여기는호주입니다 Nobu in Oz

[Danny KIM in Melbourne]

International super chef Nobu Matuhisa’s restaurant juggernaut comes to Melbourne with its first southern outpost opening at Crown.

Nobu: four letters that represent the strongest single-word brand in the world of fine food. A word synonymous with progressive cooking, glamorous dining, a global empire of restaurants and, of course, sushi of the highest order. If you’re not that familiar with the mane, you may have seen it associated in the glossies with the celebrities who flock to the flagship Nobu restaurants in New York and London, as well as those around the word. Perhaps you’re seen the name closely associated with that of actor Robert de Niro, an original investor in the New York mother ship (indeed, you may recognise Nobu himself acting alongside de Niro in Martin Scorse’s Casino, among other film roles).

If you’re a little more versed in your study of continent striding super chefs, you probably know Nobu the man id Nobu Matsuhisa, a Japanese-born chef who, like many Japanese citizens, spent time in Peru (indeed, such is the Japanese connection that the Peruvian media is full of wonderfully Nippo-south American names such as former president Alberto Fujimori and writer Jose Watanabe). Running a restaurant catering to his fellow countrymen in Peru, Nobu was unable to find many of the ingredients he needed, and began to supplement his classical repertoire with local spices and produce.

After a couple of attempts in Buenos Aires and Alaska, Nobu found his niche in
Los Angeles, founding the successful Matsuhisa restaurant in 1987. To quote the LA times restaurant critic, s. Irene Virbila, “Matsuhisa’s new-style sashimi, with warm olive oil poured over the raw fish, was a sensation.

Angelenos swooned over yellowtail sashimi garnished with rings of fiery red pepper. He cut squid to look like pasta and tossed it in garlic and butter… And with stars waiting in line for a seat in the inner sanctum, sushi was suddenly glamorous.”

It was a hit, and it was here that he first met de Niro, and though the actor urged the chef to consider moving east, it wasn’t until 1994 that they opened Nobu, with restaurateur partner Drew Nieporent, in the then-emerging Tribeca district.
The staggering success of that restaurant - much of it due to Nobu’s unique fusion of Japanese and South American favours and technique – is now the stuff of restaurant legend. Nobu’s innovations changed the way Japanese food was perceived around the world, and dishes such as the rock shrimp with spicy mayonnaise, tuna tartare on crushed avocado and his signature miso-marinated black cod are bona-fide modern classics, having brought big flavours and contemporary style to the sushi bar. Acclaimed Sydney sushi chef Shaun Presland spent the past year working at Nobu in the Bahamas, and says it was eating at Nobu in New York years ago that changed the way he thought about Japanese food. “I think Nobu has succeeded by making traditional Japanese methods and flavours more user-friendly to the Western palate (an educating process), constantly creating ingenious new twists on both Japanese and non-Japanese dishes, and he has behind him a devoted following of both staff and diners,” Presland says. “He really is a champ, with super-rock star status, yet is one of the most humble people you could ever want to meet.”

Now, 12 restaurants and three continents later, the Nobu show id finally coming to Australia [as we went to press Nobu Melbourne was due to open early July]. Nobu Melbourne is the latest jewel adorning Crown’s slice of culinary perfection on the “Yarra alongside Rockpool Bar & Grill and soon to be joined by ventures from Maurizio Terzini and Guillaume Brahimi. We spoke to Nobu Matsuhisa on the eve of his Australian opening.

Why do you think your restaurants have been such a success?
I have a great kitchen and management team who help with the openings and have enabled us to grow worldwide. We strive for good food and good service and I travel around the globe to maintain that quality. I talk to my staff often so they know what my philosophy is.

Could you tell us a little more about your experience of South America and how that influenced your cooking?
My background is Japanese and sushi and Nobu-style cuisine started with me incorporating Peruvian and South American spices and ingredients into basic Japanese food. Over time, it’s become all sorts of influences from Europe and Asia as well. I believe food is like fashion, ever-evolving. I like to combine ingredients form all over with Japanese cuisine and create dishes that are fashionable, fun to look at, and great tasting.

How do you like Australia?
I’ve come here a few times and think that Australian produce, such as its seafood, is great. The wines here are wonderful, too. Knowing that all these ingredients are available, I feel very comfortable opening here.

Why Melbourne?
Here in Melbourne we met this great partner, James Packer, who really understands the Nobu concept, and I also personally love the city.

What’s Nobu Melbourne going to be like?
It’s designed by [internationally-acclaimed architect] David Rockwell, like many of our other restaurant; the bar is downstairs and upstairs is the restaurant. I want it to be a place that’s fun and full of energy like my other restaurants.

Who’s going to be running the restaurant?
Australians Ben Jager (ex-Stokehouse) and Scott Hallasworth were at our London restaurant and are heading up the management and kitchen teams respectively, with support from our Nobu London team who will help out with the opening and until the restaurant are running smoothly. Obviously I will be overseeing it.

What do you think we should order?
My signature dish; start with some cold dishes from the sushi bar, then some hat dishes form the kitchen, and end with sushi. Let the server guide you.

What was the last great thing that you ate?
At Nobu Tokyo now we are serving fresh dried fish (dried overnight only) that we get from Oita Prefecture [in the south of Japan] and grill in a stone oven. It’s my favourite thing.
Do you have a favourite Nobu or Matsuhisa restaurant?
They are all part of my family and I love them all, but Matsuhisa Beverly hills is where I started and it’s where I’m most comfortable.

Where is Nobu going next?
We are opening in Waikiki in May, then Melbourne, then Los Angeles and San Diego. Next year we have Doha and Capetown.

We loved you in Casino - any more film roles on the horizon?
Did you miss me in Austin Powers: Golsmember and Memoirs of a Geisha? I had small parts in those movies. Let me know if you have a part for me in an Australian movie, I would love to do it!

Nobu Melbourne, Riverside at Crown, Southbank, Vic, (03) 9696 6566
www.nobu.com.

[세계요리사]

무슨영어내용인지 통 모르겟네요 ;;;

[FirstCook]

내용 전부의 이해보다는 이 문구에 대한 이해만 올바로 한다면 이해가 빠를 거 같습니다.

I like to combine ingredients form all over with Japanese cuisine and create dishes that are fashionable, fun to look at, and great tasting.

답변이 명쾌한 지는 모르겠지만, 읽어 보시면 대강 내용이 이해 될 거라 생각되내요.

[밥과국]

내용이 참 좋네요^^

[락곰이]

여기가 미국인가욤? 한국사람이 왜 한국 카페에서 영어를 쓰신담 ㅡ.ㅡㅋ 무슨 뜻인지도 모르겠지만 불쾌하네요..