In 1987, Nobu Matsuhisa moved to Los Angeles and opened the eponymous restaurant Matsuhisa. Actor Robert De Niro first visited the restaurant in 1988. After that, he became a regular customer.[1] In 1989, De Niro suggested to Matsuhisa that he open a restaurant in Tribeca, New York City. While Matsuhisa thought De Niro's proposal was attractive, he declined, feeling he should first focus on establishing a solid foundation for his Los Angeles restaurant. De Niro waited until 1994 before he floated the idea to Matsuhisa again, and this time Matsuhisa agreed.[1]
Matsuhisa, De Niro, restaurateur Drew Nieporent, and investor Meir Teper agreed to a joint venture. On the 17 September 1994, the first Nobu opened.[2] While living in Lima, Peru, Matsuhisa developed his signature style: melding Japanese techniques with Peruvian ingredients.[3] Nobu's famous signature dish is black cod with miso.[4]
By 1997 the first Nobu opened outside of the United States, in London.[2] As of 2023, there are 56 restaurants worldwide.[5]
The first Nobu Hotel opened inside Caesars Palace, Las Vegas in 2013.[6] Two years later, in May 2015, Nobu opened a hotel in the City of Dreams, Manila, Philippines.[7] In October of the same year, Crown Resorts bought a 20% stake of Nobu for US$100 million.[8] By October 2020, the chain had 13 hotels.[9] In November 2022, the first Nobu Hotel in the Southeast opened in Atlanta, Georgia.[10] Crown Resorts, acquired by Blackstone in 2022, sold its stake in Nobu to a Blackstone portfolio company in July 2024.[11]
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