Nupo

The amuse course was spectacular, I especially enjoyed the mussels, seaweed, and tartare. I was most excited for the sushi course, given that they’re a sushi restaurant after all, but it ended up being a bit disappointing. The skin on the Shima Aji wasn’t prepared well, making it quite tough and difficult to eat. The sake and roses dessert was a standout. I was genuinely impressed by how aromatic it was, with flavors that lingered beautifully alongside a variety of unique textures. Service was solid overall, though the dining room felt a bit too dark for my liking.

We chose the $125 set menu and found the experience to be quite disappointing. The amuse-bouche was shared among three individuals rather than being plated individually, as is customary in most restaurants. Aside from the mediocre food, the wasabi and ginger were also shared between two people instead of being served separately to each individual.

This was a special occasion for us so went in expecting a good experience and left very disapointed. The hostess was efficient, which is good because the entry area is fairly cramped. We had one server brings us menus and we sat for about 15 minutes before another server came and asked if we wanted drinks. When our server did come to the table he was good, quickly picked up on our dining style and tailored the service to suit. He suggested wine and answered any questions we had about the sushi options and gave good recommendations. The biggest issue by far was a person who I assume was acting as the front of house manager. He was constantly hovering around as we tried to enjoy our meal. At one point he was already reaching in to grab a plate while I was taking a piece off another plate so I had to stop and move back to avoid his hand, no apology or acknowledgement. He then continued to hover, reached in and grab another serving plate just as my husband had moved the last piece to his plate. I understand clearing plates as the tables are small but this was nuts. We felt we were being rushed through our meal when we hadn't even been seated for 45 minutes. The atmosphere is also poor and acoustics are brutal. As it got busier, at a table for two and could barely hear each other. They've crammed in lots of tables close together and our table was bumped by staff and people getting in and out of seats next to us which was unpleasant. The sushi itself, while good, didn't stand out as spectacular and is ridiculously over priced for what it actually was. We've eaten sushi in various countries over the years and this was probably one of our most expensive and least satisfying experiences. Our bill for 2 people, including a $60 bottle of Pinot Noir, was around $450. I'm fine with paying a higher price for quality dining experiences but this just came off as a trying to provide a high end experience that fell flat and felt more pretentious then anything.

The food at Nopu was amazing, super fresh fish, great flavors, and everything tasted really high quality. Cocktails were great, and the Basque cheesecake was so good. Only downside was the service; our server didn’t seem to know the menu very well and for a restaurant of this type I expected a bit better service. But overall, the food alone makes it worth going!