Nobu: Building an Empire
I think many of us have watched “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” about the sushi master who exemplifies manic obsession & craftsmanship. A documentary which shows what it takes to be the best at whatever it is you do. It’s inspiring to say the least.
So when I saw that Nobu had a documentary I had to see it. Not just a sushi chef but a business man who has built a literal culinary empire and who has reshaped global cuisine through it. Nobuyuki Matsuhisa is a legend. He is one of the great chefs in the world.
“I started thinking food is like fashion.”
But he has not only built a luxury food brand, he has built a hospitality empire too. “In this life, I want to make everybody around me as happy as I possibly can.”
He shows the obsession and attention to detail that only the Japanese can do. He spends 10 months of the year traveling the world, checking out all the restaurants and making sure things are up to his high standards. Doing it his way. Trying to maintain and keep up the culture.
It’s a reminder that if you run a business or large organization, you have to visit the frontline all the time. To see what is truly happening far away from HQ. The coal face as they say. That is where the reality lies.
We also learn he lost his father when he was very young and this trauma led to him growing up fast. His brother said: “Since Nobu is very sensitive it must have left a mark in his heart.”
It also made him adventurous, as he said: “so traveling and going to another country has always been one of my dreams.”
“Being young is like feeling completely fearless and filled with so much hope.”
“He always was a free spirit.” He got in a driving accident, got put on probation, and got kicked out of school. But he never gave up his dream to be a sushi chef and he started working at a sushi restaurant around 17 or 18 years old. 3 years later he started learning how to make sushi as an apprentice. He even takes a job as sushi chef in Lima, Peru where he gets exposed to other ingredients and kinds of food.
“I realized “Oh, there are different ways of doing things. From then on, my cooking ideas became a lot more open minded. My cooking started to change because they meet the different cultures of food combined.” Peru, Japan, Alaska, then Los Angeles. The rest is history.
“He explored the perspectives of the whole world, using Peru as the starting point.”
The documentary is worth watching. Overcoming many setbacks & failures in his business, even losing his best friend to suicide. Yet, still cooking with his heart to catch his dream.
“Nobu created his own world, just like Picasso created his own style of painting.”
Total food porn. I kind of want to eat some good sushi now!