Sushi Misaki-Nobu: an Omakase Experience For the Books

I would have never guessed that Bangkok just happened to be home to some of the best Japanese restaurants in the world. I guess that one is on me considering it is a frontrunner in the Mr. and/or Mrs. Universe competition for best gastronomic cities in the world. Cue Sushi Misaki-Nobu, a powerhouse Japanese omakase restaurant (and Michelin Guide recommendation) located in the Saladaeng area serving up Edomae-sushi – raw fish, cooked rice, and seasoned red vinegar (as opposed to traditional rice vinegar).

This is a bit embarrassing to admit but after all these years, this was my first omakase experience ever. I do pride myself on a robust Japanese palette and taste for things outside of my dwindling budget so you would have thought I would have done the omakase tango years ago. But alas, here we are. 

After stepping into Sushi Misaki-Nobu and taking my first bite, I felt like Gob Bluth in ‘Arrested Development’. “I’ve made a huge mistake” I muttered to myself under my breath… “…A huge mistake that I’ve never ponied up the money to witness art and food in one.”

How to Get to Omakase Heaven: Sushi Misaki-Nobu Deets

Website, Address, & Details: Sushi Misaki-Nobu Instagram, Reservations: Sushi Misaki Nobu – TableCheck 

• Hours: Closed Monday, Open 6 Days 12 PM – 10 PM
• Contact: 062-495-2386
• Temporary Address: GMM Grammy Place (Sukhumvit21) BF1, 50 Sukhumvit Rd, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110
• Original Address: Bandara Suites Silom, Bangkok, Si Lom Rd, แขวง บางรัก, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Keep in mind that Sushi Misaki-Nobu’s GMM Grammy Place is their TEMPORARY location and they will be back at the Bandara Suites once renovation is complete. You can find more information about it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7JzwL6vt_a/

Sushi Misaki-Nobu was recommended by a friend and long-term Bangkok expat who had formerly set up shop in the Saladaeng area so I decided to take a gamble and head on over to make a reservation one afternoon for the following week. This is not a giant auditorium of conveyor belt sushi – it’s a small, cozy intimate bar top that really doesn’t seat more than 12 to 15 people, so I strongly recommend making reservations to secure your spot.

You can make reservations by phone, in person, or by reserving online via this link.

I should note that finding the place isn’t exactly the most intuitive and I ended up having a hotel security guard direct me to the entrance. Get yourself to the ‘Bandara Suites’ and look for an entrance on your right. Follow the staircase up to the next floor (I’m unsure if it is the 1st or 2nd floor) and you’ll find the door on your left. If you are reading this blog post for directions, I would thoroughly reevaluate your life as I am geographically disinclined.

The restaurant offers two omakase options. The first is their standard course which starts at 4000 baht (USD 110), while their premium course clocks in at 8000 baht (USD 220). Both include free refills of their iced matcha/tea type of drink. From my understanding, alcohol is a separate charge for both packages. I opted for the standard course and had several beers and several glasses of wine. My total came to just under 7,000 baht (USD 190) for the total damage.

Side Note: I ordered white wine as I wanted to make a good impression and had read that white wine and sushi is a pro move due to the lack of tannins and the range of dishes it can be paired with. Someone had also mentioned that “rice on rice” (sake and sushi) was just too much rice for one sitting – however, almost every other seat in the restaurant was throwing back sake so I feel like that myth was debunked almost immediately upon entry.

Omakase…I Say…I Say…

“Awesome shishi” – a random Google review of Sushi Misaki-Nobu from a Japanese guy.

If I’m being honest, me sitting here and trying to recall every intricate detail of the meal isn’t going to get us anywhere. Almost all of the presentations and explanations were in Japanese or Thai – both of which I sadly have zero grasp of. Sometimes you just have to live in the moment and it’s not like I’m an esteemed mystery diner from the New York Times (or the best television show ever – Bar Rescue with Jon Taffer).

Also, keep in mind that this is a rotating menu and at the discretion of the chef, hence the name “omakase” (chef’s choice), so whatever you are served may vary from what you see below.

What you need to know is that this meal was fantastic. Hands down, it was one of the best gastronomic experiences of my life. The thought, care, preparation, and service are unparalleled to anything I’ve encountered before. So, I’ll let the pictures do the talking for this one. I know I missed at least one or two pictures in the process as the marvelousness of this meal threw me into a fugue state (one of them being a small, grilled baby squid).

Please do let me know in the comments if you like this style and I can get more posts up a bit quicker (as I know my current thrice-per-month cadence isn’t exactly the most consistent).  

It wouldn’t be a fitting meal if I didn’t start out with at least some sort of Japanese libation. Having spent 3 months in Japan, I can unequivocally state that Sapporo is my preferred Japanese beer. Crisp, drinkable, and 1000 times more flavorful than American lagers.

I was so nervous as I didn’t want to commit any major faux pas that it felt like a first date. A first date with Nobu-san. 

The beauty of omakase is that you have a front-row seat to watch chefs who are at the top of their craft. Enjoy the view. The Japanese have perfected minimalism which I’ve come to appreciate as it allows you to focus on what is most important and necessary. In this context, the most important thing is 15+ dishes of ridiculously high quality and delicate sushi.

Watching these guys is an art form. One of the apprentices will come out from the back with a small wooden bowl of rice, just enough for the current bite, and Nobu-san will delicately and deliberately portion out the correct amount of rice for each serving with the dexterity of a smooth-coated otter picking apart a crustacean.

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you’re in the neighborhood for the week or weekend, make sure to check out one of my favorite Thai spots ‘Northeast Restaurant’’. This Northern Thai spot serves up traditional classics like pad thai, sticky green rice, and Tom Yum Goong. They also serve up one of my favorite curries ever, a yellow soft-shell crab curry that will knock your socks off. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: Looking for more gastronomic adventures to go on in Bangkok? Check out my article breaking down one of the low-key highlights of my Bangkok (and Thailand) eating stint – a glorious fried noodle shop (char kway teow) over in the Pom Prap Sattru Phai District of Bangkok. 

I always enjoy a meal where my food eyes me with a healthy skepticism before I eat it. Pictured on the right (if I remember correctly) is an almost candied tomato. 

Flaky, slightly caramelized white fish with a savory light pudding of the sea (I have no idea what it’s called but it was like a light yogurt or pudding).

Some sort of deconstructed crab was fried and molded into a light, flaky spring roll and placed back into its shell. Avante-garde, some might say.

It’s always a unique taste when you encounter a piece of sushi that you literally don’t have to chew. 

This tiny cauldron of roe and oyster was a highlight of the meal. This may not be the best description but it was like an oyster tapioca pudding. For something so potent in substance, there was no fishiness at all and each bite was mild, silky, and slightly briny.

I think this is Akami tuna, a lean cut of tuna frequently used in sushi and nigiri due to its affordability. I’d happily accept a life of mercury poisoning if I knew that Nobu-san was serving these up to me every day.

I asked one of the attentive waitresses what the name of my favorite was and she brought over this placard. I have no idea what a Kohada is but it is apparently very popular in the Kanto region of Japan. The Kohada is pictured below.

Fresh, slightly sweet, with a hint of tang from the red vinegar, this shrimp sushi (which looks like a flower girl from my buddy’s wedding) is an elevated and refined take on a classic sushi I’m sure most of you love.

The flower of uni with a dollop of salmon roe over rice comes together to form one hell of a savory, briny, buttery bite that will make you wish you could relive that moment over and over.

What I can say with certainty (well…47% certainty) is that your final morsels will be some sort of grilled egg pudding dessert and ice cream. It almost resembled a creme brulee with its slightly charred, glazed top – which added a slight crunch over the rich, gooey firmed-up custardy texture.

Fin.

Is Sushi Misaki-Nobu Worth the Cheddar?

Absolutely. 

This was the best meal I had in Bangkok. Service was spectacular and attentive, Nobu-san is a legend in the making (and an already established legend), and the value for 15+ high-quality dishes is unparalleled (in my humble opinion). Having frequented omakase spots in Japan (in the months following), Sushi Misaki-Nobu remains (remained) my favorite. 

Maybe there is bias as it was my first and because of that, most memorable. Maybe it is because I went from jumbled nerves and a shy demeanor to bro hugging Nobu-san at the end of the meal. If there is any spot to have a bias toward, I can’t think of too many worse spots out there. 

I’d love to hear from you in the comments if you make your way to see the legend himself or any other omakase spots in Bangkok (or Japan) that you recommend. 

Eat well,

Big Body