Chef Nobu Matsuhisa opened his first restaurant in Tribeca, New York, in 1994. What’s followed in the three decades since is a global chain of fine restaurants known as much for the food as the dazzling diners – think Madonna, Princess Di and Taylor Swift. (Only fitting, with Hollywood star Robert De Niro and producer Meir Teper – From Dusk Till Dawn, What's Eating Gilbert Grape – on the Nobu team from day one, before Crown Resorts joined in 2015.)
Australia’s first taste was in Melbourne, in 2007, then Perth and Sydney. Each city is home to an expansive dining room pushing slick slices of tuna sashimi, perfected sushi and a brilliant omakase. Chef Nobu is Down Under this month for a tour of his restaurants, hosting a couple of events in Sydney this week, before heading to Perth, then Melbourne.
Broadsheet caught up with the inimitable chef while he was here, chatting life advice, cooking for celebrities and his favourite restaurant. (Plus, his thoughts on the best chef in the world.)
Chef Nobu, what’s the best advice you've ever been given?
My father passed away since I was seven years old, with a car accident, so my grandma and my mother's education [for me was] in our home, not in a school. My grandma was a very strong lady. Work hard when nobody's watching; don’t be two-faced; and try your best. Also, my family – grandmother, mother – taught me to care [about] good food.
What are three non-negotiables when it comes to sushi?
It has to be good fish. And also good rice. So most importantly, my equipment is a knife. But after, you only use 10 fingers. You know, we don’t use oil, we don't use fires, we didn't use pans. Nothing, just 10 fingers. Sushi’s very sensitive and also very detailed. It looks simple: you know, a slice of salmon, rice, you know? But all the detail, how much wasabi depends [on] the fish, how many grams the slice of fish [is], how many grams of sushi rice, the temperature of the rice. It’s all the detail. You have to understand everything in combination – sushi, fish, rice.
But most importantly, cook with heart. We cannot make good architecture, music, paintings [without heart]. Everything heart to heart – so it makes you happy. Sushi’s [the] most important, delicate and detailed food. The best food in the world.
What do you think makes the Australian Nobu restaurants special?
I live in the US, I come from Japan – sushi is very popular in the United States, and all over the world now. Japan and the US use prime fish. So the tuna, the yellowtails and snappers – many Japanese fish – [are] imported from Japan to the US. And Australia, what is the fish? Yellowtails, tunas, King George… it tastes more natural here. That’s why I like to eat sushi in Australia. Even vegetables, too. We first opened Nobu in 2007 in Melbourne. Japanese cooking uses the shiso leaf; in 2007, you cannot get the shiso leaf in Melbourne. Now [you] grow it here – shisos, shiso leaf, Japanese cucumbers. Now when we open Japanese restaurants, the products are growing in the farms here.
My first cookbook was in the year 2000 … a lot of famous people gave me a call. Including the Clintons, Gordon Ramsay, Robert de Niro. And Madonna. She gave me a call [about] my cookbook, she said to me, “When Nobu opens in cities, the country is going to change.” Nobody knew about sushi – but after [I] opened Nobu, sushi is going to be more popular, people understand. For example, Nobu Milano opens in 2000 with Giorgio Armani. I was there and when the customers come, they say “Oh, can I start with the tempura?”, “Can I start with the chicken teriyaki?” Now in Milano city there’s more than 200 Japanese restaurants. I’m so proud of myself, that people like sushi now.
You’ve mentioned Madonna and Robert De Niro, and we heard Taylor Swift’s a fan of Nobu. Did you expect Nobu to be a celebrity magnet when you first opened?
Well, my partners are the De Niros in 1994. So this year is going to be 30 years. You know, he’s still my best partner, and best friend. Not customer though laughs. A lot of celebrities come to Nobu – I live in LA and Nobu Malibu almost everyone comes. Taylor Swift was [in] last month. I like to keep it quiet, I don’t want to be like “Oh, he was there, she was there”. Because I like to keep the privacy for them, too.
[We had just opened] the Nobu restaurant in London in 1997 and my London partner’s wife invited Princess Diana. She came, and I was a little nervous ‘cos I was going to cook for them. They said, “Please can you say ‘hi’ to them?” but I didn’t know English … so I ask my team, and they say “Nobu, say like this: ‘Pleasure to meet you, Princess’.” So then I was really nervous, ready to say it like this, but she said, “Oh chef Nobu, I read about your history in the book.” She knew me. I was so impressed and so surprised. She was so nice, and I cooked for her. After lunch she left and drove herself. Two months later, maybe three, I was back in New York and the TV news said Princess Diana was in the car accident and passed away. I was really shocked. Still I remember she has charisma, so much beauty, elegance.
Do you have a favourite Australian restaurant?
Australia has a big Chinese community and good Chinese restaurants. The last time we went to Chinatown [in Sydney], I don’t remember the name. And a friend of mine has a good restaurant, Tetsuya’s. In Sydney, Nobu is the best laughs.
What about in the world? Still Nobu?
Except for Nobu! I was born in Japan, and I have lived in Tokyo too. But also, I have heaps of friends in Tokyo. [There are] Japanese restaurants, tempura, Chinese, Italian – you know, so many good food in Japan. But you know, I have a private chef in my home, so she is the best cook in the world… she is my wife.
