This book is both a landmark of a long personal journey and an introduction to the world of the next generation of NOBU chefs. There is a reason why this is a special book for me. As the years go by, the idea of creating a cookbook that serves as my personal "graduation project" has grown on me. Ever since opening my first restaurant Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills in 1987, followed by the first NOBU restaurant in New York in 1994, I have worked with many wonderful cooks and chefs. Many line cooks have walked through the doors, and as the restaurants have grown, so have they. They have worked their way up, and are now performing brilliantly at the forefront. This book is both a landmark of a long personal journey, and an introduction to the world of the next generation of NOBU chefs who will carry the tradition forward, with this book in hand.
I always say that "we cook from our hearts," and when a chef does this, guests always notice the difference. There are quite a few restaurants around the world that imitate "NOBU Style" cuisine. They can copy my recipes, but not the kokoro (the heart) that I put into them. I hope that chefs and their staff will continue the tradition of the NOBU Way to "cook with kokoro" at all times.
Because NOBU is future-oriented, we are always evolving. Chefs continue to mature, and in this book each one expresses the NOBU Way as he understands it through his cooking. I feel that, even when I'm no longer here, the NOBU Style will keep on living, like the work of an artist, in the cuisine of the chefs that I've trained. This book is the essence of the NOBU Way, and the source of the smiles on our guests' faces. - Nobu Matsuhisa
