These are reviews of Nobu Hiro from 2010. For more current reviews, visit the entry.
2010-01-23 23:14:50 wow this place is pathetic. Service was not only bad, it was downright disrespectful. Sushi was mediocre and the entrees (Veg tempura and Beef/Broccoli was cold, had zero taste and was some of the worst food ive eaten at a Asian restaurant)
Lived in Davis for 3 years now and tried most of the places to eat here, this one was by FAR the worst. —Dyavrom
2010-01-24 00:08:28 this is the freshest sushi buffet in davis, very good fish and they serve the sashimi now , i'd definitely go back. —heeefui
2010-01-26 13:11:30 i like sushi nobu. while they don't have the diversity in rolls that jusco or fuji's does, they have excellent sashimi. I also like the atmosphere of sitting at the sushi bar being able to order whenever you please. Nobu Hiro is an excellent two person restaurant, have both people sit at the sushi bar, interact with the chefs and they're likely to give you off the menu rolls and sushi. While i have only tried the sushi and can't vouch for the rest of their food, but people have to remember that this place is a sushi buffet first and a japanese restaurant second. —kretiveham
2010-01-29 22:49:02 The prices above are incorrect. The weekend dinner buffet is around $17 and definitely not worth it. Way too much rice in the rolls, not a lot of variety or options, and the texture of the fried stuff is terrible. There are too many sushi places in Davis that are much better! —5thAve
2010-01-31 13:01:29 Nobu Hiro is hands down the best sushi buffet in Davis. For the price you pay, its hard to find anything comparable. Provided you sit at the Sushi bar as some have suggested, you will never encounter anything but prompt service, an awesome sushi chef and the freshest sushi you will ever find at an inland buffet. though I have found better sushi restaurants in the high end area (Boston, L.A. bay area have some amazing places) for Davis, Nobu Hiro is king. —ajcrawford
2010-02-03 00:04:46 I read reviews on here saying this place was better than fuji's, and seeing as i was planning on going to eat at fuji's for buffet dinner, i decided to go here instead for their cheaper and supposedly better buffet. the food was alright... i would probably agree it was better than fuji's. i'm not sure if it was just the waitress i had that night, but i have never, EVER, EVER, NEVER had a waitress as rude as the one i had in nobu hiro. i was just absolutely amazed at how rude this person was to the people who would eventually (maybe) tip her. she rushed us through our ordering in an extremely blunt and rude tone. she first brought us a TINY amount of wasabi, on one soy sauce dish with some ginger. when she came back i asked for another dish and extra wasabi ("lots of wasabi" is how i asked for it) and she said "oh no, you get buffet, you go get it yourself" and pointed to a table in the corner of the room with a pile of soy sauce dishes. i walked over and got my dish, sat back down and asked once again for extra wasabi. she said "for you? or for her?" motioning to my friend in a manner suggesting that if i said the wasabi was for my friend, she wouldnt bring it. why does it matter who its for? both of us want more wasabi, so can you bring us the wasabi we asked for? "for both of us", i said. "oh.." she replied, and proceeded to bring me another tiny insufficient dab of wasabi. she would come up and ask if everything was fine or if we needed anything else (always in a VERY rude tone) and when we would start to talk, she'd walk halfway across the room and wipe tables down. it was very weird, i saw it happen to another group of people too. i ordered the buffet so when I would be ordering my next set of rolls, after each roll she would rudely say "uh huh, what else?" or "yea. what else?". every time she brought us our dishes, she would walk past the table and set the dishes down on the move, on the other end of our table, far from in front of us. another group came in and she was seating them behind us, and BEFORE THE GROUP HAD EVEN SAT DOWN, she asked them in a very rude tone "ready to order?".
i must add that there were about 8 people in the restaurant... i'm a sushi fanatic so it was obvious that none of the buffet rolls were actually "rolled" but were more just fish with rice packed around it and fell apart when you pick them up. the food was tasty but because of this absolutely ridiculous waitress i will never eat at this place again. the best way i could describe this woman is that it was almost as if she was TRYING HER BEST not to get any tips. be wary of RUDE WAITRESSES HERE! i couldnt believe what i was seeing —Jake510
- I always go to Sushi Nobu, and the waitress doesn't mean to be rude. Honestly they're just middle-aged Chinese women that service the way a lot of Chinese establishments do. If you try talking to her she laughs and talks to you. She does sound rude when she says "anything else", but she's rushing you mainly so that she can remember your order. She can seriously memorize like 20 orders at once, but she probably has to rush through it. When you asked for more wasabi she probably just needed to clarify how much she should get for you, that's why she asked "for you or for her?" It is also a buffet style establishment, and in Chinese culture you don't typically tip to buffets. I hope that helps a little. I'm not really trying to defend her, more just trying to give some background. —ThUn
2010-02-08 23:19:18 This is a great establishment. I've been there for lunch countless times. Even when it seems crowded, the service is not that bad. If there is a wait to place an order (if you're not at the counter), the wait staff makes up for it by coming to the table with a huge tray to choose from and you can still place an order for more while you eat. Staff is very friendly in my opinion. The variety is much better than either of the downtown all-you-can eats. —MartySmith
2010-02-17 14:02:38 I went for lunch to check Nobu Hiro out. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't over-the-top great. It was "okay." They raised the lunch and dinner prices by a dollar. Service was fast, but sometimes I had to remind the sushi guy what I wanted. The sushi pieces themselves had a little too much rice, but what can you do. —strawberry
2010-03-28 20:30:58 I LOVE THIS PLACE! The main complaint I've heard is the "sushi nazi" servers, but in order to avoid these lovely ladies (who I completely don't mind, they're busy as shit, cut some slack!), sit at the bar! The chefs here are friendly, super quick, and the sushi is far better than any I've had in Davis. Great selection of sashimi, and for to-go orders they're very speedy, even if they are closing in 10 minutes. —ChristinaRae
2010-04-02 13:30:46 Not only is their food really good, but their service is excellent. They always have a small on their face and seem to remember who you are. —KerryK
2010-05-12 16:56:26 Honestly, I am torn between Fuji's and Nobu. Fuji's has better rolls and a larger selection of menu items, but Nobu has way better salmon (my favorite). You never really have to worry about getting frozen fish at Nobu but at Fuji's the meal is either awesome or crappy depending on how thawed out the fish is. Service is also really good Nobu and I agree with ThUn that the waitress is friendly when you talk to her but she is often taking many orders at once and just tries to hurry. —JCL95616
2010-05-13 11:39:53 Of the four sushi buffets I know of in Davis, this place has the bet quality sashimi. Hands down. —fretfreak11
2010-06-16 14:11:01 I've lived in Davis for over 12 years and never been compelled to leave a complaint on DavisWiki. Our service on Sunday night at Sushi Nobu (Nobu Hiro?) is worth a complaint. Two adults, two well-behaved small children at dinner (ages 2 and 4). After reading comments here, I have to guess that the unfriendly, older woman who "served" us was the "Sushi Nazi"? I generally cut servers a LOT of slack, and I have to say she was AWFUL and RUDE. There were some people at the bar, but only two other small tables filled in the restaurant (i.e., she was not overly busy). We were not familiar with the buffet (which is now $15.99), and she was clearly irritated when we asked where it was (doesn't buffet usually indicate you walk yourself up to a table?) or what it included. We had to get up to find our own plates, soy sauce cups, and napkins for ourselves. She served water to the adults, but nothing for the kids. We had to ask for wasabi twice, and once she finally brought it, it was dry, flakey, and darker green than is normal (old). Her presence at the table was downright hostile, and she reappeared before we were done with each all-you-can-eat dish to say "anything else? are you done ordering?" The food at the appetizer/dessert table was old and dry, though the sushi was not bad (true - lots of rice). Most rolls seemed to be a variation of salmon and something else.
If the restaurants' goal is to keep consumption down during all-you-can-eat deals, mission accomplished. With that type of rude service, they are definitely not losing money on food - people flee before they are full to get away from the server. Bummer, because they are located in our neighborhood and we had hoped to become regulars. —JMakus
2010-06-20 22:21:02 I love this place, the food is great, the salmon sashimi or nigiri are the best in Davis, the special rolls are not bad, they are tasty. I went to nobu last week at dinner for only $15.99, I ordered the mixed sashimi , different special rolls and the gyoza , mixed tempuras (hot). The waitress is nice, her services was fast , she came to my tables over 20 times for bring me sushi and take away the empty plates,and keep asking me " want something else" , in my opinion she is awesome .
2010-06-29 19:29:12 The Sacramento Kings Rolls (Shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, and masago) are sooooo good. Best rolls I've ever eaten. Dragon rolls are good, too, but the SKRs are better. (A little cheaper, too, I think.) —RobertM525
2010-07-03 21:25:26 Ate here a couple of times before when they werent busy and their sushi were good. Just recently went there for the lunch rush and it sucked. Rice was old, tempura was soft, and masago was bland. Seems like the food were just the left overs from the previous night. —kiddmit3
2010-07-04 01:40:11 This is a great sushi restaurant , the services are pretty good though, the fish is so fresh and the sushi chef are so friendly. . —Wendyoox
2010-08-03 23:02:25 The salmon sushi pretty good, the mixed sashimi are very good quality too, the rolls are pretty tasty , this is my first time here, and I will definitely come back soon. —Willam
2010-08-15 18:20:27 Salmon sashimi is good (especially the spicy salmon handroll). Rolls are so so. Hot food is mediocre and has a limited selection. Service is decent as long as you sit at the sushi bar. Good for the lunch buffet price.
PS. I saw a baby cochroach running around behind the sushi bar counter. —ahbeeahpo
2010-08-23 19:32:46 The sushi here is amazing and delicious. The rolls may be very similar, but I can't get enough of the unagi. I prefer ordering directly from the sushi bar over the little floating boats any day, and the price is reasonable for all-you-can-eat sushi lunches. I try to go here at least once a month. I'd recommend it, and though some say service can be hit-or-miss (or miss entirely), I feel that it could just be that they're busy, which they are, most of the time. —KurtSassenrath
2010-09-06 21:37:48 Not the best sushi place in Davis, but I like it for the buffet because they'll bring you whatever you like (or have you chose from huge trays of sushi they take to all the tables). Not the best service - you may have to ask for a roll any number of times before it actually comes (though if you sit at the bar, this isn't the case). But it's not as crowded as the other places and the fish is better that Jusco and Fujis so hey, I can deal with a little mediocre service once in a while. —ChristyMarsden
2010-10-11 18:24:23 One of the best kept secrets in Davis! IF you're one of those all-you-can-eat folks (my husband is), come here for lunch—not that ghastly Fuji buffet! You won't have to wait on the sidewalk for an hour and the sushi is made to order. EVERYTHING is fresh. Service is also excellent. Dinner is also quite good. It can SOMETIMES get a little busy during the buffet lunch but arriving early should get you a seat. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. —toriac
2010-10-30 00:41:52 I had dinner here and I feel the food here is great , the Japanese steak was delicious , very good with the Ginger sauce. The hamachi sashimi was so fresh. The waitress are nice to me too I definitely coming back . —John999
2010-11-11 14:40:18 Today, I received probably the worst service I've ever had at this place. It was crowded, which I didn't mind because the sushi is normally very good. The waitresses were all rushing to serve the larger tables, and neglected my girlfriend and I. They got my orders wrong most of the time. To top it all off, I got a piece of sushi (lion king roll) which had a long brown hair embedded into the fried portion. I was so disgusted. I notified the waitress to take it away, which she did. A few minutes later, she returned with some fresh shrimp tempura that I had ordered almost 15 minutes before that. To my horror, there was another hair embedded in it. I told the waitress again, and she took it away. Needless to say, every time I received a new set of rolls, I thoroughly checked each piece for hair. To top it all off, when I went to pay they charged me full price. I was so disappointed by that, because I loved going here for sushi. I've gone probably 20 times this year alone. I always tip, both on the bill and in their little jar. I'm always polite to the wait staff and the chefs. But I'm never going back there after today. —StevenSchumaker
2010-11-12 00:27:29 Today is my first time come to this restaurant , because i heard good words about this place from my friend ,they are super crowded at lunch , but the sushi come out very fast , very good and delicious sushi , the best sashimi I have never had for the sushi buffet, there are 3 sushi man inside the bar , they are working hard , and never forgot my orders, so I tip them good. I will come back next week for sure. —Davideddf
2010-11-21 17:15:54 I took my wife and kids here today for lunch. I expected a sushi buffet type experience, which is to say minimal service and mediocre quality fish. For the price, you deal with these things. But the rudeness we experienced today was beyond what anyone should have to deal with to eat a meal. This lady habitually shouted across the restaurant in my ear, gave dirty looks 100% of the time we addressed her and especially when it involved her getting more food for my children, forgot our order literally 3 out of 4 times, threw the plates on our table when we finally did get some food (sometimes stuff we didn't order), and refused to even look at me as she stormed around bumping into whatever got in her way. We were there for about an hour and a half and my kids got 3 things each, my wife got 4 things, and I got 5 things because I'd double my orders. That is how often we got served...about once every 30 minutes. Abhorrent service!! That and the food was lousy...everything that should have been hot was cold and the rolls were 95% rice and crab salad mix. The rice was mushy, there was no avocado with either of the CA rolls that were ordered, when they run out of something (which was more than one thing) they just ignore the order and leave you hanging, etc. etc. etc. It was so bad that when we left, still hungry, we swore to create a davis wiki account and write our first negative review of an establishment. I hope we save someone the displeasure of this ridiculously terrible restaurant. Go to Fuji or Davis Sushi Buffet to get the minimalist service you deserve. You couldn't pay me to go eat at Nobu again. And the mere thought of having to eat near that insufferably rude lady turns my stomach. Worst. Service. Ever. —KevinWaterson
2010-11-21 17:59:29 I went to nobu's lunch buffet today , they are so busy and crowded, the sushi here are fresh and good, but only one waitress and 2 sushi man working at lunch time, I don't know they can handle so many customers at once, I saw them all working so hard , especially the waitress serve the so many customers by herself , might be a little slow , but I ignore it , they should put some help at this busy hours, I think the food is good here that's why a lot of people came here.i love this place, maybe I 'll come back on weekdays , not weekends it's too crowded for me .
2010-11-21 23:16:10 The udon served here are pretty good, and the bento box are good price also, my best friend likes the sushi here very much, but I just like the cooked food, not the raw fish . Whatever my friend told me how good their sashimi is, by the way I like the style they decorate the restaurant , it is clean , small but nice. —Denverhong
