Nobuo at the Teeter House - CLOSED

Every once in awhile, if you are very lucky, you will enjoy a meal that is truly noteworthy and which will be a long time in your memory. A meal in which you can recall each of the flavors and how it enhanced the meal. Eating at Nobuo was such an experience.

Companion and I visited Nobuo during Restaurant Week, and had an outstanding experience and meal. Our waiter, David helped create such a wonderful experience that I haven't come down from all the smiling I did yet!

We were seated promptly at a fairly sparse table, set in what I would call traditional tones. A candle, two black rocks, and two glasses of water.

Companion started off with a bottle of Ramune, a strawberry flavored drink bottled in Japan. I started off with a glass of Junmai Ginjo Hakkaisan sake. It was as good as anything I had while I was in Japan, and had beautiful legs as in a fine wine. I should mention the amazing assortment of Japanese beers on the menu. I last saw this big an assortment in Tokyo.

As a prix fixe menu, there are still a number of choices available, though not the usual amount that one would see on the regular menu.

Companion ordered some Hamachi, which is an optional extra on the back of the menu. The fish just melted on your tongue and was obviously from a premium fish. I ordered stuffed squash blossoms from the extra menu, and dare I say, they were much better than the ones I make. Perhaps it was the streak of curry powder on the plate that one could dip the blossom into. I don't really know except that it was delicious.

Next came Bento Boxes. Both companion and I had boxes with salad and with cold rice that I think was marinated in a yuzu vinaigrette. While I am not much for eating cold rice, in this case an exception had to be made. The rice was perfectly cooked and the vinaigrette seemed to play with your palate while you ate it.

Companions Bento Box contained 3 different types of fish including one that was cooked en papillote, where the fish is placed in a parchment packet and then baked until tender and moist. Companion deemed it to be one of the best pieces of fish she had ever eaten, though there was no sign of herbs which are usually used in this preparation.

My Bento Box was a meat preparation which included some short rib slices, pork belly on a Chinese steam bun, and a most wonderful preparation of chicken with a sauce that was sheer perfection. Though I was totally full, I was sad that I hadn't tried a bit of everything on the menu.

Last was dessert. In Japan, dessert is usually a piece of fresh fruit if anything, but in this case Nobuo gave a nod to American eating habits and provided actual desserts but with a Japanese twist. Companion had a deconstructed dessert consisting of several sorbet/ice cream combinations including a true matcha green tea ice cream which totally cleansed the palate. For myself, I had a sesame pudding with sweet almonds and a bit of a cookie. It was smooth and tasty with a flavor of sesame that was perfect and not overpowering.

I would be remiss if I did not mention David, our waiter. He was available anytime we had a need, and carefully explained each dish to us as it was presented. A good waiter can make or break a meal, and it this case, he made it happen.

5 stars for outstanding food, great service, and excellent cleanliness