Nobu: A Memoir

by Nobu Matsuhisa

A fascinating and unique memoir by the acclaimed celebrity chef and international restaurateur, Nobu, as he divulges both his dramatic life story and reflects on the philosophy and passion that has made him one of the world’s most widely respected Japanese fusion culinary artists.

Nobu needs no introduction. One of the world’s most widely acclaimed restaurateurs, his influence on food and hospitality can be found at the highest levels of haute-cuisine to the food trucks you frequent during the work week—this is the Nobu that the public knows.

But now, we are finally introduced to the private Nobu: the man who failed three times before starting the restaurant that would grow into an empire; the man who credits the love and support of his wife and children as the only thing keeping him from committing suicide when his first restaurant burned down; and the man who values the busboy who makes sure each glass is crystal clear as highly as the chef who slices the fish for Omakase perfectly.

What makes Nobu special, and what made him famous, is the spirit of what exists on these pages. He has the traditional Japanese perspective that there is great pride to be found in every element of doing a job well—no matter how humble that job is. Furthermore, he shows us repeatedly that success is as much about perseverance in the face of adversity as it is about innate talent.

Not just for serious foodies, this inspiring memoir is perfect for fans of Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Danny Meyer’s Setting the Table. Nobu’s writing does what he does best—it marries the philosophies of East and West to create something entirely new and remarkable.

Genres: Memoir, Biography, Nonfiction, Food, Japan, Biography Memoir, Cooking

224 pages, Hardcover

Published November 7, 2017

Reviews

[Melcat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a nice little book about the memoirs of Nobu Matshuhida, celebrity chef and restaurateur and the founder of the Japanese Fusion empire Nobu.

His positive energy and humility are inspiring, he is clearly a born leader and teacher first. I enjoyed learning a bit more about how he came to be as successful as he is now (a long time partnership with Robert de Niro, how is that not in a movie yet?)

You can't deny that he is passionate about what he does, his drive is remarkable and that bright smile is adorable. What more can I say ?

I could not stop thinking about food the whole time I was reading it. Be prepared.

[Lisa Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love that the Japanese title of this memoir translates to "The Smiling Faces of My Guests Mean Everything." That seems perfect!

I picked this up because I thought it would be a quick read, but I ended up really enjoying his take on persevering through life's adversities, the importance of friendship, of having humility as a leader, and so many other pearls of wisdom, like: "Just a simple bowl of noodles can move a person's heart."

Inspiring and enjoyable.

[gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The journey of Nobu’s humble beginnings and later his claim to a hotel and restaurant empire which bears his name. A feel good read summarized by a quote from the book: “As long as you have passion, no detour is painful”. Also an interesting peek into the restaurant industry - a great menu will fail if not supported by a solid business model and equally as passionate partners.

[Maggie Smardo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this for the most part. I liked learning the backstory for some of the iconic dishes I was familiar with. Definitely made some good points in here.

Might have to stop at Nobu tomorrow 🤔

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was a short memoir about Nobu Matsuhisa, sushi chef who started with Matsuhis restaurant in Los Angeles, and has built a small empire of Nobu restaurants along with business partners (mainly Robert de Niro). There was just a small amount of information about his personal life as a child and I wish he would have written more about that. The bulk of the book detailed how he knew he wanted to be a sushi chef and the trials of getting to the United States and opening his successful Matsuhisa. He takes great pride in everything that goes on in all of the restaurants - from the food and sake, down to the dishes and how the food is placed on the dishes when served to guests. His goal is to always make his customers happy. He is not afraid to try new ways to make sushi - using ingredients grown in the country where each Nobu restaurant is located. He is a strict boss who knows how he wants his restaurants run; but at the same time he takes time with his staff, from the chefs all the way down to the dish washers, teaching them, cooking with them, helping them to become better.

They are now building Nobu hotels around the world.

I picked this book up because I have eaten at 2 of his restaurants. The food is amazing and the service was unmatched.

[Marlo Mangilin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring to read and learn about Nobu's journey towards success! Lots of life lessons served - I like the piece meal approach - little sections within each chapter much like little bites of sushi which leaves you changed and amazed with the simplicity of the dish (his story) creating a lasting impact (his learnings).

Able to culminate this read with a recent visit to Nobu Sydney to celebrate our daughter's study milestone and I am pleased to see brought to life the Nobu philosophy for food, ambience, and service that he talked about in his book! I am a life long fan indeed, Mr. Nobu Matshuhisa!

[Nanditha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, heartwarming, and from the heart. Just like the person himself.

[Andrew Reighard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice read and a nice story about never giving up. I just wish the English version kept the original Japanese title: The Smiling Faces of My Guests Mean Everything. That title sums up what it means to be Nobu.

[Leann Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

🇯🇵 JAPAN 🇯🇵 If you like any of the following things, you’ll enjoy this book:
- Japan, Peru, LA, or Argentina
- Really, just traveling in general
- Sushi/Japanese cuisine
- Cooking
- The restaurant industry
- People management

The first half was the best storytelling (4 stars), the second half was pretty repetitive about how Nobu restaurant operates and trains. It could’ve been about 50 pages shorter without losing content. Still really enjoyed it and very impressed that Nobu didn’t give up after his many setbacks.

[Michele O'Shea · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I really wanted to like this book I couldn’t help but find him to be tone-deaf at some points. For example, he praised the decision of a woman (one of about 2 who he’s ever mentioned professionally) who demoted herself after recognizing she could not perform her job as it stretched her too thin, making way for the subsequent promotion of her previous subordinate to fill her spot.
He also talks about how he lives to serve and make happy the guests of all of these luxury restaurants/hotels with a “spare no expense” approach. However he fails to acknowledge that the class of “guests” he works so hard to make happy are from a specific socioeconomic class with significant financial means, and his model essentially excludes the “happinesses” of the masses who can’t afford to pay a premium to enjoy decent Japanese food.

[Michelle Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LUV SUSHI

[Basil Latif · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written memoir which expounds upon Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s philosophy of cooking and running a restaurant. Quite simply, Chef Nobu wants to put a smile on his customers' faces as they enjoy his food. In his early career, Nobu was intent on learning the technical craft of cooking sushi. He enjoys the job of being a sushi chef whether it's going to the market to select fish or building relationships with repeat customers at the restaurant. In his next phase, Chef Nobu combines this passion for cooking with the desire to run his own restaurant. Chef Nobu begins his chef restaurateur journey in earnest when he starts Matsuhisa restaurant in Hollywood. Here, in the middle part of his memoir, I got to see how his love for food and serving people delicious meals really made him an extraordinary chef.
He gives countless examples of creating new dishes to satisfy a guest. Later, when he forms a business relationship with Robert De Niro, he makes the next transition from restauranteur to franchise manager. Although calling Chef Nobu a franchise manager is quite an understatement, it is true since Nobu restaurants were being created in the biggest cities in the world. As new Nobu restaurants sprang up around the world, Chef Nobu had to manage standardization in the cooking process while giving local chefs the autonomy to create their own dishes, just as he had done when building the Matsuhisa brand. The way Chef Nobu talks about this phase of the journey is very inspiring as he is a very thoughtful leader. Overall, this is a compelling memoir about how a simple man from Tokyo, Japan created the most iconic sushi brand in the world.

[GenevieveAudrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Food fiction is something that I've always enjoyed reading and of recent, food memoirs have joined this too. This memoir is an account of celebrity chef Nobu's life from being a humble dishwasher at the start of his career to the owner of a successful chain of Japanese restaurants & hotels. It chronicles the struggles and hardships he faced throughout his career that motivated and drove him to the pinnacle of success that he is today.

What really struck me was Nobu's humility. That was really evident. He always made sure his guests (not customers) were always happy. That was the keystone of his philosophy and the reason for his success. Whatever he did was because he wanted to make his guests happy. Essentially, people over profit. Nobu Style - Placing yourself in the feet of another before acting was yet another cornerstone of building the Nobu chain.

The book was very straightforward with simple language. It was easy to understand with no frills & furbelows. It's Japanese aesthetics were really shining throughout the book. It was also quite thrilling to read about how a dish I had sampled at the restaurant, the restaurant's signature dish Black Cod Miso, was first conceptualised. I can appreciate, more, my entire experience at the restaurant after reading this memoir.

In actuality, this was not just a memoir but would work very well as a manual for business management or even life training.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

So full disclosure on bias. I love sushi. But this book is not about sushi. It is one of the best and important business management books that I have read in a long time. His mantra "Put your heart into your work and cook with passion" is applicable to almost every Sr. Management team in any profession.

The story told is also extremely personal and you feel true inspiration as he has been able to overcome many MANY hardships to achieve global success and respect. "Whenever I hit an obstacle, I search for a solution and carry on...I find that if I plow ahead, no matter how impossible that may seem, and just do my best, someone is bound to lend a hand."

And his perspective of revenue as a result, not as the only objective is something that major companies and CFOs need to learn. "I now know that the character of people working at a restaurant is more important than its size and reputation. I would rather be known as a good man than for my restaurant to be known for making money."

This should be a must read in every business school, in every boardroom, and for every C-Level executive.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atria Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Nobu: A Memoir. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Nobu Matsuhisa, a celebrity chef and restaurateur, explains how his life in Japan and the lessons he learned helped him achieve great success. As one of the world's most respected Japanese fusion chefs, Nobu has turned his passion for good food into an empire with multiple restaurants and hotels, both domestically and abroad. Nobu has proven that hard work, determination, and patience can bring good fortune and success.

The biggest drawback to Nobu: A Memoir is that the author spends too much time giving information about his many restaurants. The book becomes quite repetitious and I started to lose interest in the middle, as a result. I enjoyed hearing about his Nobu style and the streamlining of his vision, but it does get a little tedious. I admire Nobu for his determination and his perseverance through difficult circumstances. Readers who enjoy chef biographies may find Nobu: A Memoir to their liking.

[Nina Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started to see social media influencers sharing their meals at Nobu, I assumed it was one of those hyped up fine dining restaurants. I was still intrigued by the food that Nobu served, but I just saw it as a trend. I came across this book while browsing at a local bookstore, and I was curious to know the person behind the restaurant. I am very glad I picked up the book to read because it has proven to me, once again, to not judge something (or someone) so quickly. This book follows Matsuhisa's life journey with him recounting his experiences and the things he learned on the way. I would describe it as a very minimalistic book with a lot of wisdom and insight into what he thinks and how he behaves. I also appreciate his stories of how he created specific dishes at Nobu; I now want to try these dishes knowing why and how they came to be. I finished reading the book feeling as if I understood this man a lot more and being inspired by his story to always think about people on the receiving end of service and to not compromise on our ideals.

[automidori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although there have been other books that held me captive, making me wish I didn't have to go to work, I found this book nonetheless pleasant to read and easy to understand. Although it's a story of over 30 years of life, I never got confused with the timeline. Nobu had brought up subject after subject in an organized matter. I'm putting 5 stars, because as one who has deep interest in both: Japan and cooking, I admit that I have been inspired a great deal. I am glad Nobu wrote this book.

The part about Sakai near the final pages brought me to tears.

There had been one thing though, that I felt missing: family. The story started with family and thus subconsciously I expected the book to end with that as well. Beside one sentence mentioning about the protective charm for a newborn grandchild, there was nothing else. Being abroad 10 months a year, how did you manage family life, Nobu?

[Lars Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nobu's memoir was just ok. After being blown away by meals and experiences at Nobu restaurants, it was interesting to read about his journey from a sushi chef to owning so many successful fine dining restaurants all over the world, in addition to eventually expanding into hotels. It was also inspiring to hear how he failed in many ways before finding success opening his own restaurant for the 1st time at 38 years old. As a first time entrepreneur this year, 2024, that was particularly motivating for me, at 35.

With all that said, I was hoping for a bit more in the way of lessons on starting and growing a business. I love eating at Nobu, and hope to eventually stay at one of the hotels as well, but I can't really recommend this memoir. As far as individuals starting businesses and growing them to extraordinary heights, like Nobu did, I'd instead recommend "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight. I hope to read more memoirs like his, and less like Nobu's.

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure which is more fun, eating sushi or reading about it. I've eaten at Kappo Masa on the East Side, but never at Nobu or Matsuhisas - still Nobu-san's story interested me. I loved how the book covered not only the successes of Matsuhisa, Nobu New York and the restaurants worldwide, but also his earlier successes and failures in Peru, Argentina, Japan and Alaska. His stories are fascinating, as are his leadership lessons. I love how he made De Niro wait four years-and De Niro responded by getting Nobu his own trailer on the set of Casino.

My only complaint: this book is an English translation that reads like an English translation of super formal Japanese. Grammatically correct, but in a way no one speaks-especially the dialog. I think it would have been better translated in the narrative. storytelling fashion that I imagine comes through in the original Japanese.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nobu: A memoir provides an interesting account of Nobu-san's journey from humble beginnings, through adversity, to where he is now. It's an inspiring story about a fighting spirit and Chef Matsuhisa comes across as an extremely likeable person with huge integrity and a life long mission: ensure guests leave smiling.

Although I have no doubt that he truly believes this mantra, I found that after the first third of the book, it read largely like a Nobu employee manual. Also, some of the examples he gave about dealing with issues in the restaurant/hotel industry were more philosophical than really explaining how he overcame them.

All in all, it's an interesting and insightful look into the mind of a Japanese chef bringing his passion to the world.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Memoir written by Nobu Matsuhisa is an interesting story. It tells us all about how he grew up, thought of his dreams and goals in life, started to get into being a sushi chef, traveling around the world, and starting his own restaurants. The book also talks about his troubles in life and the hardships he had to overcome to get where he is today. I was very interested in his travels and adventures like when he went to Peru and started a restaurant there. When hardships like when his father died happened he told us what he did to cope with the issue. And I believe that maybe how other people might have felt in the same situation. Overall, this book was very powerful because it showed us everything he had been through in his lifetime.

[Rose Winters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I loved reading this book, and believe Nobu to be an incredibly kind and hardworking man, but I wouldn't say this was a 'good' book. I was hoping for a Bourdain-esque book, or a timestamped book with boatloads of details, but instead what you get is a book filled with very short (1-3 page) chapters of lore/advice/thoughts that almost reads as a business plan. Some of these were very entertaining (specifically the early years), but many were very repetitive- but to be fair Nobu wrote that repetition of information is what leads to greatness! There was something charming about the book, and I would love to one day eat at one of his restaurants because he clearly is a genius in that realm.

[William Mego · Rating 1 out of 5]

A ghost writer would likely have improved this. On one hand, Nobu is a very interesting, and seemingly very nice man. His story is one of setbacks overcome, grit, and determination. However, the very matter-of-fact manner in which his story is set forth will remind some readers of a rambling account from their Aunt Bertha. We all love our Aunt Bertha, but our patience can be worn thin with the barely narrative form both she and this book take. Master Chef, yes. Master Storyteller, no. Read this for inspiration in tough times, though.

[Jeainny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir is simple and honest, with a straightforward recipe on how to provide and maintain quality service that goes above and beyond. Nobu's unshakeable core belief in caring for the customer shapes his work. In turn, his work has shaped the global perception of Japanese sushi cuisine. Nobu can be a bit repetitive in his lessons, but it just shows how he applies his beliefs in all corners of his life.

[Alice Yong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A candid no-holds-barred memoir of the world famous sushi chef turned global restaurateur and hotel chain owner. It is refreshing to read how he has maintained the “soul” of his business empire with his personable style and innate humility. Having met the man, many of the stories and experiences he shared are exactly what he recounted during our interview. Nice insights into his life and guiding philosophy.

[Lesley Cheung · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be fair, I really skimmed, rather than read it. Really wish he added some recipes in there, but it's alright. Liked the key messages:

"Good food, good service, teamwork."

"Teamwork means that everyone, from chefs to general managers, work together as equals."

"I try to imagine what I might want if I were them and spare no effort to provide it. If there is any key to global ‘success’ in what I do, perhaps it is this simple approach."

[Jacquie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing itself can become a hair repetitive but the story carries itself along so well it is easy to forgive. Not knowing anything at all about Nobu or the restaurants that carry his name, I still found the book incredibly interesting and worthy of a read. Nobu has lived an inspirational life and it was refreshing to read about a chef that isn't so hot headed.

[Cary Kostka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really had no idea who this was, despite my love of sushi. Reading the story about how this sushi chef has taken the world by storm was fantastic. Upbeat and personal, his story can't help but to instill in the reader a "can do" attitude about all things in life. Oh, and it will leave you craving Japanese cuisine.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nobu has a very interesting story. Unfortunately this read as a how to open a Japanese restaurant much more than a story of his life. He spent most of the book extolling his views instead of demonstrating his view by way of his story. I would have loved to hear more of the tale and less of his how to points.

[Shamala Arivalakan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobu is so fun to read. If you're running a business or working in a corporate world I urge you to read this. So much of wise values to learn about business, people and culture. It was not an easy success to run 47 restaurants and 6 hotels around the world. Just a simple man who was so passionate in cooking.
"Put your heart into your work and cook with passion" - Nobuyuki Matsuhisa