While Thomas Moreau introduced Parisians to handroll at DokiDoki, the restaurateur is now tackling another totemic dish of Japanese cuisine in the Haut-Marais district. Named Nobisan, this new address sheds light on the art of temaki.
Set in a minimalist décor designed by Hypnos XP (behind The French Bastards fancy bakeries), Nobisan is spread over two levels: on the first floor, the counter faces the open kitchen and the ballet that takes place there; upstairs, the atmosphere is more intimate, but the space can still accommodate gangs of friends on large tables.
To revisit temaki while paying homage to this Tokyo specialty, Thomas Moreau called on chef Hisanobu 'Nobu' Shigeta,who previously worked at the Jules Verne restaurant on the Eiffel Tower. He presents temaki in a rather unique form: gone is the traditional seaweed cone filled with rice and raw fish; here, temaki is held in both hands in a rectangular shape.
At Nobisan, the temaki are made from carefully selected ingredients, starting withnori seaweed, the key ingredient, if not essential, to any self-respecting temaki. To achieve this, the restaurant called on anancestral Japanese company to create an exclusive seaweed that is both thin and crispy, offering a delightful interplay of textures.
Add to this soft, balanced rice, tested, tasted, and chosen from dozens of Japanese varieties, andexceptional fish selected from European producers for their quality, such as the famous toro tuna renowned for its melt-in-the-mouth texture, choice salmon and sea bream, and even caviar. Temaki is one of those marvels that leaves no room for error, as the recipe is based on a combination of ingredients that must be of the highest quality.
The experience can then begin, right there, before the eyes of amazed gourmets. At Nobisan, the temaki are made to order and arrive at the counter as they are ready, to be eaten quickly, before the seaweed has time to soften.
All that remains is to choose between the three set menus consisting of five ready-made temaki (vegetarian, $24; classic €34; signature €38), opt for the tailor-made menu (€44) to create according to your desires by choosing from the à la carte menu, or go little by little, temaki by temaki—the least advantageous option in terms of price, at €7-€8 for a vegetarian temaki, €9-14 for a classic temaki, €10-13 for a signature temaki.
The Signature menu allows you to discover the richness of Nobisan's temaki, with a flambéed salmon temaki, a toro tuna temaki, a yellowtail temaki, a scallop temaki, and a crab yuba temaki. Far from being all the same, the temaki surprise you with the richness of their deceptively simple recipes, their delicacy, and the great diversity of textures and flavors—here flambé, there tangy, here crispy, there sweet. There's no way to get bored!
The à la carte menu offers equally delicious discoveries, such as flambéed avocado temaki, crispy smoked tofu temaki, soy-kombu marinated ikura temaki, eel temaki, and green curry coconut shrimp temaki,seasoned just right.
To complete the menu, soba noodles are also available, as well as sashimi to further enhance the purity of Japanese cuisine, edamame (€6) to whet the appetite, and various tartares, such as red tuna (€16) and shiitake and tofu cream (€10).
The desserts are created bypastry chef Toshiya Takatsuka, and it's quite rare to find homemade mochi (€7) and iced mochi (€8) to go with them. Finally, connoisseurs can choose from Jugetsudoteas, iced teas (€6), cocktails (€13-€14), and sakescarefully selected by Maison du Saké.
A place for connoisseurs of good food and authentic flavors.
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.
Location
Nobisan
58 Rue de Turenne
75003 Paris 3
Official website
nobisan-temaki.com
