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Norma O. Chikiamco - The Philippine Star
April 10, 2025 | 12:00am
He cradled the ball of rice in his palm with the expertise of one who had done this a thousand and one times. As he rolled and shaped the rice, one could sense his feeling of pride and affection, like that of a parent for his child. The rice was the base for his sushi, one dish which multi-awarded chef Nobu Matsuhisa has built his reputation on — and his ever-expanding empire.
The steps for making sushi were printed on cards placed before each work station during the masterclass Nobu conducted at his restaurant in the City of Dreams. It seemed simple enough to follow, yet more important were a few unwritten rules.
First was the importance of washing hands even before one touched a single grain of rice. Not only would this assure food safety, it would also enable one to shape the rice. Otherwise, the rice, already sticky to begin with, will stick like glue on one’s palm, making it difficult to handle. Next step was to dip one’s hands in a bowl of water, to give one a fighting chance in shaping the rice properly.
Nobu discourages the use of gloves when making sushi. You should be able to feel the texture and the shape of the rice, he told the class, thus the use of bare (but totally clean!) hands.
Likewise, eating sushi has its commandments. Nobu says that since there’s already wasabi slathered on the fish, there’s no need to dip the sushi in more wasabi. Moreover, only the fish, and not the rice, should be dipped in soy sauce. The sushi, he adds, should also be eaten in one dainty bite.
Born and raised in Saitama, Japan, Nobu started his career as an apprentice in a respected sushi bar in Tokyo. While growing up, his bedroom was next door to the family kitchen, hence the hum and aroma of food preparation became part of his childhood memories. Choosing to become a chef was a natural progression.
With dreams of seeing the world, Nobu opened a restaurant in Peru in 1973 at age 24. There, he discovered flavors and ingredients that would later play a major role in the development of his Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine. “I found the ingredients and styles worked very well together. Cilantro, aji amarillo, ceviche — these ingredients and techniques helped enhance my dishes,” he says.
Other restaurants soon followed: one in Argentina, another in Alaska, before he settled down in Los Angeles to open his now revered restaurant, Matsuhisa, in 1987. The restaurant became a magnet for Hollywood celebrities, including famous actor/director Robert de Niro.
Impressed by the cuisine, De Niro urged him to open a restaurant in partnership with him in New York. Nobu demurred, feeling he wasn’t ready for such a major undertaking. After four years De Niro again asked him about opening a restaurant. “I was so surprised he waited and had been so patient,” Nobu recalls. “Because of this, I knew I could trust him and agreed to open Nobu in New York.”
Since then, Nobu has expanded globally, with over 55 restaurants in cities as diverse as Hong Kong, London, and Perth. In Manila, Nobu restaurant, which is located in the City of Dreams, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
“I am lucky to have a very talented team that looks for opportunities for new locations,” he says. His original restaurant Matsuhisa now likewise has branches worldwide. He has also catered in eponymous events such as the Golden Globes, and has acted in three major Hollywood films.
At the luncheon following our masterclass, we were served his signature dish: yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño, yuzu soy and cilantro. True to form, it reflected Peruvian influence on a Japanese dish. The yellowtail sashimi’s citrusy undertones and mild spiciness had innuendos of being ceviche, too.
Another signature dish was the black cod miso. Marinated in miso paste, sake and mirin, the black cod was laid hanging across a bamboo leaf, as if it had just been freshly caught. The cod’s lush, buttery flavor was enhanced by a sweet-salty glace, but lest one gets overwhelmed by its richness, there’s hajikami to cleanse the palate in between bites. Tucked on the bamboo leaf, this zesty pickled sprout tasted like ginger in its primeval form, fresh, simple, earthy.
Also reflecting Peruvian influence, the dry-aged US prime ribeye yakimono was imbued with the bold, vibrant flavors of anticucho, a sauce made with aji amarillo, vinegar, herbs and spices.
As we finished the lunch with a scoop of creamy whisky cappuccino, Nobu gamely posed with his team and members of the media. Always, his calm demeanor was punctuated by graciousness and a beatific smile, as if he were in a state of Zen. After all the years of dedicated work and tremendous success, it’s an admirable state to be.
