The master of innovative Japanese cuisine, simply known as Nobu, was recently in Hongkong for the soft opening of his 17th outlet – NOBU InterContinental Hongkong. He shares with Julian Tan a different way of savouring sashimi.
You’re constantly surrounded by good food – do you ever watch your weight?
Food tasting is part of my job as a chef and this includes eating all sorts of rich food like foie gras and caviar. I’m always concerned with my health. I spend at least an hour every morning on stretching exercises. I take a balanced diet and supplements like amino acid.
Do you ever get nervous cooking for famous people?
I trust my cooking and they trust me; I’m never nervous.
What kind of meal would you prepare for, say, Tony Blair or George Bush?
Tony Blair comes to NOBU London. I have cooked for Bill Clinton and George Bush Senior. Nothing special; it’s the same quality food and same style of cooking.
I saw Princess Diana a couple of months before the accident in 1997. I was not nervous, but rather, I was so excited to see her. Do you know what she said to me? She said: “Mr Nobu, I know you, I read about you in the magazines.”
How do you psyche yourself before you cook?
That’s why I do stretching exercises every morning. I like to keep the motivation high. I’m concerned about the food, the customers, and I’m always thinking. I cook with all my heart.
What turns you off at the dining table?
[He picks up a pair of chopsticks and starts hitting the table’s edge.] The sound of chopsticks hitting the table. Too much noise.
Should people, then, eat quietly and appreciate their food?
No, not necessarily quietly. I like to see people talking, laughing, joking and enjoying their time.
How have your travels influenced your cooking style?
Peruvians use a lot of chilli, garlic and olive oil, while in France and Italy, they use truffle, foie gras and caviar. In Japanese cooking, we never use chilli, garlic and olive oil. I learned a lot from the food cultures of other countries.
NOBU’s cooking style is basically Japanese with North and South American influences.
I use sashimi with chilli paste and it has to be best-quality sashimi. We normally eat sashimi with soya sauce and wasabi – but I learned in Peru to eat sashimi with chilli paste, sea salt and lemon juice, which gives a different flavour.
What new culinary experiments would you like to explore?
I find out about the fish before I start thinking about how to use it. It excites me to see new produce, only then I’ll start creating new dishes.
You have opened 17 restaurants in 13 cities around the world and still counting.
From chefs to managers to waiters and dishwashers, I say to them: welcome to the NOBU family. I have to take care of my staff and make sure they are happy.
What’s your favourite pastime outside the kitchen?
Because I see so many people every day, I enjoy quiet moments like reading a book. I just finished reading The Da Vinci Code. I read anything, from Japanese novels to fiction and non-fiction to love stories.
How do you keep fit?
Besides stretching exercises, I also play golf, cycle and work out on the treadmill at home. I take hot baths before my morning regimen. When people get old, their joints and muscles become tight, I want to be always flexible.
With your busy schedule, do you manage to go away for holiday?
I live in the US (Beverly Hills) and Japan, for me, is my vacation. My second house in Japan is in (the hot spring resort of) Hakone, an hour away from Tokyo.
There’s a natural hot spring in my house. I go there and relax for a couple days.
What won’t you leave home without?
Phone, vitamins, swimming pants (sic).
Who or what has had the greatest impact on your life?
My mentor Mr Nakane. I met him when I was 18, working in a sushi restaurant in Tokyo. He taught me how to pick good fish, how to slice fish, how to make sushi rice, how to make sushi, how to talk to customers. He died a few months ago. If I hadn’t met him, I would never be here. The other person is my mum.
With whom would you have your last meal?
My wife, of course. We’ve been married for 33 years.
