By Susan Kelly
Photography by Nobu Hospitality
You might call Nobuyuki Matsuhisa the Drake of sushi chefs in that both are internationally renowned artists known by a single moniker. In his case, though, the name is “Nobu” and the artistry is culinary. Nobu’s eponymous restaurants now number some 55 locations across five continents. Many are located within a global chain of 19 luxury Nobu Hotels that are currently open, with an additional 19 hotels in various stages of development. These establishments are a collaborative effort between the renowned chef, Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro, and film producer Meir Teper.
And now, Toronto will be the first Canadian city to have a Nobu restaurant and hotel, located downtown in the heart of the Entertainment District. As well, moving trucks are now rolling into the integrated 660-unit luxury residential tower. When all is complete, it will be the first-ever announced Nobu hotel, restaurant, and residences in the world for the chain that blends modern swank with minimalist Japanese tradition.
THE CELEBRITIES’ CELEBRITY CHEF
Besides sublime sushi, Nobu restaurants are known for serving up celebrity sightings. At Nobu Malibu alone, the chances of spotting luminaries from Demi Lovato to Leonardo DiCaprio to George and Amal Clooney are high. The tradition likely will continue at the Hollywood North two-level bar and restaurant unless the famous choose to stay out of sight in one of the two private dining rooms there. Drake might appear on the terrace: the name “Nobu” appears six times in “Jumpman,” the rap song he co-wrote with rapper Future, suggesting he is a fan.
It was in the mid-’90s that eminent fashion editor and television personality Jeanne Beker first sampled his cuisine at Nobu in New York, at the first Tribeca location that the chef had opened with De Niro and partners. “There was such an amazing buzz about the place,” she remembers. “It was THE place to go—an haute Asian dining experience, where the art of sushi was both savored and celebrated. Getting a reservation was no easy feat, and people were claiming it was absolutely the best Japanese food they’d ever had, outside of Japan.” Beker recalls that shortly before that experience, she had interviewed the late pop culture visionary Malcolm McLaren, the fashion designer once married to Vivienne Westwood and promoter and manager of such legendary punk bands as the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls. “McLaren told me that he thought that the food scene was going to be the next big thing, and that chefs were going to be the next big celebrities, following in the footsteps of rockstars and designers,” Beker says. “Chef Nobu was most certainly in the eye of that particular storm, and my first Nobu outing confirmed McLaren’s prediction. Chefs were indeed becoming superstars, and Nobu was leading the pack.”
Since then, the globetrotting journalist has eaten at several Nobu locations around the world and never fails to be impressed by the experience. “Chef Nobu really turned us on to the fine dining aspect of sushi and Japanese cuisine in general,” she says. “Eating his food has been described by some as an almost religious experience! He is just that good.”
Soon Nobu will be the subject and namesake of a four-part documentary series called “Nobu.” Matt Tyrnauer (“Valentino: The Last Emperor,” “The Reagans”) directs and has said that this is one of the most inspiring and interesting stories he’s ever told. Variety quoted Tyrnauer as saying, “Nobu’s reinvention of a cuisine, his staggering success in redefining the food culture worldwide, and his push into the hotel business would be impressive and interesting enough for a series, but I am floored by the unknown story of the man. He’s a study in perseverance and triumph over adversity.”
TWISTS AND TURNS ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
The chef and restaurateur’s story unfolds in unexpected and exotic locales, from Japan to Peru to Alaska, and contains some dramatic career highs and lows. The Nobu saga begins in Saitama, Japan, where he was born in 1949. His father died when he was eight, and so his mother and older brothers worked outside the home to support the family. He recalls being “always in the kitchen,” watching his grandmother cook. This was at a time when boys were not encouraged to do so.
When he was 12, an older brother took him to a traditional sushi restaurant in Tokyo. The future Nobu loved everything about it: the sliding shoji, the ceremonial welcome, sitting at the counter. And as he watched the chef painstakingly prepare the sushi, anticipation building before biting into the first exquisitely crafted morsel, he had an epiphany. “It was ‘wow, this is it,’” Nobu says. “From that time on, it became my dream to be a sushi chef, to prepare really good food and see people enjoy it.” It was not a dream immediately realized. After dropping out of high school, he began, at 18, working at Matsuei-sushi, a family-run sushi bar in Tokyo. For the first two years, he was consigned to the roles of dishwasher, busboy, and deliveries. He gradually worked his way up to apprentice chef. Even then, he was filled with a desire to experiment with new ideas. He claims to be the first to serve sardine and Pacific saury as sashimi at a time when few chefs served them raw.
This was also the time that he had two important realizations that still guide his work. First is his philosophy of “Put your heart into your work and cook with passion.” Second, he realized that beyond superior skills, a good sushi chef must pay attention to the customers and make them comfortable. The interaction with customers he learned at the sushi counter—watching their responses to his dishes, gauging what to offer next, timing the presentation—is something he carried with him throughout his career. Later, it would lead to some humorous moments when famous clients started frequenting his eateries. The chef did not recognize many, including future business partner De Niro when he first served him. But this inclusive approach is arguably part of his charm.
In 1972, he met his future wife Yoko, whom he married after a one-year courtship. He was not ready to settle down, though, as another dream beckoned. It first stirred after he learned that his father had traveled the world; he longed to do the same. A regular customer of the sushi bar presented him with an opportunity to open a restaurant in Lima, Peru. The 23-year-old Nobu jumped at the chance. He immediately experienced sushi culture shock. He had access to fresh seafood but of different species than he was used to. And while Japan has sashimi, Peru had ceviche. Instead of soy sauce and wasabi, now there was lemon juice, chilis, garlic, and cilantro, to which he first had an aversion. But that soon changed to fascination. To his surprise, using a ceviche sauce on seafood made it even more delicious and became a customer favorite. He began to experiment, combining even more local flavors and techniques with the traditional Japanese. Some would call it fusion cuisine; its originator prefers “Nobu style,” which continues to evolve and adapt to new cultures with every restaurant opening around the world. Three years later, the business partnership ended less than amicably. Nobu and Yoko, then expecting their second daughter, moved back to Japan. But his sense of adventure was stirred in 1977 when a friend proposed opening a Japanese restaurant in Anchorage, Alaska.
“PUT YOUR HEART INTO YOUR WORK AND COOK WITH PASSION.”
It was to prove an unfortunate move. Two weeks after opening, an electrical problem ignited a fire that razed the restaurant to the ground. A stunned and disheartened Nobu fell into a profound depression. He faced a bleak future. “I was devastated, so much so that I was going to commit suicide,” he says. “In the end, I didn’t because people supported me, including my family. Now I try to do the same for others in my life and business.”
The next move for Nobu and his family was to Los Angeles in 1979, where he worked in a sushi restaurant. By 1987, he was ready to spread his entrepreneurial wings once more. A friend’s loan financed the opening of Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills, where he would introduce Hollywood’s elite to his signature style of Japanese cuisine. The menu featured his take on both classic dishes and locally inspired specialties. Today, the approach continues at every Nobu restaurant around the world—which means that in Toronto we may soon sample dishes born then, such as rock shrimp tempura, yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno, and king crab tempura, all Nobu classics. Other popular items for which the chef has become well-known include sushi tacos and miso-marinated black cod, which Robert De Niro first tasted at Matsuhisa in 1988. So enamored was he with the dish and its creator that he suggested opening a second location in New York. The chef, though, was leery of entering another partnership. It would take until 1994, after years of urging from De Niro, for Nobu to open the first restaurant in New York’s Financial District. This one, called Nobu, was a hit like its predecessor.
De Niro also helped him get a walk-on role in the movie “Casino,” and he would go on to make cameo appearances in two more feature films. The two men remain in touch. “We talk a lot,” Nobu says, “and even though he’s a famous actor, with me he’s a normal guy with a great sense of humor. He understands me and has really supported me over the years.” Six months in, the restaurant was garnering favorable reviews, and reservations became hard to get. Two years later, Food & Wine magazine named him one of America’s 10 best new chefs, and in 1993, the New York Times selected Matsuhisa as one of the top 10 restaurant destinations in the world. An avalanche of accolades was to come.
The first Nobu Hotel opened in Las Vegas in 2013. The Toronto establishment will feature the sleek design aesthetic and exquisite attention to detail common to it and the other world locales. Guests will enjoy a private retreat in the Sakura Lounge, reserved for their exclusive use to enjoy breakfast and signature Nobu experiences. Also new at this hotel: an interactive Nobu Pilates room in partnership with the world’s only digital reformer by Canadian-owned FRAME Fitness, just one of the advanced amenities in the wellness center.
Overseeing a global hospitality empire is infinitely more complex than having a few restaurants. Through it all, the chef has maintained his original guiding principles, almost Zen-like in their simplicity. From his autobiography, *Nobu: A Memoir*: “Good food means putting your heart into your cooking and using carefully selected ingredients. Good service means personal service, practicing the Japanese art of perception to anticipate what each guest wants before they even say it. Teamwork means that everyone, from chefs to general managers, works together as equals.”
With this latest Toronto opening, the chef says there is the added challenge of expectation, as Nobu is a big reputation to live up to. “We have to build on that, which is why I like to assemble and activate the best team and make sure each member shares my philosophy,” he says. As in a recipe, each element must both stand out on its own and work together beautifully. Until the Nobu Toronto restaurant opens, at-home chefs can try executing a recipe or two thanks to his many cookbooks, including *Nobu: The Cookbook*, *Nobu Now*, or *Nobu Miami: The Party Cookbook*.
At 75, Nobu shows no signs of slowing down and is often asked about the secret to his exceptional and global success. As he reflects in his memoir, “I have never thought of myself as ‘succeeding.’ Quite frankly, I’m still learning, and I don’t believe that there is any golden rule that guarantees success. I simply threw myself into my work and did my best to do the right thing.”
