Nobuyuki Matsuhisa

The Recognition The 1993 New York Times selection placed the Beverly Hills restaurant among a global short list, before the larger restaurant group became the public face of his name. In 1995, the James Beard Foundation awarded Nobu Best New Restaurant, one year after he opened it in New York City with Robert De Niro and Drew Nieporent. Michelin recognition followed across two cities: Michelin Guide awarded Nobu London One Michelin Star in 1997, and awarded Matsuhisa Beverly Hills One Michelin Star in 2007. Those honors attach to specific rooms, not abstractions. They trace a line from a chef working in Beverly Hills to restaurants recognized by major American, British, and international dining institutions.

The Work

Behind It Born on March 10, 1949, in Saitama, Japan, Matsuhisa is Japanese, and his specialty is Japanese cuisine and Japanese-Peruvian cuisine. The food most closely associated with him is direct in form and memorable in detail: Black Cod Miso and New Style Sashimi are signature dishes born at the original Matsuhisa restaurant. The list of influential dishes also includes black cod with miso, spicy tuna crispy rice, yellowtail jalapeño, and rock shrimp tempura with yuzu juice and soy sauce. Their names have become part of the practical vocabulary of his restaurants: fish, rice, chile, citrus, soy, and temperature used with precision rather than ornament. His own description of the work is spare: "I’m a craftsman and I want to use high-quality ingredients and offer the finest service." Reduced further, the essentials are just as exacting: "A good sharp knife, the freshest fish and good quality rice."

The Road Matsuhisa opened Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills, California, and has been its chef from 1987 to the present. That original restaurant is where Black Cod Miso and New Style Sashimi were born, and it remains the place most directly tied to the early public recognition of his cooking. The next major expansion came in 1994, when he opened Nobu in New York City with Robert De Niro and Drew Nieporent. A year later, the James Beard Foundation named it Best New Restaurant, giving the new address national recognition almost immediately. From there, the restaurant name moved across continents while the accolades stayed specific. London received Michelin recognition in 1997; Beverly Hills received Michelin recognition in 2007. Across that arc, the durable fact is his role: chef proprietor and owner of Nobu and Matsuhisa restaurants, with a Beverly Hills kitchen tenure that runs from 1987 to the present.