Nobu Manila at City of Dreams Manila is offering the ultimate indulgence as it extends its popular Nobu Sunday Brunch to includes Saturdays as well. The Nobu Weekend Brunch now lets food enthusiasts enjoy another daytime indulgence in the world of Nobu.
I was back at Nobu Manila last Saturday for another unlimited adventure through Japanese-Peruvian cuisine. Here's a short video to show you what you can enjoy at the Nobu Weekend Brunch which is now available on both Saturdays and Sundays.
The Nobu Weekend Brunch highlights a distinctive experience with the innovative new-style Japanese cuisine popularized by the globally renowned Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, and deliciously served by Nobu Manila Head Chef Michael de Jesus and Head Sushi Chef Kei Hirukawa.
Nobu Manila’s hybrid buffet includes an all-you-can-eat a la carte selection showcasing Nobu specialty dishes prepared a la minute, which on a rotating menu may include Signature Sashimi Trio: Tuna Matsuhisa, Yellow Tail Jalapeño and Salmon Karashi Su Miso and Black Cod Butter Lettuce.
The a la carte choices complement the buffet of premium sushi, sashimi, nigiri, salads, hot dishes, and other Japanese brunch favorites. Not to be missed are the fresh Irish Gallagher oysters, slipper lobsters, blue crabs and prawns heaped on a bed of ice, which vary depending on seasonal availability. Diners get introduced to various Nobu signature sauces throughout the meal.
Live action stations featuring carving of the day: Roasted Whole U.S. Prime Ribeye, Porchetta, Smoked Whole Beef Brisket or other specialty carving; kushiyaki (grilled and skewered meats and vegetables); a lavish desserts corner and beverage bar complete the brunch offer. Nobu Manila’s brunch also puts a spotlight on Filipino-inspired dishes prepared the Nobu way, such as pork Nobu Sisig or Nobu-style Uni Palabok.
Kokoro, Chef Nobu’s service trademark that means “from the heart” makes the difference in the luxurious visual and gastronomic weekend feast. Guests get to choose their seating preferences: whether at the restaurant’s spacious indoor dining area with two private dining rooms, or al fresco at the tropical-themed patio and any of the five floating cabanas surrounded by cooling water features and lush garden. A warm and anticipative service staff trained in custom Nobu style of service elevates the Nobu brunch experience.
The Nobu Weekend Brunch is from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday, with varying menu highlights each week. The Regular brunch package is available for P3,499 net per person and includes unlimited non-alcoholic drinks: soda, chilled juices, mocktails, iced tea and hot tea, and coffee, while children ages 6 to 12 years enjoy a special rate of P1,749 per child. At an additional P1,330.70 net per adult, the Standard package comes with unlimited beverages in the regular package plus a host of select red and white wine, cocktails, local beers, and spirits; while the Premium package priced at an added P2,550.54 net per adult is comprised of unlimited beverages included in the regular and standard packages plus unlimited champagne and champagne cocktails.
Nobu Sunday Brunch
Level 1 Nobu South Tower, City of Dreams, Entertainment City, Parañaque
Luxurious Japanese Buffet at the Nobu Sunday Brunch
Nobu Hotel Manila has established itself as one of the city’s most luxurious and talked-about destination hotels with its unique Japanese design and captivating rooms, suites and dining options. I had my first taste of Nobu’s signature cuisine when I dined at the Nobu Restaurant during its opening month in December 2014 and even experienced an unforgettable stay at the Nobu Suite during Valentine’s Day last year, so I was really thrilled when I heard that Nobu Restaurant is finally offering a lunch buffet service featuring all their unique Nobu-style dishes.
The Nobu Sunday Brunch Buffet is the perfect setup to try out Nobu’s world-famous Japanese-Peruvian cuisine as you can enjoy all these amazing dishes during a relaxed and casual afternoon with the entire family. Nobu is only open for buffet breakfast and a la carte dinner daily, so the Nobu Sunday Brunch is the best time to visit the restaurant to savor more than 50 different items on display. The buffet is offered at P2,880++ per person which is inclusive of sodas, juices, mocktails, coffee and tea. This is a great deal if you compare it with the ala carte prices that you will find on their dinner service which is suited for more formal gatherings or intimate dates.
Nobu Manila houses 335 seats with two private dining rooms, a sushi bar, floating water cabanas, two Teppanyaki tables and a Chef’s Table. Nobu Manila’s Sunday brunch, which is offered from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm, showcases the world-renowned chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa’s fusion cuisine, bringing a burst of excitement to the Sunday brunch scene in Manila.
Nobu Restaurant is the hip and modern celebrity-inspired restaurant of Nobu Hotel Manila at City of Dreams Manila, which enthralls diners as the ultimate dining destination for the Nobu-style Japanese cuisine that is served in over 36 restaurants around the world.
Nobuyuki Matsuhisa – known to the world simply as “Nobu” – is the acclaimed and highly influential chef proprietor of Nobu and Matsuhisa restaurants all over the globe. Chef Nobu draws upon his classical training at sushi bars in Tokyo and his life in Peru, Argentina, and around the world to create a whole new trend in Japanese cuisine, blending traditional Japanese dishes with South American ingredients. His expertise in the art of sushi punctuated with Peruvian influences has redefined the Oriental dining experience for close to three decades.
Nobu Restaurant serves a finely curated Sunday brunch buffet with a continuously evolving selection of dishes and live action stations courtesy of Executive Chef Michael De Jesus who used to work at Nobu Las Vegas. Nobu Manila is just one of the few international branches that serves a brunch buffet which started being offered at the hotel last December.
I have been to many different hotel buffets and Sunday brunches before, but this is the first time I will be experiencing Nobu’s unique Japanese-Peruvian cuisine in a buffet setup. Now I don’t have to hold back getting all the interesting items that I want because all of these are included in the buffet!
Let's start with their sushi selection which incudes Whitefish with Shiso Nigiri, Shrimp Oshizushi, Salmon and Tuna Sushi. These are high quality sushi items that would cost so much if you order them from the ala carte menu but here I can get all that I want.
I really loved the Soft Shell Crab Roll with its cruncy soft shell crab wrapped in sushi rice. It does tend to be a bit too filling so don’t eat too much and save room for the others.
Uni lovers will really be delighted with the Uni Ikura Chirashi with its generous serving of uni on top of a bed of vinegared sushi rice and nori strips.
Chef Aki Kawai, Sushi Head Chef for Nobu Manila, even demonstrated how he cuts this 50-kilo baby tuna to prepare our sashimi selection. Nobu imports its tuna from Japan, Australia and sometimes from local sources depending on the season and its availability.
Endless servings of Whitefish, Tuna, and Salmon Sashimi are on display and these are some of the best sashimi you can find. I’m not sure how many plates of Salmon Sashimi I got but it was definitely a lot.
Nobu also offers the Tachiuo Sashimi or Scabbard Fish which is not a common fish you see at buffets. This Swordfish sashimi is slightly seared and has a smoky flavor that is quite different from other sashimi. Definitely a must try at the Nobu Sunday Brunch Buffet.
Other recommended items at the buffet table include the Salmon Karashi Su Miso which is one of my favorites here. This salmon is combined with their special karashi miso sauce which gives it a more pronounced flavor. On the other hand, the Yellowtail Jalapeño has a mild kick which I also enjoyed. The Eel Cucumber Temaki is also a highlight because I love unagi and they also offer Fresh Oysters on a bed of ice to add to your raw seafood selection.
I did not pay too much heed to the salads but other guests seemed to enjoy the Shitake Salad with Spicy Lemon Dressing which has the Nobu stamp. Everything at Nobu is a new experience as it takes familiar dishes and turns it Nobu-style.
Try the Cha Soba in Sesame Dressing which has a fresh taste.
Nobu also has one of the best Okonomiyaki I have ever eaten and this Japanese pancake should be on everyone’s list when dining at the brunch buffet.
Another interesting dish is the Nobu Shrimp Sinigang with Miso. This Filipino soup infused with Japanese ingredients is one of the unique creations at Nobu which combines different cuisines and makes it their own. Yes, the sinigang is very good and is unlike any other version I have tried.
For a more bubbly experience, diners may opt to have the brunch with free flow Moet & Chandon, a selection of Champagne cocktails, Bloody Marys, Mojitos, wines and beer at P4,580++ per person. It may be a bit pricey but you will be getting high-end alcoholic beverages and you can easily recoup this with just a few glasses. The Bellini Champagne Cocktail has a combination of peach with champagne and a few glasses of this will make your Sunday afternoon much livelier.
Other hot dishes prepared by Nobu’s chefs include the Sea Bass Jalapaeno which are very tender and yummy sea bass prepared the Nobu way.
They also have (clockwise from top left) Roasted Cauliflower with Matsuhisa Dressing, Umami-marinated Chicken, Nobu Tocino and Japanese Beef Curry. All of these dishes are presented on rotation so you will find new dishes each time you visit the Nobu Sunday Brunch.
The Teppanyaki Station is also one of the highlights at the buffet and you can find many Yakitori skewers with pork, beef, chicken, squid, mushrooms and others all freshly grilled on the teppanyaki table.
Baby Octopus skewers and Chicken Skin were some of the more popular items at the Teppanayaki Station.
It was really surprising to suddenly find a big lechon at the far end of the buffet station because you don’t usually expect this at Japanese buffets. But the Nobu Lechon is their own unique creation as it is also prepared with Jalapeno. That seems to be a recurring theme at Nobu with the Peruvian influence clearly showing itself on their dishes.
All the crispy lechon skin is placed in front and it is so easy to get as many pieces as you want. They also have a special Nobu lechon sauce that has a few extra spices included which gives it a special taste.
There are also a couple of pass around items being offered by the servers like this Rock Shrimp Tempura in Creamy Spicy Sauce which I first encountered during my 8-course Signature Omakase dinner at Nobu last year. These shrimp poppers are amazing and I had to ask the server for a few more.
A Japanese buffet will not be complete without Japanese desserts and Nobu will delight you with their colorful dessert corner which includes Green Tea Cake, Chilled Mango Cheesecake Lemon Grass Meringue, Hazelnut Caribe Cake, Mango Lychee Tower, and others.
Some of my dessert favorites were the colorful and creamy Truffle Parfait as well as the Kiiwi Mint Parfait. Another item you should look for is the Chocolate Fondant Lava which has an oven-baked warm chocolate lava cupcake that you can top with green tea ice cream or their other ice cream flavors.
But the most amazing structure at the dessert station is definitely the Fountain of Matcha White Ganache Chocolate served with condiments. Just get a strawberry or a brownie and dip it on the very pretty matcha waterfalls.
The Nobu Sunday Brunch Buffet is one of the most exquisite and luxurious buffets you can find in the metro. If you will be celebrating a special occasion or want to treat some special guests to a wonderful and unforgettable Japanese dining experience, make your reservations now because the restaurant always get full on Sundays. The brunch is priced at 50 percent off for kids ages 6 to 12 years old and is free for kids below 5 years old so this is the perfect place to celebrate with the entire family.
NOBU SUNDAY BRUNCH
Level 1 Nobu South Tower, City of Dreams, Entertainment City, Parañaque
691-2882 / 691-2885
www.nobuhotelmanila.com
www.facebook.com/NobuHotelManila
