GRETA SCACCHI Enjoys a little mid-life angst - Mayfair Times

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food & drink
PHOTOS: CHRISTIAN BARNETT FOR DELICIOUS MAGAZINE (WWW.DELICIOUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK)
Passion
in the
kitchen
AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO JAPANESE
CUISINE AND A CHANCE MEETING WITH A
HOLLYWOOD ACTOR HAVE MADE NOBU
MATSUHISA THE MOST FAMOUS SUSHI CHEF
IN THE WORLD. IN TOWN TO PROMOTE NOBU
PRIVATE DINING IN LONDON, HE TALKS TO
SELMA DAY ABOUT HIS PASSION FOR
COOKING AND PLANS TO EXPAND HIS
EMPIRE EVEN FURTHER
Passion is the word that crops up most frequently during a conversation
with Nobu Matsuhisa. The chef behind the global restaurant empire that is
Nobu says good sushi isn’t just about the freshest fish, perfectly cooked
rice or even exquisite presentation.
“Something might look beautiful but without heart and passion it cannot
taste good. So my style of cooking always comes from the heart,” he says.
His innovative approach to Japanese cooking has proved to be a hit
the world over. There are around 24 Nobu restaurants around the globe
including Nobu London and Nobu Berkeley St in London – and next May
will see the opening of the first Nobu hotel and apartments in Israel’s
Herzliya marina.
“The business is doing well,” says Nobu. “People appreciate the food,
the energy and the passion – and now that we have the experience in
restaurants, we want to expand the brand.”
With four books to his name, the sushi master shows no signs of
slowing down. Having designed a limited-edition watch for Rado for
charity, he’s working on a collection for Wedgwood to coincide with the
company’s 250th anniversary next year. And, having recently launched
the Nobu Hospitality Group, he’s in town to promote Nobu London’s
bespoke event service, introduced to meet the growing demand for his
style of catering.
Opened at the Metropolitan hotel in Old Park Lane, Nobu London was
the company’s first European venture, picking up a Michelin star within a
year of starting and attracting a huge celebrity following.
Eleven years on, it is still one of the trendiest places in town. A chic and
stylish décor and gorgeous, designer-clad staff add to its appeal. You may
have to wait to get a table, but once inside you’ll be rubbing shoulders with
pop stars, politicians, supermodels, royalty and film stars.
Boris Becker’s raunchy broom cupboard incident is perhaps the most
infamous story to come out of Nobu London since its launch, but for Nobu
himself, the most memorable moment was meeting Princess Diana.
“I’d never cooked for the British royal family so it was a great honour,”
he says. “She had so much charisma. She said, ‘I’ve read about your story
so I know all about you.’ I was so surprised that Princess Diana knew of
me. I cooked for her and we had our picture taken together. A couple of
months later, she had the car accident and died – I was in New York
watching CNN. I saw it and was shocked.”
Once described by the Zagat Survey as “the man who may be the best
Japanese chef in the world”, Nobu is probably the most famous. On firstname
terms with Hollywood’s elite, he has cooked private dinners for the
Clintons, appeared in a Gap advert photographed by Herb Ritts and has
even acted in the movies Casino, Austin Powers in Goldmember and
Memoirs of a Geisha.
But, while he enjoys and is flattered by his celebrity status, he feels
most comfortable in the kitchen. “The restaurants come first,” he says.
“Cooking is my life – my philosophy is to offer the best food and service.
“I’m very lucky because we have a nice team and everyone has the
same goal – to keep the customer happy. I like to see customers smiling
and laughing.”
Nobu was born in Saitama, Japan, the son of a lumber merchant who
died in a traffic accident when the future chef was just seven years old. A
desire to travel was sparked by a photograph of his father standing proudly
next to a native of Palau, while his professional ambition of becoming a
chef is credited to his mother (“my mentor”) and a visit to a sushi bar with
his brother. He was fascinated by the environment and knew then that he
was destined for a career in the kitchen.
“Other kids dream of being actors, baseball players or musicians, but
my dream was to be a sushi chef,” he says.
After serving a rigorous apprenticeship at a sushi bar in Tokyo, Nobu’s
dream to travel became a reality when he was asked by a customer to
open a sushi bar in Lima, Peru. It was here that Nobu started to create his
signature style, using South American influences, that was to change the
face of Japanese cooking and become the foundation of his success. His
dishes, including the famous black cod with miso, and yellowtail with
jalapeno, have since become iconic and much copied.
“I started doing the black cod more than 25 years ago,” he says. “Noone
knew about it then. Now you can get black cod the world over.”
Three years later, Nobu moved to Argentina, then back to Japan and
on to Alaska where he opened his own restaurant. The restaurant burned
to the ground during one of his nights off, leaving him in debt and feeling
suicidal. But thanks to the love and support of his family, he regained the
strength to carry on. He went to LA and in 1987 opened Matsuhisa in
Beverley Hills. The restaurant became an overnight success and a magnet
for food lovers and celebrities. Perhaps the most significant of those
celebrity meetings was when Robert de Niro strolled in for sushi. It was the
start of Nobu’s long-time friendship and business relationship with the
Hollywood superstar. In 1994, the two opened Nobu in the Tribeca area of
New York to rave reviews.
There is no let-up in the empire’s expansion. Having just opened in
Athens and Dubai and with another restaurant in LA, Nobu is setting his
sights on Cape Town. “Nobu will then be in all five continents,” he says.
He constantly travels the world in search of inspiration. “I like to see
different people, countries, cultures and products.”
Wherever he goes, the local fish market is the first port of call. “I’m
always looking for the best produce,” he says. “I see something new —
then start to create. Sometimes, I’ll see something in my head or in a
dream and say, okay, let’s try this.”
While certain signature dishes appear on every Nobu menu around the
world, each city has its own specialities, using local produce. In London,
for example, the Dover sole is “spectacular,” the scallops good and the
vegetables beautiful, he says.
“There’s a big difference from 10 years ago — London’s restaurant
business is booming, fashionable and exciting, which means we can get a
lot of different products.”
When in town, Nobu says he likes to walk everywhere. “The US doesn’t
have much history apart from in New York City, so when I come to London,
I love looking at the architecture in Mayfair, visiting art galleries and going to
the park. I walk from here to Nobu Berkeley but sometimes take a detour.
It’s a very beautiful location.”
Hiss favourite restaurant in London is Mayfair’s El Pirata. “It’s casual,
simple — and I find tapas so interesting,” he says. He also enjoys Italian,
Greek and Chinese food.
And what of his business partner and friend Robert de Niro? “He likes
to eat (his favourite is the black cod with miso if you were wondering) and
he’s a great actor — but he can’t cook,” laughs Nobu.
“But he’s a good barman and if I go round to his house, he likes to
make a very cold Martini.”
selma@pubbiz.co.uk