The Seafood Robert De Niro Always Orders At Nobu In NYC

Robert De Niro is most famous for his starring roles in iconic films such as "Taxi Driver," "Goodfellas," and "The Godfather." However, in addition to delivering one of the best fictional steaks of all time in "The Irishman," the New York-born actor also knows a thing or two about real-life restaurants. De Niro is a co-founder of the internationally renowned Japanese-Peruvian fusion chain Nobu, and when he visits the restaurant's NYC outpost, he always orders one specific seafood dish: Nobu's legendary black cod with miso (which you can make yourself with just five ingredients). 

In an interview with The Sunday Times (via YouTube), chef Nobu Matsuhisa revealed that De Niro's love affair with the umami-rich seafood dish started in the 1980s, when the actor would regularly dine at the chef's first restaurant, Matsuhisa, in Los Angeles. The cod quickly became De Niro's favorite, and according to Matsuhisa, he would request it during every visit. Naturally, when the actor partnered with Matsuhisa to open a New York restaurant, the black cod with miso was a menu must-have.

Nobu's black cod with miso isn't just adored by Robert De Niro. The elegantly simple recipe is easily the restaurant's most iconic dish, and is a menu staple at its over 50 locations worldwide. The signature seafood recipe consists of black cod (one of the expensive fish chefs say is worth the splurge), marinated for three days in a sweet and savory, umami-rich sauce of sake, miso, mirin, and sugar. The flavorful fish is then broiled to order and artfully served on a bamboo leaf with a pickled ginger garnish.

Nobu's black cod with miso is beloved for its buttery, flaky texture and balanced sweet and umami flavors, which make De Niro's devotion to the legendary dish totally understandable. If you want to try the star-studded seafood plate for yourself at Nobu, be prepared to shell out a chunk of change — at the time of writing, the dish will set you back nearly $50 at Nobu's downtown New York location. Luckily for those of us without Hollywood-level seafood budgets, a copycat version of Nobu's black cod with miso is one of the most exciting new Trader Joe's products, and it costs just a fraction of the price.