This Nobu Lanai Review at Four Seasons Lanai is part of our Hawaii Trip Report, including the Four Seasons Maui, Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina, and other luxury resorts on Maui.
Nobu Location, Hours and Reservations
Nobu Lanai is located on the right of the Four Seasons Lanai open air lobby, when facing the sea. The restaurant, which opened in 2012, is open daily for dinner, from 5:30-9pm (9pm is the last seating). I highly recommend advance reservations, particularly during the resort's busier times, since Lanai's dining scene is very limited so most guests remain on property for meals.
The setting is lovely, especially if you're by the flower edged balcony with a view of the ocean.
We dined early, so were able to choose some comfortable sofas.
Nobu Lanai Menu and Food
Nobu now has 22 locations worldwide, but fortunately, in addition to classic Japanese sushi and rolls, there are dishes unique to each location. Here was the menu for our visit:
There's even a short Keiki Menu (Kids' Menu) for youngsters:
As a big fan of Hawaiian Opah (a deep sea fish that is the only known truly warm blooded fish), that was my first choice. Unfortunately, I discovered that not only was it not available that night, the restaurant was planning to remove it from the menu because it's so hard to obtain these days.
Instead, we ordered a few items to share, starting off with these Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Tomatillo Salsa. They were very tasty, and a good choice as a vegetable side dish.
Even better was the Eggplant Miso; we ordered the small portion from the Keiki Menu, but I'm sure you could request a larger size for adults.
We also shared some sushi–the House Special Roll, which is Nobu's maki sushi with shrimp, tuna, hamachi, avocado and snow crab, among other ingredients, was fantastic. Our son is a bit of a purist and liked his salmon roll.
My husband opted for the 48 hour Braised Teriyaki Glazed Short Ribs, which were as tender and flavorful as you'd expect, given the long, slow braising time. His only regret was the modest portion size, given that our son and I also wanted tax bites.
Since Opah wasn't available, I asked the kitchen if they could make some off the menu Hamachi Kama for me. This is my favorite cooked item from sushi bars, and fortunately, Nobu Lanai was able to oblige. It was fresh and delicious, and really hit the spot as my entree.
We appreciated that after the meal, our server brought us cool, moist oshibori towels to cleanse our fingers.
The Verdict
Nobu Lanai has an enviable setting at the Four Seasons Lanai, with open air seating and a view of the Pacific Ocean.
While I can't deny I was disappointed that my first choice, Opah, wasn't available and was being removed from the menu, we enjoyed all the dishes we ordered, particularly my hamachi kama (I recommend calling ahead to request it and see if it will be available since it's not on the menu), the house special sushi roll, and the 48 hour braised teriyaki short ribs.
Which is your favorite Nobu in the world?
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