Capital Bites: Miso Happy Nobu Here

Nobu, the posh 'n pricey global Japanese restaurant group, has unveiled a big banner outside the JW Marriott Hotel in the CBD. Yes ... a big banner! I can almost taste their signature black cod in miso. Or it could be the century eggs I had for lunch.

Scheduled to open this August, the glamorous sushi and sashimi emporia will take the place formerly occupied by Pinot Brasserie, but will not be managed by the hotel. At present, extensive renovation is taking place, and we've been told all tables, tableware and decorations are being shipped in from overseas at considerable cost. So it should look pretty nifty. The chef currently heading Nobu Hong Kong is rumored to be transferring to the kitchen in Beijing. He must have burnt the soup one too many times to land that kind of posting. Goodbye dim sum, hello baozi!

Joking aside, recent (and not so recent) evidence suggests Beijingers are rather less willing to splurge in fancy restaurants than our Southern counterparts. We like our tastebuds tickled but we don't like our wallets molested. Nobu - consider yourself warned.