Perhaps not everyone knows what to say Nobu is one of the best chefs in sushi of the world. From Japan to Peru to the United States, his is a long apprenticeship made up of courage and charisma, which leads him today to have an empire of restaurants and hotels on 5 continents. A story also made of lucky encounters with people who believed in his abilities, like chef Nishimura, pioneer of Japanese cuisine in Los Angeles who entrusted him with the sushi bar, Robert De Niro, with which he entered into society, up to the far-sighted stylist Giorgio Armani, which houses its only Italian restaurant in the Armani building in Milan. And this is where the exclusive was held sushi class, but before sinking my hands into the warm rice, it was a pleasure to learn more about this living legend.
The interview
Mr. Nobu, he opened the first restaurant in 1987 in Los Angeles: how has the menu proposal changed in recent years? In the 47 Nobu restaurants around the world we offer a basic menu, enriched with special dishes. While on one hand the basic offer remains the same for every place, on the other are the unique dishes prepared with local ingredients to give the spark – such as, for example, the Conch in the Bahamas (n.d.r. typical local crustacean) with a light garlic sauce. Also following the season, in Italy I love to add the chicory or wild strawberries for desserts. In this season, there are tuna and prawns. Twenty years ago when we opened in Milan it was much more difficult to have fresh fish to serve raw, and customers also asked for tempura and teriyaki chicken. Today the demand for raw fish is well established, also thanks to the quality of the product used.
Could you define your relationship with Mr. De Niro and Mr. Armani with an adjective and explain why? Legends. I come from Japan, if I think of Italian fashion, in Milan, the immediate reference is Mr. Armani. He is the very image of the city, Milan is Armani. The same goes for Mr. De Niro. There are so many actors and so many young actresses good on Hollywood or even of his generation, he is still the legend.
Is it more difficult to satisfy a celebrity at the table or the everyday customer? Since I opened my first restaurant, I have never made any difference to the customer to serve. Whether the restaurant is small with few seats or larger, the kitchen remains the same. Our customers trust in the quality offered by Nobu, even if they ask for a last minute service we have no problems, the proposal is always the same. You come to the restaurant to eat high quality products with excellent service, that's my mission.
Is there a dish that he loves to eat when he comes to Italy? Do you ever prepare Italian dishes for you and your family? Of course, often linked to the season. For example, when I come to Milan at the end of September for fashion week, I love to eat a very simple and tasty dish: risotto with parmesan and white truffle. At home, I love cooking spaghetti. I think there is a lot of affinity between Japanese cuisine and Italian cuisine – take the sea bass, cut it and cook it differently but the base is the same.
From the cameo in Casino (1995) wanted by Robert De Niro, his cinematographic experiences follow one another: Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and The Girl from Nagasaki (2013). It's been years now, would you like to return to the set? It was Mr. De Niro who invited me to the set, it was a great experience. He is a great actor, a great partner in business and a great friend. Now I also know how to act, but he still doesn't know how to cook! However I prefer to stay in the kitchen rather than on the movie set.
Nearly 50 restaurants on 5 continents and a hotel empire, the beginnings as a sushi chef in Peru, the experiences in Hollywood and so much more: have you ever thought about making a film about your life? Actually, the proposals have arrived, but my world remains the kitchen. Maybe one day it will happen, maybe when I'm gone, for now I prefer to stay in my environment.
What is your next project or dream? I wish to continue to grow Nobu family. In every restaurant, there is a team that works hard to maintain high quality, they work on my behalf so it's right that I stay close to each of them. I prefer not to open new restaurants, I travel 10 months a year around the world just to give them the maximum support.
The sushi class
All lined up with tight black aprons at the waist, exclusivity sushi class held by the coach Nobu in person it is an event that I would not have wanted to miss for anything in the world. Although I am not a great cook even in Italian cuisine, I am certainly a lover of good food and drink with reverent respect for those who put in cooking imagination and passion. Nobu Matsuhisa is a legendary character as his friends De Niro and Armani, a special person who is traveling 10 months a year to visit his restaurants with just the mission to keep the quality of his cuisine alive, a goal that has been focused on all these years. Cooking with a smile is his priority, as he recounted in his autobiography published by HarperCollins, and to be able to see for himself his radiance and genius really gives an enormous satisfaction.
With the support of the resident chef Antonio D’Angelo and the Japanese brigade of the Armani / Nobu, the chef Nobu directed as a conductor an symphony made of fresh fish, wasabi and rice, including nice jokes and precise instructions. Its cuisine of origin wisely mixed with local products focuses on the goal of surprising with taste, it is proof of it.Novelli Spinach Salad with Dry Miso and Truffle Oil and Parmesan 24 months. With the clear task of cooking for all his clients, Nobu told the genesis of his delicacy New Style Sashimi Salmon: for a client who had refused to eat raw fish, she changed the tradition by heating a mix of extra virgin olive oil and sesame oil at very high temperature so that by pouring it on the salmon it burns naturally – a success that is part of the basic menu. Among the skilled hands of chef Nobu it is a moment to prepare the Amberjack Sashimi with Jalapeño, as well as a simple but not trivial California Roll with his method Six Steps which seems to be a magician's routine.
From this experience, here are the 5 tips to share with all sushi lovers:
1 The quality of the base product must be very fresh as well as the speed of preparation for an optimal result – even better if you eat directly at the counter to shorten the time between preparation and consumption.
2 When preparing, the secret is to use all the fingers with passion, with the heart, and not the bamboo mat to get a real handroll.
3 It is important not to press the rice too hard, you must see the light passing through the beans to capture the air necessary for its softness.
4 Don't add too much wasabi to soy sauce because it is already on the fish, it would make it too strong and it would increase the thirst, besides giving discomfort to the stomach.
5 Use your hands to eat sushi like a real Japanese: just quickly dip the piece on the side of the fish (and not the rice) to enjoy it in one bite!
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