Matsuhisa

Matsuhisa Restaurant Review:

This restaurant just might be the most famous sushi bar in creation, or at least in Beverly Hills, given the heavy traffic in agents and celebs who frequent it. Happily, the attention paid by fans is well justified. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa is a master. When he wraps a shiso leaf around a sea urchin, you begin a culinary voyage you won't soon forget, and he has even given new dimensions to such Japanese clichés as tempura. These days, Matsuhisa spends much of his time at his various Nobu restaurants in London, Milan, New York and Tokyo, but his staff nobly carries on. The no-frills casual décor --- no more elaborate than a suburban neighborhood sushi bar --- may disappoint some first-timers, but the focus here is on the food. That good-as-it-gets sushi includes specialties such as scallop sashimi with black garlic and kiwi, toro tartare with caviar, or king crab ceviche. The menu, with its dozens of specialties, can be overwhelming, so you might be better off selecting the omakase (chef's choice). The resulting parade of culinary delights may include seafood harumaki with caviar, limestone lettuce with shrimp and scallops, sashimi salad, a stuffed zucchini flower, black cod with miso, sushi and soup, as well as Western desserts like a trio of crème brûlées or tiramisu. Cocktails lean towards Asia, with a yuzu margarita, lychee martini and shiso mojito; and, of course, there’s a premium saké list.