Hai Noon
Japanese restaurant · Scottsdale ·
Japanese fusion small plates & cocktails in intimate retro lounge
Japanese fusion small plates & cocktails in intimate retro lounge
"After working for an international food import company for over a year, 2007 James Beard Award winner Nobuo Fukuda is back in the kitchen, presiding over an intimate, 60s-era space that feels more like a bar than a restaurant, but never fear. Fukuda’s extraordinary East-meets-West version of Japanese cuisine, including his signature sashimi spoons, is as brilliant as ever — and remarkably affordable. Sip on Japanese-influenced cocktails, make a meal of share plates such as panko-fried tofu skewers and pork belly bao buns, and get ready for the exceptional omakase Fukuda will begin to offer in the months to come." - McConnell Quinn
"James Beard award winner Nobuo Fukuda is back in action at this dimly lit bar and restaurant, which dispenses creative cocktails and eclectic small bites, founded upon Japanese culinary traditions. Try affordable nibbles (prices range from $10-$20) such as panko-fried tofu with green papaya curry; soft shell crab and rice noodle; and the best sunomono on the planet. His signature sashimi is here, and unforgettable omakase, priced at $200 per person, is available with advanced notice. Best for: Michelin-level cooking inside a retro motel — basically, Phoenix doing its thing." - McConnell Quinn
"Admittedly, this rock-walled, retro-cool flashback to the mid-century, where regulars routinely sip Japanese-inflected cocktails and eat dinner at the bar, isn’t a straight-up sushi bar. Instead, it’s an East-meets-West Japanese restaurant presided over by James Beard award-winning chef Nobuo Fukuda. On any given day, the menu offers six-to-seven sophisticated sashimi or crudo options that are so good it’s possible to zero in on just these dishes and leave satisfied. Consider the kelp-cured seabream scattered with cherry blossoms, lightly seared big-eye tuna in roasted beet puree with Pinot Noir reduction, or oysters in tomato water reduction with mascarpone and wasabi oil. The quality of the food is mind-blowing, especially at these reasonable prices." - Nikki Buchanan
"James Beard award winner Nobuo Fukuda is back in action at this dimly lit bar and restaurant, which dispenses creative cocktails and eclectic small bites, founded upon Japanese culinary traditions. Try affordable nibbles (prices range from $10-$20) such as panko-fried tofu with green papaya curry; soft shell crab and rice noodle; and the best sunomono on the planet. His signature sashimi is here, and unforgettable omakase, priced at $200 per person, is available with advanced notice." - Mcconnell Quinn, Chris Malloy, Nikki Buchanan
"Hidden in a converted ’60s motel, Hai Noon—opened by James Beard Award–winning chef Nobuo Fukuda—married midcentury desert vibes with sophisticated Japanese-inspired cocktails and raw seafood bites; I was especially smitten with cleverly balanced drinks featuring star anise, soy sauce, Calpico, barley shochu, and kurosato, alongside Japanese beers, shochu, and sakes (priced from about $12 a glass to $360 a bottle)." - Ann Shields