Nobu with Halmeoni

The matriarch of the Korean side of our family has seen much in her 78 years.  Sie Rang (we call her halmeoni which is Korean for grandma) has survived the Japanese occupation of her country and the war with the North.  She endured a month-long journey to America on a ship with all of her belongings and 3 girls in tow.  She raised her family on a shoestring budget both here and in Korea where she would hide jars of peanut butter and M&M’s under her bulbous dresses to sell on the black market.  She worked in a sewing factory as a seamstress to put her children through college.  She has worked hard her whole life and now in her what is supposed to be her Golden Years, she cares for her husband, who has been stricken with Alzheimer’s, every day without complaint.  Throughout all of these things she always finds the time to enjoy her family, practice her faith, smile, laugh and truly enjoy food.

One of the things we have taken to doing, since we have had to move Sie Rang into Manhattan (so that we can help manage halopogi’s (grandpa’s) condition) is to explore the city with her.  Of course, exploring restaurants, particularly one’s she never would have had the inclination or the funds to visit is our favorite activity.

In spite of the unpleasant memories that native Koreans of a certain age have of the Japanese, a fondness for their food endures.  Sie Rang absolutely loves Japanese food, so last night we took her to Nobu in TriBeCa.

I eat out much more than a cook ever should but even I felt like I was on a vacation at Nobu. Sie Rang was in her glory.  We sat at the sushi bar and ordered the omakase (chef’s tasting menu) which consisted of 7 dishes.

First was a tuna tartare topped with caviar and scallion and sitting in a small pool of wasabi soy broth.  It electrified the senses with a flash of heat and salt to compliment the freshness of the tuna.  Next was a bed of micro greens topped with 3 slices of red snapper sashimi and drizzled with a ginger soy dressing.  I am usually the fastest eater in any group I’m with and I was surprised to see that I was still savoring my final piece of snapper long after everyone else had finished.  The final sashimi dish was oysters with a chive soy sauce dressing that I could see met with the approval of my much more experienced dinner mate as Sie Rang nodded at me, closed her eyes and went back to her plate.  I only speak Korean food, and Sie Rang speaks a little more English but for the 8 years we have known each other, communication has never been a problem…”on the same page” just scratches the surface of our relationship. I always know what she is saying…particularly over a dinner table.

The lobster tempura that came next was surprisingly abundant and we all enjoyed it immensely yet it remained the least favorite of the dishes we ate.  The quality of the cold dishes was exceptional…the tempura was simply excellent.  The next two dishes were served together, five pieces of sushi (tuna, red snapper, yellowtail, salmon and king crab) and a miso soup.  Standard fare that was fresh, tasty and reliable but not anything that you cannot have at any quality sushi restaurant in NY.  The fact that there were leftovers told the same story, as I am sure Sie Rang would have pushed beyond full for the unforgettable.

The final dish was dessert, a warm chocolate tart served in a beautiful bento box, topped with green tea ice cream.  Again, really nice but not definably unique.  The bento box sparked Sie Rang’s imagination more than the dessert as she spent time admiring, stacking and inspecting the boxes.

I could describe my experience last night as one where I wished they took more chances with the tasting menu and trusted that people who eat at quality restaurants and trust the chef want to be dazzled.  I was happy but I was not wowed. I was intrigued by the first few dishes and really wanted to be blown away.  The potential for that existed but they played it safe.

I also think the experience meant more to my companions than merely how much the chef tried to impress us.  These little voyages into worlds unseen, in a life that was mainly spent 12 miles away in Staten Island, are much more meaningful to Sie Rang.  To share the experience with our halmeoni (who said to Soo in Korean at the table during the meal, “I like eating with Andrew, it’s like eating with David Chang“) was special even if I know in my heart that she would be much more excited to be eating with Mr. Momofuku…she sees me every day.