anticipated.

The menu, while varied, was outrageously expensive, and most of the dishes were overly sauced, masking the flavors rather than enhancing them. For a final tab close to $300, I left the restaurant shocked, disappointed, and still very hungry.

While the service was good, that’s about the only positive I can note. The food, however, was a complete letdown, especially considering the price point. Average, unknown sushi restaurants around Houston easily surpass what Nobu Houston offers. The brand name might be “legendary,” but this Houston location is far from it—truly a trash experience for overpriced, bad food.

[COCKTAILS]

+Nobu Old Fashioned (Michter’s Small Batch Bourbon, Torres Orange Liqueur, Kuromitsu, and Angostura Bitters) for $24 - 4/5

[MOCKTAILS]

+Yuzu Pear Lemonade (Pear, Yuzu, Vanilla Monkfruit Syrup, and Soda Water) for $10 - This was citrusy, and the soda water made it refreshing with the carbonation. It was much too sweet though. - 3.5/5

[SNACKS]

+Charred Shishito Peppers Yuzu Miso for $12 - The peppers came out cold and mushy, but I expected them to be blistered. They were also soaked in sauce. How could shishito peppers be messed up? - 2/5

[COLD DISHES]

+Bluefin Toro Tartare with Caviar for $42 - This item is extremely small, and I wish they gave something to spread the tartare on like a bread to mix up the taste. The fish was bathing in a sauce which was overpowering, so you’re mostly tasting sauce here. - 3/5

[HOT DISHES]

+Black Cod Miso for $46 - We were told this dish was what put Nobu on the map. The fish didn’t taste that fresh, was mushy, and completely saturated in sauce. - 3/5

[NOBU TACOS]

+Tuna Taco for $8 - This “taco” was the size of my thumb. It tasted like Doritos chips. - 3/5 +Lobster Taco for $12 - This had no taste whatsoever other than the Doritos chips taco shell. - 2.5/5

[VEGETABLES]

+Cauliflower Jalapeño for $24 - 3/5

[SUSHI MAKI]

+Salmon and Avocado (cut roll) for $14 - Shockingly, this tasted like grocery store sushi rolls. Even average sushi restaurants around town are better than this. - 1.5/5 +Yellowtail Jalapeño (cut roll) for $15 - 2.5/5

Overall, Nobu Houston is a far cry from what you’d expect of the globally recognized Nobu brand. The food quality and ambiance do not justify the exorbitant prices, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. If you’re looking for excellent Japanese cuisine in Houston, check out Katami or Kata Robata, a close drive from the...