Not too many people know where this place is. Although I know now that it is a city in Japan, I, myself, haven’t heard of it until about a couple of years ago. So what good could a city like Saitama bring to the world?
The city is actually part of the Greater Tokyo Area as it is located north of central Tokyo. In fact, a big chunk of its residents commute daily to downtown Tokyo, adding to the congestion that has made Tokyo the most populated city in the world.
Saitama is principally a business district inhabited by many manufacturing companies, but it is best known as the manufacturer of the Honda Legend. Of particular interest to tourists is the fact that the city also manufactures the colorful Hinamatsuri dolls, which are culturally significant as these dolls are representations of the Emperor, Empress, attendants and musicians in their traditional court attire, meticulously crafted to make them look like smaller versions of the real thing. The city is also known as the manufacturer of the ornate Kabuto, or samurai helmet.
But what catapulted Saitama into the consciousness of the world’s elite started many decades ago, with a seven-year old boy whose elder brother brought him to a sushi restaurant for the first time. This young boy found himself fascinated by everything in the restaurant, and that was when he knew he was destined for a career in the kitchen.
After graduating from high school, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa found a live-in job at a sushi restaurant in Tokyo. Many years later, when he was already 24 and, by then, a chef, Nobu accepted an offer from one of his loyal customers to open his first restaurant in Lima, Peru. This was how he began weaving Peruvian influence to his dishes, the beginnings of his signature style.
Years later, he parted with his Peruvian friend and continued with his career in Buenos Aires, Argentina, then opened another restaurant in Alaska which, unfortunately, burned down. He went to Los Angeles, took a job at a sushi bar, and eventually opened Matsuhisa, his own restaurant in Beverly Hills.
He became an instant success and was a magnet for food lovers and celebrities, one of whom was Robert de Niro. At the latter’s urging, they opened Nobu in New York, which also became a hit. Since then, Chef Nobu’s success has not stopped. He now owns 37 restaurants in 32 cities around the world. What’s more, he has expanded his enterprise to include a Nobu Hotel in Las Vegas and here in Manila.
Nobu Manila recently took Sunday brunch to another level. Served from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., its curated buffet continues to evolve with new selections of dishes served from live action stations, at a price that’s very easy on the pocket, making it the best-value Sunday meal in town. A sample of Chef Nobu’s signature dishes, which are part of the Sunday brunch, includes the White Fish Tiradito and the Wagyu Beef Taco, both highlighting the Spanish influence on his cuisine.
The recent visit of Chef Nobu to his hotel here in Manila has assured his fans and other Japanese food lovers in the metropolis that the hotel will always be at the forefront of the Japanese culinary scene.
Now, many of us may not have heard too much about Saitama but, who cares? As long as we have our hands… and our palates… on its celebrity-son’s world-famous signature dishes, Sore wa Ä«desu (that’s fine).
YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE
GEORGE W. BUSH: “Some people ask the secret of our lasting marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays.”
For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com