Nobu New York

Nobu New York, the original location of chef Nobu Matsuhisa's global restaurant empire, opened in Tribeca in 1994 in partnership with actor Robert De Niro and has never lost its place as one of the defining restaurants of New York City. Matsuhisa's cooking is grounded in the classical Japanese training he received in Tokyo, but inflected by the years he spent living in Peru, where he absorbed the bright citrus and chili flavors of ceviche and tiradito culture. The result is a cuisine that belongs to no single tradition but reads with complete authority: delicate Japanese technique applied to pristine fish, combined with the acidic brightness of Nikkei Peruvian flavors. The black cod with miso — a preparation in which sablefish is marinated for days in a sweet white miso and sake glaze before being broiled — is one of the most imitated dishes in culinary history and remains extraordinary in its birthplace. The yellowtail jalapeño sashimi, tiradito in the Peruvian style, and the omakase experience are equally distinguished. The dining room, designed by David Rockwell, uses natural materials — bamboo, river stones, cherry blossoms — to evoke Japan with an American lightness of touch. The crowd is glamorous, the noise level high, and the energy that of a restaurant still at the top of its game thirty years on. Reservations are recommended two to three weeks in advance for prime evening seatings; the bar area accommodates walk-ins and offers the full menu.