nobu - four seasons hotel

so doha has a nobu!  time to get eating!  mrs b and i booked a table at our local(!) nobu to celebrate a special occasion. we started off with some mocktails - 28 punch 55, and ryu punch.  on to the food, the black cod yozu miso was very nice, as were the spicy tuna sushi rolls.  we had a few other pieces, and a chocolate bomb dessert.

ok, lets be honest, the food was outstanding.  the ambiance, the view, this is a fantastic place, somewhere a bit special to celebrate but.... if it wasn't nobu i wouldn't have paid over 50 qar each for a mocktail.  be warned, its pricey!

not my first visit but my first review, despite a confirmed reservation and the place was almost empty i had an issue with table i have requested, food experience has almost been fantastic , ordered the following:

1- 10 pcs wagyu beef spicy ponzu tacos 4.5/5
2- 10 pcs lobster wasabi tacos 5/5 my alltimefavourite.
3- rock shrimp tempura with creamy spicy 3.5/5
4- chicken wings
5- wagyu gyoza 4.5/5
6- chicken wings 4/5
7- scallop with spicy wasabi pepper sauce 5/5
8- creamy california suchi 4/5
9- bento box 3.5/5
10- carmelized vanilla cake 4/5

food is good, drinks are fine, but what's up with the terribly slow service? secondtimehere at the bar/lounge area and reminded of the same issues as the firsttime- forgotten orders & delays.
👎🏽

decent food terrible service. firsttimehere and definitely a mistake. not repeating it
only come if you have about 5 hours to wait between the starters and the main course.
would have been more considerate if we ordered a la carte, but we had a set 4 course menu!
no great food can ever be compensated by terrible service

was here for the firsttimefor my wife's birthday. first impression you get once you arrive is the level of the service from the valet to the table. everyone is thriving to make you happy. the atmospheres and the music are just comfrting. the food was good. we had the kaiseki set menu which included 1 choice of each of the following:

starter
sushi
main course
desert

lovely experience, looking forward to go again and try thier friday brunch this time.

i went there when it first opened and it was good . then i went again and i did not enjoy it at all, the food was not good like the firsttimeand i heard that from many other people.

great dining experience. the staff and service is really good. although veg options are less but still they all taste good.
warm mushroom salad being my alltimefavourite.
grilled asparagus was just perfect. i even enjoy there cauliflower jalepeno quite a lot. not to missed there crispy rice , although quite buttery but good.

highlights: black cod yuzu miso

disclaimer: food is good but overrated and not exceptional, especially when considering the price tag.

we ordered the 7 course omakase, which consisted of:
nobu special cold dishes (entrée):
- yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño. the sashimi was juicy; loved the textural differences with the sashimi, crisp jalapeño and the fresh coriander.
salad:
- lobster spinach salad. fresh and well-flavored with truffle oil and dry miso but i found it slightly on the dry side.
sushi roll:
- salmon.
- tuna.
- shrimp tempura.
- scallop.
the cold rolls were fresh; the shrimp tempura was crispy; the scallop by itself was fresh and not chewy; scallop served with the rice seemed out of place.
soup:
- miso soup. the soup was served steaming hot and fresh but the soup broth could’ve used more miso seasoning.
main course:
- black cod yuzu miso skin. winner dish! beautiful piece of fish; well cooked; melt in your mouth; topped with crispy skin; perfectly flavored with miso. loved loved the fish!
- wagyu beef. we ordered it medium rare. i love the pink color when the beef is cooked medium rare.
desserts:
- ice lollipop.
- chocolate bento box. fondant with ice cream. almost heavenly! the chocolate oozes out when you bite into it but the bottom of the cake tasted slightly burnt; some may enjoy the burnt taste (like me!)

separate order:
rock shrimp tempura with creamy spicy butter ponzu. we ordered this as well since it sounded so good and it didn’t let us down but not a good dish to pair with the omakase since the tempura is heavy and really fills you up. the rock shrimp tempura is like an upgraded and less-sweet version of the dynamite shrimp.

the omakase is really filling. i wouldn’t suggest ordering a separate dish like we did, which resulted in us having to take away some of the dishes.

service: attention to detail; fold napkins if you leave the table even for a second; clear plates instantly; our server (katrina) was excellent at explaining the menu, recommending dishes and patiently walking us through the omakase menu as well; thoroughly enjoyed the service at nobu.


ambience: the entrance to nobu is separate from the four seasons hotel making it seem super exclusive; perched behind the hotel, it overlooks the corniche; it was my firsttimehere and i loved the feel of nobu; the walkway leading to the restaurant; the lighting; simple and elegant decor; i like how lighting was used as the main decor element; good for a romantic, private setting or special occasions; variety of seating options; a european feel; depending on where you sit, you could be at a restaurant, lounge or sushi bar;a few tables are too close to each other (european style) and this may not please everyone.

cost: qr 1085 for 2.

verdict: would i go again? i thought about this a bit and i have to say that out of all the dishes i tried, i would only go back for the black cod yuzu miso.

nobu! i am a big fan of this place! the ambience is spectacular! finger foods are scrumptious. my alltimefavorite are edamame, crispy umami chicken with honey anticucho and rock shrimp tempura! the lasttimei was there i had the ryu punch which was quite nice.

a great place to hang out with your spouse or friends.
can get waaaay crowded!


march 2019 update
we tried the signature 7 course menu - it was just spectacular! the cod fish is the best i have eaten in my life!

the largest nobu restaurant in the world, and located fancily on manmade island behind four seasons hotel, this place is famous for its luxury and expensive price.

this was my secondtimevisited here and the firsttimeto friday brunch here.

went with my colleagues which almost every friday go to nozomi (marza malas hotel in pearl doha) for friday brunch, i heard a lot their comparison with nozomi during our meal like, the food and drink variation are better in nobu than nozomi. some meal is better in nobu, such as the eggplant miso meal.
while in nobu, we select one main course and one desert in addition to all you can eat corner, in nozomi we select two main courses, while the desert is in the buffet.
they also said the waiters were better mannered in nozomi.
but i saw the waiters in nobu were great, especially the bulgarian girl in charge of our table, so smiley and efficient.

there were two stations for the buffet, the sushi station and the other station in the lobby.
in sushi station, there were quite variety of sushi, including scallops, shrimp, fruit and mushroom sushi.
in the other station, there were raw oyster (3 types), foie gras (fried, and put on a type of bread) etc.

the mocktail was quite fancy with a lot of choices.
i like apple coconut. my colleague said thai lycee was the best.

in general, dining in nobu is not just a meal, but an experience.
the soft drink package of qar 355 is quite reasonable, considering the price for friday brunch at similar hotels in doha.

came here for the firsttimeto try the summef omakase menu. priced at 300qr for 4 courses it's excellent value. i loved the design of the restaurant and the service. the pulled beef was the star of the evening for me, i'd go back just for them! as it was eid no alcohol was being served, soft drinks were about 35-50qr each which is more than other places but was as i expected. only the dining room was open so i'm sure we'll be back once it cools to take advantage of the outdoor seating and views.

hands down one of the best food experiences i've had in doha.

i visited nobu yesterday - a birthday dinner treat from my hubby.
they say that first impression is everything... well, if it is then nobu scored a big fat 10 in that department. beautifully located overlooking the sea, the interior of the whole building made me feel kinda cozy, in a sophisticated way :) we arrived early and a wonderful friendly hostess directed us to the bar. i had a japanese mojito (all hail the happy hours!) and it was so yummy that it took all my willpower to stop myself from ordering another one. try it, you won't regret it! when my drink was sadly finished, we were lead to our table (the loud greeting that all guests get from the staff is a nice touch!). 

i'm not a big expert on japanese food, so i needed quite a lot of help with the menu :) we had two lovely ladies assigned to our table who took theirtimeto thoroughly explain to us the menu, answered all my newbie questions and gave us their personal recommendations. they visited our table then quite frequently to ask how was the food and, something that i personally appreciated a lot, get our detailed feedback on some dishes, as they were "new on the menu".

we decided to share all food that we ordered. we started with yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno and new style oyster sashimi. yellowtail sashimi tasted amazing, with the spicy kick from jalapenos (they're properly deseeded, so won't burn your mouth). the oysters were slightly on the salty side, but then again i am not the expert and i liked them anyway :) both disappeared from our plates in literally 30 seconds :) after that came the highlight of the evening - rock shrimp tempura. i kid you not, that was the most amazing seafood dish i've had in my entire life! i am a big fan of tempura in general, but this dish brought it to another level and i'm afraid i won't be able to enjoy the "usual" tempura like i used to. after the shrimp came a menu novelty, which was hubby's choice so unfortunately i can't remember the name... lobster-based savory dumplings with tangy salsa, delicious! we wouldn't be able to leave without a dessert... our choices were a sweet potato cake with apricot sorbet (not included in the menu; it was a daily special) and a nobu cheesecake with yuzu sorbet. both yummy and, to top it all up, first one came with a candle and "happy 30th birthday, joanna!" written on a piece of chocolate. lovely touch, extra points scored ;) i washed it all down with a drink which i ordered blindly based on the hostess's recommendation, key ingredients: sake & champagne, kiwi & cucumber. tasty & refreshing.

we ended up paying approx. qar 1100 for the experience. which is the only reason i didn't score nobu a straight 5. even though the food, ambiance and service was great, price is on the high side... but again, that's just my opinion :)

beautiful restaurant with sea views all around. been there for drinks a few times and also onetimefor dinner.  the food was not as good as i expected since i've been to nobu in london and i hoped for the same. the atmosphere on monday during happy is very nice, lots of people and brilliant terrace with a great view.

i dont feel like in fine dining. i had salmon teriyaki, but the taste was okay. nothing special, only the view amazing. the staff was friendly! but nexttimei wanna go to their bar, but unfortunately thattimewas closed.

what an amazing restaurant.. from the view to the decor to the food and wine, but they have their quirks ! we decided to try nobu for the firsttimeon ladies night, to say they were busy would be an understatement. i phoned about a week ahead oftimeto book but was told you could not make a booking for happy hour, anyway, we got there and basically the whole restaurant was fully booked except for a small couch seat in the corner... ( next time, don't tell me i can't make a reservation when i very well can) ! anyway, on to the wine as i was quite angry about the whole deal... delicious red wine and our sushi meal that followed was literally a winner !! service was on and off as food arrived quickly and drinks took up to 45mins which in my opinion is too long...prices for ladies and during happy hour is an absolute steal, especially for the quality of food you get! however, if you own a helicopter or a yacht i would consider those means of transport in getting there and home as we waited to get out from the parking lot for over an hour... really need to up your game in the valet department, that was ridiculous !! look forward to going back and hopefully having a better experience...