The latest Nobu restaurant is a surprisingly modest affair - not too big, dim lighting and contemporary music. It seems to follow the Nobu Berkeley formula in London where a decent size bar greets diners and no doubt will attract pre- and post- dinner drinkers.
The food? You get most of the Nobu classic dishes - Rock Shrimp Tempura with Ponzu (comparable to New York and London), scallop cerviche (refreshing as ever), and the usual Toban-Yaki and sushi menu. Fortunately there is a few dishes only available at the Hong Kong outfit - we tried the Eggplant Special (why have they not given it a more fancy name) which consists of a juicy roasted eggplant with a minced fish and prawn paste topped with a concoction of chili, garlic and roe (I think).
What was enjoyable? New dishes alongside the tried and tested classics. The eagerness of the staff - no doubt influenced by the newness of the restaurant (three week old) and the presence of the name sake proprietor.
What was not enjoyable? The hype and an overwhelmingly "foreign" clientale - which can easily turn it into a Disney-esque attraction in Hong Kong.
This is a revival of Charles Edwards (design) / David McVicar (director) production of Gounod Faust. Visually, it is still exciting to watch with the ever changing stage sets of this fantasy. In this production, Erwin Schrott was Méphistophélès - who had style and poise as this devilish character. Michael Fabiano did a good job at portraying Faust - especially in the first act when he had to start off as an old man before turning into an energetic youngster. Irina Lungu had the right French voice type for Marguerite - somewhat vulnerable with sufficient warmth for the romantic scenes. Dan Ettinger in the pit kept the pace going, and the chorus did magnificently in those big numbers.
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