Nobu

Scheduled to open in November 2006, NOBU will replace the InterContinental Hong Hong hotel’s seafood restaurant, Yü, which opened in 1993. Nobuyuki Matsuhisa – known to the world simply as “Nobu” – is the acclaimed and highly influential chef proprietor of Nobu, Matsuhisa and Ubon restaurants all over the globe, from Beverly Hills to New York City, London to Tokyo, Aspen to Milan, Las Vegas to Miami Beach – and soon right here in Hong Kong.

HK Magazine: How is the progress going on NOBU Hong Kong?
Nobu: So far things have been great. I’m interviewing chefs and front-of-the-house staff, so I can handpick energetic people who are really interested in food. But in a way they’re still like my babies - I have to plant the seed and nurture them so they can grow into world-class professionals.

HK: Is it tough living up to such high expectations as a big-name chef?
Nobu: Big buzz is inevitable, just a byproduct of this kind of job. It’s much easier to get famous than stay famous - but that said, people all over the world are talking about NOBU Hong Kong; I’ve talked to people in New York and Los Angeles countless times about it, and they seem really exited to come here and check it out.

HK: Are you a tough boss?
Nobu: You could call me that. I’m known as a bit of a micromanager and with Tokyo just three and a half hours away I’ll be here a lot, not one of those absent chefs with just their name on the door. If I lend my name to a restaurant, I’m going to run it. Maybe I’m picky but I want the crew to learn the highest standards, the Nobu way to make Japanese food. As for service, I’ve brought our waiter from the very first NOBU to train the staff and make sure standards are kept, so if Bobby [DeNiro] or Marty [Scorcese] come over they’ll be at home here in Hong Kong like they would be in New York.

HK: Is there anything you wouldn’t eat or serve?
Nobu: I’ve never served snake or animals like mice. But I learn from local cuisine, starting basic and gradually evolving. I like to incorporate local elements into my cooking. I will learn from Chinese ingredients and use local products where they work best – I think the word “influence” is a better than “fusion.” You might say my food breaks some traditional Japanese rules, but I like to think of food as an adventure – that’s why you see jalapenos in my sushi rolls.

HK: What’s next in Asia?
Nobu: Macau is very much on the radar. We’ve had some meetings about putting a restaurant there. But you have to get everything right; we could easily have five in Asia with a phone call, but it has to be perfect. For example, we passed on Shanghai, even though it’s busy and full of money. It was just too hard to communicate. Hong Kong is much more international and cosmopolitan, and more in line with our customer base. Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-fat are regulars in my US outlets, for example, and are looking forward to having a NOBU in Hong Kong.