By Alfonso Corona and Isa Traverso-BurgerNobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa has written two popular books, participated in the film industry and is partners with the famous Robert De Niro. But this enchanting Japanese Chef is an icon thanks to his restaurants: NOBU, which blend traditional dishes from his home country with South American ingredients. His first food haven, launched in 1987, is Matsuhisa, which is in Beverly Hills, California. Since then, he has gone a long way with his exquisite creations: New York, Las Vegas, Dallas, Milan, Tokyo, Malibu, London, Aspen and Miami Beach. Nobu, with his characteristic accent, spoke to Distrikt about his life, his taste buds, his goal on making people happy and the importance of being healthy to benefit those around you.
Where were you born?
I was born in Saitama, Japan; but I lived in Tokyo.
What did you study?
I graduated high school, and then went to a sushi restaurant; my generation was not much into sushi school. I started as a dishwasher, busboy, filleting fish, and then waiter.
What anecdote made you decide to make sushi?
I mention it in the cookbook. I was 11 or 12 years old, my brother and I went to a sushi restaurant but when you’re a kid it’s very expensive and there are so many varieties. Once I got there, I was intrigued by the art and liked the nice smell immediately, so I decided to be a Chef. I studied in a sushi school but I wanted to become a Master Chef. Cooking is not only food on a plate, it has another side too where the chef makes a restaurant business for the customer.
What stage of your life are you at?
There are a lot of people that congratulate me for my life, but truth is that I’m here now because my staff works to support my business. Everything, WE DID, it’s not that I did. The next step for me is: I have to support them and make them successful.
What’s your favorite dish?
I’m a Chef; I eat it all. I’m Japanese; I love Japanese food like steamed rice, grilled fish. If I go to a restaurant I love French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese cuisine, shellfish... I like meat also. I eat almost eve- rything except strange things, like Chinese people, they eat monkeys and snakes, it’s not me. Mostly I like seafood.
What are you reading right now?
The last book I read was Da Vinci Code, now the movie is coming out and my customer, Tom Hanks, is acting. I watch movies a lot and I like to be quiet.
What kind of movies do you like?
It’ s funny, I fly about every four days, from LA to Tokyo, Tokyo to Lon- don, Tokyo to NY, etc. I watch a lot of movies in the plane; De Niro and other celebrities often invite me to premieres and screenings so I never pay for movies (laughs).
Which is your most difficult plate?
My cooking is simple. Fresh fish, vegetables, meats, everything is fresh so nothing is complicated, it’s my way, and I don’t want to make difficult I want to make simple.
What is your best plate?
I love ‘Tiradito’, the fresh fish, cilantro, lemon, Japanese citron because in America lemon is sweeter, Iuzur is a little bit sour which I mix with lemon juice. I use soy sauce and wasabi, and sea salt.
What would you like to eat right now?
(Thinking) Today I woke up and started cooking for a demonstration, so nothing, I don’t want to eat right now. I feel very uncomfortable to rush it, so I don’t eat hamburgers, hotdogs, chips. I like to sit down and take my time enjoying a meal.
What would you like to be doing in ten years?
I never think ahead, ten years; I do my best every year, but if I have to say something, it would be to make my staff more successful and my family happy. I want to try as much as possible to make people around me, happy. I don’t know how many people I can support but I want to help as many as I can.
If you could ask people in the world to do one thing, what would you ask? To keep themselves healthy. You need good health to create happiness.
What’s your biggest accomplishment regarding food?
I am a very lucky person; so far we have 14 or 15 res- taurants. My staff is like family. Robert De Niro (his partner) gave me a chance to appear in movies, and to advertise for Gap T-Shirts. But cooking is my life, I am most comfortable inside the kitchen, movies and TV are not my job (laughs). I like to watch people smiling and laughing, this moment is the happiest time for me. Business-wise with food, I’m lucky because I’m not worried about the profits. I am only thinking about the customers being happy. Most restaurants worry about the profit, I look for customer satisfaction. I’m a very lucky man.
When do you have time for socializing?
I have my own sushi bar; I invite family and friends of mine, once or twice a year. I make sushi for them in my own counter, at my house. During hot days I have an Udobani oven for outside dining like barbecue, chicken, potatoes, champagne.
Respond to the following words:
Love is: To give, not to take. I give to anybody, but most people look to take. If I have money, I give a chance if they need it, and I give it. It’s my way.
Life is: Busy. I’m traveling every 3 or 4 days to different cities and countries but I chose this job, I started when I was 18 years old. This is my life. Sometimes it makes me tired but I don’t want to have any excuse.
Money is: Very important but it can make you angry, greedy, stupid and sometimes it can be big help. It’s important not to keep it; it has to be used. I give it to someone and automatically, it comes back to me.
Food is: Very important because people have to eat, not necessarily gourmet everyday but, food makes people happy.
Power: It’s very difficult to try and be the best, it comes from patience; it also comes deep from within, you have to be clean. Have heart, body, and health, be clean and make people happy.
Give us your tip on how to achieve happiness.
Appreciate others; People can heal from that. I have two kids, I have responsibilities towards my kids and my family, it’s very im- portant to try my best to help them and to help other people, it’s my philosophy to always try my best.
