Nobu Names the Secrets to 30+ Years of Success

Even on the gloomiest day in not-so-scenic but nonetheless beachy New Jersey, the view from Nobu in Caesars Atlantic City is a bright spot. Hours ago, I returned from an unplanned meal at the closest restaurant that was open for lunch in the off season as chef Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa arrived, marching through the lobby with his team in tow. I feel very relieved about my dinner plans.

Now I’m looking out over the near-gray ocean with a Rainforest Cafe sign in my peripheral vision as Matsuhisa fights jet lag to answer my questions from across a table with the best view on the property. The first thing he does upon arrival at his more than 50 restaurants around the world is greet the team and check the fridge to assess the ingredients.

“The teams are like my kids,” he says. “I like to see my kids first. Then it’s very exciting to see my customers.”

He’s sincere. I arrive at a private event after our chat to find Matsuhisa posing with each guest at a step-and-repeat, genuinely beaming to welcome them, jet lag overcome. I’m reminded of the first time we'd met at a sushi making event in 2016, when the world-famous chef was just as accommodating in a photo with me.

“Smiling makes the guests happy,” he says. “I always say that walking into a restaurant and seeing all the guests smiling, and hearing the sound of laughter and good times, is the best feeling. When I see happy faces, I know we have done well.”

Matsuhisa first began making celebrities happy at his original namesake restaurant in Beverly Hills in 1987. There he was named a 1989 F&W Best New Chef among the likes of David Bouley, Gary Danko, and Susan Spicer. Actor Robert De Niro became a regular at the sushi spot and, according to Nobu: A Memoir, spent years trying to convince the chef from Tokyo to open an outpost in New York. Matsuhisa eventually gave in, saying proving his concept in Los Angeles gave him confidence that, “People would be willing to try sushi and Japanese food.”

In 1994, Nobu debuted in Manhattan’s Meatpacking district, winning the 1995 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. In her two-star New York Times review, Ruth Reichl wrote, “Hollywood has invaded Manhattan disguised as a Japanese restaurant,” explaining that Matsuhisa’s inventive style, influenced by time he spent cooking in Peru, was not traditional Japanese. The chef’s fusion went on to win the James Beard Award for Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America in 2002.

Sustaining that fame for another decade, Matsuhisa and De Niro debuted their first Nobu hotel at Caesars Palace Las Vegas in 2013. The hospitality that the restaurants are known for translated to luxury accommodations, and the brand has expanded to 18 global destinations, including Atlantic City, where Nobu opened in 2022.

“Our expansion into hotels has played a major part in the brand staying relevant. It has allowed us to open in some of the most amazing cities around the world,” Matsuhisa reflects. “In the restaurant, people are spending a few hours eating, drinking, in a beautiful surrounding with excellent service." 

But in a hotel, he continues, "There are more team members, more points of service, more time. I think we have been successful because we make experiences for people that they remember for a long time after they leave.”

When the chef himself has to be elsewhere, his teams maintain the standards that have built the brand’s reputation, and Matsuhisa relies on communication. His corporate chefs train the team at each new opening for months.

“Restaurants are very simple: good food, good teams and locations,” he says, and his evident pride and gratitude are a big part of why his employees remain loyal. “Many people have been with me for 20 years or more. We promote from within. Dishwashers, bussers, waiters, prep cooks become executive chefs and managers. Just like a family, it grows. This kind of teamwork is vital to our success.”

Chef Masaharu Morimoto began his venerable career working at the first Nobu in 1994. “I had the opportunity of working alongside chef Nobu as his executive chef,” says the fellow restaurateur. “I learned a lot about how to merge traditional Japanese techniques with Peruvian ingredients, which is something that has influenced and inspired my own cooking style. Every day I worked with chef Nobu, I remember it being a new challenge, but a good one. It helped me to shape my approach to innovation in the kitchen.”

While Matsuhisa has signature dishes that have stood the test of time, like the Black Cod with Miso that you’ve surely seen on menus at Nobu or non-Nobu restaurants, he says it’s the local products that shine at each location — something his team researches extensively with each new investment offer.

And though the restaurants are far-flung, they share the company's core values. “Our concept has always been to provide our guests with good food using quality ingredients, with exceptional service in a beautifully designed and welcoming space,” Matsuhisa says. “Our idea of hospitality and use of quality ingredients is universal.”

The ingredients distinguish the sashimi, sushi, tempura, and noodles at each Nobu, with dishes like Sea Scallop Tiradito and Beef Tenderloin with Spicy Latin Sauces.

“I am very proud that my food has helped to spread Japanese cuisine and culture around the world,” Matsuhisa says, and he has no intention of stopping anytime soon.“Never stop, never go back, never give up.”