LA is the birthplace of the Nobu empire, and its Malibu location is one of our most recognizable restaurants. Located right along the Malibu coastline, Nobu is the most beautiful restaurant in the city, and its panoramic views don’t even seem real when you’re staring at them. The place is big, but its minimalist design keeps it from feeling too overwhelming or old and dreary like the rest of Malibu’s fancy seafood restaurants. More importantly, everyone has their own space here – for at least a few hours.
Nobu’s dining empire spans from L.A. to New York, London, and Milan, but only this stylish eatery tucked into the back of the Malibu Country Mart offers whispering sea breezes and Malibu celebrity sightings along with its premium sushi. Celebrated owner Nobu Matsuhisa was born in Saitama, Japan but relocated to Lima, Peru as a young sushi chef a move that would have a profound impact on his career and life. Eventually, he worked his way to L.A., subsequently opening his flagship restaurant, Matsuhisa, in Beverly Hills. His practice of boldly infusing traditional Japanese cuisine with those spicy ingredients he became familiar with in South America greatly contributed to his now-formidable reputation. To experience the essence of his cuisine, order an elaborate multi-course omakase menu designed just for you a parade of eye-popping and mind-blowing dishes, both cooked and raw. The repertoire is endless, but good choices include broiled black cod with miso, rock shrimp tempura with ponzu sauce, new-style sashimi, a broth perfumed with aromatic matsutake mushrooms, a seared toro, and sizzling Kobe beef. You might also enjoy designing your own tempura selections ordered by the piece along with the acclaimed sushi. On a warm night, choose the outdoor patio under the stars with a view of the Malibu hills.
If you’re unfamiliar with Nobu, you don’t need to prepare yourself for some insanely adventurous expedition into the sushi unknown. In fact, Nobu’s menu feels pretty standard. There’s a yellowtail and jalapeno sashimi plate, tuna tacos, and a cooked black cod miso dish with enough butter on it to baste a turkey. But it’s important to know that Nobu invented these dishes, and even after expanding to become the global empire it is today, they’re all still better than any copycat version that’s out there. But it goes down smoother when the sushi is this good, and you’re staring out over the ocean.
Elvira tips: Try Sashimi Tacos
These are among Nobu’s most famous dishes, and every meal here should start with them. They’re not big, so feel free to mix and match the seven different varieties as much as you want. You’ll still be plenty hungry.
