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This time last week we were roasting the dinner at the Critics Choice Awards: a sad plate of cheese, grapes, and bruschetta. (None of which, incidentally, appeared to be roasted.) It looked more like a United Airlines snack box that you paid $18 for and still leaves you hungry than dinner at a Hollywood awards show. So the Golden Globes undoubtedly knew of the Critics faux pas and that all eyes would be on their dinner to make comparisons. Which was just fine as far as the Globes were concerned, because A) at 83-years old they’re a well-seasoned awards show, and B) they were already set to be catered by Nobu for the third year in a row. Reporter Kyle Buchanan, who first alerted us to the Critics’ pitiful offering, followed up on Sunday with pics of the sumptuous meal served tableside by Nobu, as well as the extra stand of surplus sushi that was set up just outside the ballroom. Even without Kyle on the case, Nobu’s meal was getting its own salivating coverage.
The 2026 Golden Globes didn’t just spark award season headlines, the menu itself became a trending topic online as celebs tucked into a spread crafted by Nobu Restaurants and chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa. Social media users weighed in on the offerings, with some praising the luxury and others joking that the food looked more like hors d’oeuvres than a full dinner.
For the third year in a row, the Golden Globes partnered with Nobu on its in-ballroom menu, which included signature highlights from the chef’s global repertoire. Dishes served during the ceremony reportedly featured items such as a caviar cup, yellowtail jalapeño, lobster salad with spicy lemon dressing, a variety of nigiri and miso black cod, classic Nobu staples reimagined for one of Hollywood’s biggest nights. Dessert included white chocolate mouse, pistachio sponge and ceremonial matcha cake accompanied by a special ‘Golden Nobu’ coin garnish. Champagne was flowing courtesy of Moët & Chandon, which offered both Impérial and Rosé Impérial variants.
Online, reactions were mixed. Many commenters noted that the cuisine looked light and minimalist compared with what you might expect from a gala event, with one quipping that celebrities would be “hungry again in 15 mins,” and another noting that sushi and small bites felt more like plane food than a red-carpet feast. Some users joked that the menu was “salty af” and pondered whether blinis or heartier options were missing, while others pointed out that the focus was clearly on elegant, bite-size luxury appropriate for a long awards show.
Food and lifestyle outlets covering the menu highlighted how the sushi-heavy lineup echoed Nobu’s signature style, celebrating refined Japanese-Peruvian fusion. The event’s culinary choices seem tailored for a crowd sipping champagne and moving between speeches, interviews and applause rather than sitting down to a traditional multi-course meal.
Wait, people online are still saying it looks like plane food? What airline?! Sure, if you look at the meals side-by-side, the Nobu plate looks like a similar amount as the Critics’ snack plate. But you can tell that the food is just plain better. (Did those online haters mean “plain” instead of “plane”??) There’s no question that Nobu presented a meal instead of a snack. Many of you commented “Where’s the protein?!” about the Critics food last week. Well, Nobu more than delivered in that department! But in my opinion, the part that really separated the pros from the amateurs, was Nobu setting up the snack station nearby. Need a bit more? Just pop out to the adjacent alcove for a sec! It’s ingenious — that way everyone is pictured with the same well-portioned plate, but can discreetly (or blatantly!) grab more as needed. No actor left hungry! So yeah, no contest, Nobu/Golden Globes for the win. Even a potential fire (when a coffee holder was knocked over and the carpet briefly flamed up from the lit sterno) couldn’t derail the proceedings.
Hello from the Golden Globes and our dinner, this reliably tasty array of Nobu sushi pic.twitter.com/qVmMnFZvrJ
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) January 12, 2026
There’s an alcove next to the ballroom with even more sushi and snacks for Golden Globe attendees who want a little extra pic.twitter.com/7OfUG3985q
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) January 12, 2026
That looks goooooood. I hope the extra snacks alcove also had some carbs available (for those who will eat them), because Golden Globes are a drink heavy event and I, at least, need carbs to deal with more than two glasses of wine.
I would be really suspicious of eating raw fish at an event that large
@Pearl…Same! Though since Covid…I don’t eat in public…the 😱 of YEARS of Long Covid dictates that!
Please don’t come at me for saying this. This whole thing gives off very “Let them eat cake” vibes.
I work with kids in the foster care system and so many of my foster families are struggling to find day to day groceries, with everything going on in our country, this seems very excessive…I mean it’s Nobu and the food looks great, but these are people who can eat at Nobu on their own dime…..the food was tasty I’m sure, but…………
This is the entertainment industry, a private function that pumps millions of dollars into the economy. As long as it doesn’t cost tax payers anything, let them eat sushi!
So who should have catered the meal…..McDonald’s value menu? The amount of jewelry and expensive fashion that was on display was far more expensive than the meal. These award shows are meant to be OTT in many ways.
I would assume this is the kind of thing a lot of actors eat.
Now I want to order sushi for lunch today instead of the sad cup of microwavable quinoa that I brought to work.
Can someone please explain Nobu to me? I went to one in another city once, and it’s just a restaurant. Sushi is everywhere these days and Nobu is nothing special?
Nobu is a brand, so you’re paying for the brand – it’s hugely expensive even for sushi. It’s perfectly nice sushi and things like their famous black cod dish, but if you want really good sushi that’s not where you go. You go there for the paparazzi, for the notoriety, to spot celebrities and to pay upwards of 200 pounds per person (without booze) for little bits of fish that you’d fine elsewhere and better without the name.
But celebrities want the name, they go to Nobu regularly to be papped so that’s the perfect brand for them. I’m an old so I remember the Wolfgang Puck days, at least that food looked like YUM. And I love sushi!
I’d be far more worried about the food sitting out for hours! Sushi that sits out for more than an hour is just asking for a bad case of food poisoning…
Why would anyone prefer to be hassled by paps when there are a million equally good or better restaurants in LA? I don’t understand celebs. I suppose some of the Nobu locations are in places that don’t have much good sushi, so I understand their popularity in those places.
This looks amazing. I would probably have spent most of my time at this event going back and forth to the alcove to get more food. Who cares about the awards! It’s Nobu! Lobster and caviar? Yummy!
As one of the twelve people who just doesn’t enjoy sushi, this looks like a very pretty but inedible meal. Gorgeous though.
Same…. at least put non-sushi in the alcove. I’m not too proud to take a little walk for my high-fat apps 🙂
What do vegetarians do? Starve?
Ew I don’t care if it’s boujee raw fish is disgusting
Having a very small plate (because I’m sure lots of people just won’t eat or some all that much) and a buffet for those that do seems to be the way to go.
I love the unironic complaining about the food when it’s clear that 1) everyone has starved themselves to fit into their outfits, 2) everybody’s on Ozempic.