Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Nobu executive chef Mark Edwards can tell you a thing or two about black cod, the restaurant chain's most popular dish. He doesn't enjoy it much, and it's not cod.

``It's sablefish, which is found in the cold waters of the Pacific and Alaska, not quite yet on the endangered list,'' Edwards says in an interview at Nobu London. ``The fish that ate London, they call it. I can't eat it anymore. I'm sick of it. It's like working in a chocolate factory. I taste it every day.''

The dish is indeed popular. Nobu London prepares 200 pounds (91 kilos) of it daily and Edwards says it brings in 1 million pounds ($2.1 million) a year at the venue, where it sells for 24 pounds, or $49.53. That compares with $19 in Dallas and $22 in Las Vegas, according to Nobu's Web site. Such is the pound's strength.

Black cod with miso has helped make Nobu one of the world's best-known restaurant chains. The company, whose owners include chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and the actor Robert De Niro, has branches in 20 locations around the world and plans to open others in Dubai, Athens, Moscow, Los Angeles and San Diego next year.

``It's a very simple dish that's been around for centuries in Japan,'' says Edwards, whose friendly and jovial manner contrasts with Nobu's ultra-cool image. ``To compare it to something in Europe, it's a version of bacalhau, salt cod. In Japan, they call it gindara, and it was a way of preserving fish in the miso.

``Now, it's a little bit sweeter. We're just making it for the dish, so we don't have to add so much salt. Nobu's just adapted it for the Western palate, really.''

Miso Marination

The fish is salted for an hour, then marinated in white miso, which is prepared with sugar, sake and mirin that is cooked in a double boiler until it is like a caramelized miso. The fish is marinated for three days, with the marinade changed daily, so it costs as much as the fish, which is finished under a grill and served on a bamboo leaf with hajikami (baby ginger) and lemon.

Edwards is sitting at table four, the most sought-after table in Nobu London, a venue probably best known for the former tennis player Boris Becker's assignation with a model in a cupboard.

The chef leads the way into the kitchen, where he supervises the preparation of black cod for Bloomberg's photographer. In the kitchen, there is total concentration, with no fewer than three chefs seeking to perfect the blobs of sauce that decorate the dish. Back in the restaurant, Edwards happily hams it up, laughing as he poses for photographs, pretending to take a huge bite.

Black cod, which is also known as butterfish, is manageable and sustainable, according to the Marine Stewardship Council, but Nobu isn't taking any chances. Edwards has been experimenting with other types of fish and finds they require different periods in the marinade. Salmon, for example, only needs one day, not three.

Which fish does Edwards like if he's not a fan of black cod?

Yellowtail, Jalapeno

``One of the other big sellers, which is my biggest favorite -- and this I can eat every day of the week -- is yellowtail with jalapeno. It's fantastic. Its simplicity speaks for itself, the flavors, it's unbelievable. Never get bored of that one.''

Edwards, 43, has long been a fan of Asian cooking, and has spent time in New York and Asia. He was working at Vong restaurant before Nobu London opened in 1997, three years after the first outlet, in New York. There are now three in London -- Nobu, Ubon and Nobu Berkeley Street -- and plans for a private-dining venue.

``I look after all the ones in Europe, so that's St. Moritz, Milan, Mykonos, the three in London and also I help with the new ones outside of America, so I've just recently done Hong Kong, Melbourne,'' he says in the Nov. 27 interview.''

How come it's so difficult to get a table? Edwards says it's not. Bookings are limited to one month in advance, so all you need to do is call in the morning exactly a month ahead, assuming you are going for a busy time, like Saturday night. He says Nobu doesn't hold back tables for celebrities, like the Ivy.

Beckham Welcome

``What if I'm Victoria Beckham?'' I ask. ``You can come in,'' he replies and laughs.

Once the interview is over, I first eat the fish, then go in search of the cupboard on the back stairs where Becker says his daughter was conceived in June 1999. Near the washrooms, a door is marked private. Inside is a small, dark lobby that is the entrance to an office, which is locked.

On the back of the door, by the light of my BlackBerry, I see someone has scribbled a message, ``Boris woz 'ere.''

(Richard Vines is London food critic for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this review: Richard Vines in London at rvines@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 30, 2007 01:49 EST