Nobuo at Teeter House

Seinfeld character Elaine Benes was notorious for her dating exploits, and her most memorable adventure was probably her infatuation with a gay man in “The Beard.” In that episode, she plots to seduce her friend by persuading him to “switch teams.” Restaurants don’t have love lives per se, but their locations might qualify as allegiance to particular teams. If so, Nobuo Fukuda, a winner of the James Beard Award, has recently switched teams by leaving behind his legendary Sea Saw in Old Town Scottsdale and bringing his innovative approach to Japanese fusion to Downtown Phoenix’s Heritage Square, just a few blocks from the Third Street / Washington (westbound) and Third Street / Jefferson (eastbound) light rail stations.

the Teeter House

Of course, in a healthy metropolitan area, rivalries between cities and their suburbs should be minimal, but it’s hard not to root for Phoenix when so many of its attractions are so often misattributed to Scottsdale. Regardless of one’s civic loyalties, it’s easy for anyone with a taste for the bold and inventive to cheer for Nobuo at Teeter House, the chef’s new restaurant named after the historic building it occupies. The Teeter House, until recently home to a tea and sandwich place, has been redone in a way that respects its Victorian origins while adding subtle touches of modernity and Asian decor.

view of patio from Adams Street

Like any old house, the building is broken into numerous small rooms, and each one serves a clear purpose. The anteroom up front is best for drinks and small bites, the counter overlooking the open kitchen is best for interacting with the chef, the dining room off to the side is best for those having full meals, and another room toward the back is ideal for groups. Just as the space is best experienced one room at a time, the food is most enjoyable when viewed as small bites or Asian tapas. There are lunches plated for one, but after dark, the food is really better for sharing and sampling. The approach is similar to the one used at Sens a half mile to the north, but with more Japanese influence than Chinese.

kimchi

The menu is heavily ingredient-driven and subject to change. Consider everything described here a sampling of the chef’s approach rather than a fixed list of items to order. Some of the best starters come out like hors-d’ouevres. Case in point: the nasu baco miso. This dish is really mostly about eggplant, an acquired taste for some, but this dish has two compelling traits: First, the light-colored Japanese eggplant manages to remain firm without being leathery or bitter. Second, the sprinkling of bacon on top of each slice enhances the smoky, earthy flavors of eggplant and miso without overwhelming them. It’s a refreshingly restrained use of an overplayed ingredient.

Teeter tots

Contrast is also important here, and nowhere is it more dramatic than with the grapefruit and hamachi combination. Call the fish amberjack or yellowtail; ether way, it’s buttery texture is amplified by avocado and then offset by the tartness of fresh citrus. It’s a refreshing, summery dish best paired with something from Nobuo’s adventurous selection of Japanese beers. Another sort of contrast is found in the shishito peppers, which ironically recall the same small dish served in Digestif during its brief tenure in Sea Saw’s old space in Scottsdale. These little ones are sneaky. Some are mild while others are fiery. They’re best eaten in between bites of other dishes rather than treated as an appetizer to be consumed all at once.

ebi salad

If these dishes sound light, be assured there’s plenty of heartier fare that can easily satisfy most appetites.The pork belly buns are another usage of a trendy ingredient, but just as with the eggplant dish, their presence makes sense in this context. The buns are served two to an order and are best approached as a hand food since they look almost like street tacos. Equally filling is the okonomiyaki, a Japanese treat best classified somewhere between a pizza and a pancake. It’s thick and a little gooey with minced pork and shrimp nicely blended in an even mix of flavors. It’s artfully topped with bonito, bits of shaved fish, and drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise.

nasu bacon miso

Life at the Teeter House should get even more interesting when omakase, a Japanese version of a prix fixe chef’s choice tasting dinner, begins in just a few weeks. It will be offered only at the counter and require reservations. Combine that option with the regular menu and a promised tea service, and Nobuo, along with the legendary Pizzeria Bianco just across the way, will have the effect of creating an impressive miniature restaurant row of James Beard award winners on Adams Street. Thinking again about “the Beard” episode from Seinfeld rather than James Beard for a moment, one note of caution is in order: Elaine’s conquest went back to his own “team” at the end of the episode. We can only hope that Downtown diners show Nobuo enough support to make it clear the chef chose the right team in moving to the heart of Phoenix.

Arai pastry assortments

October 20, 2011 Update: The omakase mentioned in the final paragraph was offered only for a few months and then curtailed due to limitations of ingredient availability. Instead, the restaurant now offers four-course tasting menus on most Fridays and Saturdays.


622 E. Adams St., Phoenix AZ 85004
(602) 254-0600
http://nobuofukuda.com/




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