Nobu: Japanese chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa to open Sydney restaurant at Crown
International fine dining empire and celebrity hot spot Nobu is coming to Sydney, to a location chef Nobu Matsuhisa told The Daily Telegraph will be one of their best locations yet.
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Nobu is one of the world’s best-known names in luxury fine dining.
And this year, the famed New York-born restaurant group will finally opening its doors to Sydneysiders in a location at the under construction Crown at Barangaroo.
Having begun life in 1994 as a Big Apple celebrity hangout – Robert De Niro was an early backer and remains a partner in the global business – the Nobu empire now spans five continents.
The restaurants are known as much for their “sceney” decadence as for artfully fusing Japanese and Peruvian flavours and chef-restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa says the Sydney location will be one of the best in the world.
“Crown Sydney is an incredible location for me – set on one of the world’s most famous harbours,” Matsuhisa told The Daily Telegraph in an exclusive interview.
“To have that view to work with is incredible – it’s one of the most picturesque locations of any of my Nobus.
“For any city we open in, what matters to me the most is that my guests are happy. I know we’ve done what we set out to do when guests leave with a smile on their faces and come back for more.”
Like the venue, the final menu offering is still under construction.
Whatever the final line-up of dishes, Harbour City gourmands shouldn’t worry that they will miss out on classics that have made Matsuhisa a first-name phenomenon around the globe since the Japanese-born chef moved to America after a detour to Peru. He confirmed that world famous signature dishes such as Black Miso Cod and Yellowtail Jalapeno will be on the menu.
The rest of the restaurant’s offerings will be a combination of familiar Nobu favourites mixed with local flavours based on Australian produce, which he told The Daily Telegraph is “some of the best available.”
“We try to make sure each Nobu is unique but with common threads that ensure that no matter where you are in the world, you feel very much that you are at Nobu,” Matsuhisa said, reflecting on the need to ensure that every one of his restaurants feels unique to the place where it sits.
“In all of the cities we open in, we want to reflect that city, its produce, the local suppliers as well as the unique trends of that part of the world. Sydney will be no different.”
Crown Chief Operating Officer Peter Crinis said securing such a well-known name was a coup for the city.
“Today’s announcement is really exciting news … it’s a restaurant that is found in most major global cities.
“The food fits Sydney perfectly – it’s fresh, light and complex flavours will work incredibly well in a market that has long embraced Japanese food.”
Nobu will join a line-up of high-profile chefs, including Michelin-star restaurateur Clare Smyth and others yet to be announced, when Crown opens its doors to the public in December 2020.