The internationally-renowned Japanese restaurant Nobu will open its Doha branch on Friday, April 17, more than four years later than originally planned, the Four Seasons Hotel has confirmed.
The hotel announced on social media last night the long-anticipated launch of what is set to be the world’s largest Nobu.
This will be the second outlet of the upmarket chain in the Gulf, following Nobu in Dubai, which opened at the Atlantis The Palm Jumeirah in 2008.
R u ready to experience Doha’s new culinary chapter?Nobu Doha will open on Friday,17 April!For reservations 44948600 pic.twitter.com/YSEvSKLCCo
— Four Seasons Doha (@FSDoha) April 13, 2015
The Qatar branch will be the 32nd restaurant for the global brand, which was started by Japanese chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa when he opened his first Nobu restaurant in New York’s trendy Tribeca district with Hollywood actor Robert De Niro in 1993.
Restaurant details
Nobu Doha is situated in a purpose-built, three-story building on the edge of the hotel marina. It was designed by New York-based architecture firm Rockwell Group to evoke a pearl theme, in reference to Qatar’s pearl-diving heritage.
The 26,000 sq ft restaurant includes indoor seating for 192 diners, a 10-seat sushi counter, two private dining rooms and a rooftop lounge for 82 guests.
The building’s exterior is clad with ribbons of river stone plated with bronze accents, to create the image of a coiled shell, Four Seasons said on its website.
Famed for fusing traditional Japanese food with Peruvian influences, one of the restaurant chain’s signature dishes is black cod with miso paste.
However, the Qatar restaurant will also make use of local produce, the hotel added:
“The menu highlights Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s signature new-style Japanese fare and also showcases entirely new dishes created with the region’s local ingredients, including fresh orange-spotted trevally and black-streaked monocle bream caught in the Arabian Gulf.”
In a statement, Matsuhisa added:
“I’m very excited to finally open our second Nobu in the Middle East, Nobu Doba. It is an honor for me to be able to share my food and culture with different people around the world.”
The restaurant and bar will be open only in the evenings, Four Seasons said.
Delays
The opening of Nobu Doha has suffered numerous delays, due to changes in interior design, and also the construction of the building itself.
Its situation on the water added to complications, a hotel spokeswoman previously told Doha News.
Last fall, the hotel anticipated the restaurant would be open before the end of 2014, but the launch did not take place as planned, due to issues over “paperwork.”
Do you plan to check out the restaurant? Thoughts?
