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Nobu remains a difficult place to get a reservation, despite its newer sister on 57th St. and Nobu Next Door which opened as an annex back in 1998. The Myriad website describes it as follows:
“Nobu Next Door, which opened as an extension of the original Nobu, has now taken on a life of its own. Opened in 1998 due to high demand, its menu mirrors the original Nobu, but it has a no-reservations policy except for large parties. With its late night dining and music, Nobu Next Door tends to draw a more spirited crowd. One major advantage it has over its sibling is a superb raw bar featuring the freshest market catch of the day. Nobu Next Door satisfies those spur of the moment customers that need that Nobu fix but didn’t plan ahead.”
Well someone hasn’t updated their website in a while, because Nobu Next Door apparently now takes reservations, which is exactly why A and I ventured down there for dinner on a blistering Sunday night in December. We are Nobu customers, and we did plan ahead – we got a table for 2 at 7PM – prime time – which brings me to another point – its crowd is NOT more spirited, and it was honestly eerily tame for a night at Nobu – Sunday or not. This may have been due to the 11 inches of snow Manhattan received the night before, but in case you don’t know, A and I have been to Nobus around the world, even temporary pop up locations, and I haven’t experienced it this bleak in a while. Mind you, the food was still amazingly delicious, and our server was extremely attentive, but it just didn’t feel like a regular night at this Matsuhisa dining institution.
I think the biggest problem with Nobu Next Door is that it has middle-child syndrome – It is struggling to be like its cooler, chicer older sister, but doesn’t want to sell out. This worked before the outpost on 57th Street opened, however Nobu 57 came in and stole the Expense Account show, which leaves Nobu Next Door with just all the rejects. These were once the free spirits who didn’t plan ahead but needed their Nobu fix, or regular customers who lost their tables when David Bowie and Iman unexpectedly showed up, but now, it is changing its fundamentals completely and going mainstream – in this business, that means Open Table.
I am a huge fan of Open Table (I’m currently anticipating my 10,000 point mark), and especially in these times, it is just added exposure for places like Nobu. It doesn’t make it less cool because it still is nearly impossible to get a reservation, however Nobu Next Door is supposed to be for walk ins only, which is why I find that it is much easier to land a table at. People don’t think of it as a reservation destination, but rather part of the charm of Nobu Next Door was that you were never sure you would get a table – and for the most part, waiting was inevitable. Maybe that’s why it isn’t as busy – people are familiar with NND’s previous identity and don’t exactly know what to make of the now more accessible restaurant.
Nobu Next Door has same exact menu as Nobu in a less sophisticated atmosphere, but you really wouldn’t know that until you step in the door on a winter night and ask the hostess to check your big ass jacket, scarf, hat, and gloves, only for her to inform you that there’s no coat check. OK – I know we walked into Next Door, but aren’t the restaurants adjoined by a kitchen? How hard would it be to have the hospitality to check my coat rather than make me realize that this IS in fact poor man’s Nobu?
If they are trying to offer the same menu and basically the same experience in this Nobu annex, I don’t understand why they would try to make you feel like you were in a lesser environment. We had all of our favorites – Miso Chips, New Style Sashimi, Yellowtail with Jalapeno, Black Cod with Butter Lettuce, Lobster Moriaya – and everything was on-par. Service was impeccable, the Bento Box was bitter and amazing, and I was surprisingly so full that I didn’t end up at the Pizza Hut/Taco Bell two hours later (this tends to happen on sushi nights).
I was craving Nobu and was so happy when A made this reservation – we had a great time, but it just didn’t have the charm or the personality as its siblings, or even its prior identity. Someone should step in with a PR strategy so that they can abandon Open Table and get back to being Nobu’s wingman!
