Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 202

a 20 LIVING Z8 FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011 You will want to be in the Noh for omakase 0. kaya, eating makase but is popular in the Dining CAREY SWEET translating to plate tasting whim of the diner (the more meanwhile, eateries offering yakitori and Because of personal attention omakase meals small groups At Noh in may not be as trendy as izathe Japanese fine art of suddenly becoming more Valley. Noh just opened in the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale. It joins Yasu Sushi Bistro and the year-old Nobuo at Teeter House in Phoenix. The almost 2-month-old ShinBay in Scottsdale plans to start omakase service by early fall.

In Japanese, omakase means "it's up to you," elaborately designed smallmenus that draw on the chef, but also the input of the commonly seen izakaya, refers to Japanese pub-style casual small plates like mountain yam pancakes). the intricacy of recipes and demanded of the chef, generally are designed for of people. Japanese, it means "tal- ent," and is also a form of 14th-century Japanese theater where actors are disguised by dramatic masks the chef caters to six diners at a time in an intimate space in front of the Hyatt resort's SWB Bistro. A meal might start with an amuse of lobster nigri sushi dotted with tobiko caviar, alongside a pretty pile of lobster cucumber sunomono and a swath of wasabi sabayon. For the next plate, it could be hamachi sashimi curled over sweet-tart ruby grapefruit segments and lacy-thin coins of watermelon radish in spicy yuzu kosho vinaigrette.

Then, the chef might offer a dainty bowl of Japanese mushroom katsuo dashi broth bobbing with mushroom-garlic chive gyoza, shiitake mushrooms and scallions. At Noh, a standard dinner brings six courses paired with Japanese drinks for $70, but other plates can keep coming as long as the diner's appetite and wallet holds out rich red slabs of maguro sashimi interlaced with avocado, garlic chips and kaiware sprouts moistened in wasabi oil and Sriracha aioli; pomegra- nate-soy glazed duck over Napa cabbage slaw in Mandarin orange vinaigrette sparked with crystallized ginger; and miso glazed sea bass atop braised burdock, sweet potato mash and fava bean puree. Dessert might tempt with butterscotch and white miso pudding next to a dollop of green tea ice cream, or an anmitsu of green tea ice cream, strawberry lychee kanten, adzuki beans and matcha yokan sweet bean paste jelly. There is plenty of sushi and sashimi, but chefs also put together some uncommon bites like ozoni, a pillowy toasted rice cake in broth accented with shiitake mushrooms, lotus root wheels, carrots and edamame; or a slippery cube of silken Kinugoshi tofu decorated with kamaboko fish paste, scallions, carrots and lotus root chip in yuzu tamari sauce. Omakase reservations are required.

There are two seatings nightly, at 6 and 8. Diners wanting a smaller, impromptu nibble can eat a la carte in the lobby lounge. Details: Noh, 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Road (Hyatt Regency Scottsdale), Scotts- dale. 480-444-1234, scottsdale.hyatt.com; Nobuo at Teeter House, 622 E.

Adams St. (Heritage Square), Phoenix. 602-254-0600, nobuofukuda.com; ShinBay, 7001 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale Seville), Scottsdale. 480-664-0180, shinbay.com; Yasu Sushi Bistro, 4316 E.

Cactus Road, Phoenix, 602-787-9181. Stingray, Scottsdale Quarter Scottsdale Quarter just keeps getting hotter as a dining destination. To the lineup of noteworthy restaurant tenants, add Stingray Sushi, which opened Wednesday in the trendy shopping mall. Fans of fashionable sushi done with fusion twists and served in a see-and-beseen setting already have two Stingrays to select from, Old Town Scottsdale and Biltmore Fashion Park. Details: 15037 N.

Scottsdale Road (in Scottsdale Quarter), Scottsdale. stingray sushi.com. Carey Sweet writes about dining news in the Northeast Valley. Reach her at FREE, ZIP, ZILCH, NADA, NONE, NIL, ZERO List your car NOW for FREE. Now you can list your vehicle for free on Cars.com, a trusted resource cars.com for car shoppers.

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