TWO’S COMPANY

You wouldn’t know that it’s the first time they’ve been formally introduced. They seemed like high-school buddies. There are a few “off the record” quips from Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (affectionately known as “Nobu-san”), and joshing laughter from him and Tan Sri Syed Yusof Tun Syed Nasir are bouncing off the wood-finished walls of the Nobu Club Lounge in Kuala Lumpur.

Matsuhisa is amusingly schmaltzy when it comes to the subject of his marriage. “My wife is my boss,” he jokes. “I fly so often and yet we’re still married after 40 years.” Reality dictates that his top priority is ensuring that all Nobu restaurants are performing well, and that usually entails 10 months of travel in a year. Yet based on appearances, many would perceive Tan Sri Syed Yusof to be the boisterous one, but quite the reverse is true.

One dresses flamboyantly, the other pared down to the essentials – cloth knot chef’s jacket, faded denim jeans and New Balance runners. The only glimmer of bling is a gold Cartier watch. Yet, as ‘loud’ as Tan Sri Syed Yusof’s sartorial sensibilities may seem, he’s the more restrained individual during our encounter, reserved even. Talking in measured sentences, his demeanour is down-to-earth and a little self-deprecating. “You don’t like the way I dress?” he quizzes, even as we tread lightly on why he doesn’t subscribe to the buttoned-up look favoured by ministers and dignitaries. In addition to his business savvy, we are clearly drawn to his sheer chutzpah in looking like a Malaysian version of James Brown.

“I’ve been dressing like this since my university days. So, why change?” he justifies. “Of course, there are certain functions where I’ll follow the dress code. Otherwise, this is just the way I am. As I am a director of the company that brings some of these brands to Malaysia, I use Armani, Hugo Boss and Zegna. And I’ll occasionally throw on something from Versace, but certainly not an outfit that’s too extravagant.”

A torchbearer of Malaysian hospitality, Tan Sri Syed Yusof is looking to recreate the success of Nobu locally. His Concorde Hotels are hospitality stalwarts in town, featuring upscale trappings and impeccably well-mannered staff. Together with his partners, he brought in the Hard Rock Café franchise and has maintained it as an awardwinning tourist hotspot. Nobu Kuala Lumpur is a new venture that he undertakes with relish, citing the restaurant’s strong branding as a reason for his interest. Already, it looks set to be a commercial success, flagged by celebrities and the well-heeled seeking a memorable dining experience in the shadow of the Petronas Twin Towers.

Matsuhisa, however, has made it his personal mission to recreate the magic in Malaysia. The Kuala Lumpur outpost of Nobu means more than just another feather in his cap. From the signature black cod in miso to jalapeno peppers sitting delectably atop yellowtail sashimi, one can appreciate the irony of how he goes about conjuring his culinary creations. “I am first and foremost a chef,” says the 66-year-old, who hails from Saitama, Japan. “Cooking is my way of asserting my individuality.”

Discussion panel
Tan Sri Syed Yusof had no delusions that this venture would be an easy one. He initially had his reservations, but finally decided to swing for the fences. Importing a famed Michelin starredrestaurant is always dicey. The original, which started in New York’s Tribeca, has long been revered by many. Even before its launch, comparisons were made about the menu choices, with every piece of  sashimi dissected and scrutinised. Yet, the reason for Nobu’s raison d’être in Malaysia is simple: it combines business and pleasure. It also makes commercial sense as the formula for the Nobu franchise has already proven successful on the global market, and the timing was right.

According to Tan Sri Syed Yusof, Nobu’s coowner, Meir Teper, a film producer and close friend of Robert De Niro, said Malaysia had “soul”, and the rest was just dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s, and deciding on Petronas Tower 3. “Meir wanted Nobu to be here and we agreed on the site. These days, Malaysians are well-travelled and they are familiar with Nobu as a renowned fine dining brand,” he says.

“My philosophy is to take things one step at a time,” explains Matsuhisa. “I don’t want to miss any detail in understanding what Nobu does well. We once walked away from a discussion with potential investors who wanted to reduce costs and price our menu lower for the mass market. But I believe that, given our track record, as long as we stick to our guns and customers are happy, the restaurant will prosper.”

Matsuhisa promises that Nobu’s take in the Malaysian capital will be a little different. So, what unique offerings can we expect? Ice Kacang with mochi, for one. But desserts are not the only items on the menu being re-imagined. The question is: can Nobu Kuala Lumpur live up to the inevitable comparisons?

We’ve all heard of teething problems and why training a local workforce to take the lead is necessary. Head Chef Philip Leong is Malaysian; he’s battle-tested at Nobu Berkeley in London and paid his dues at Yo! Sushi. “I’m glad he has the opportunity to head up our Malaysian arm,” says Matsuhisa. “I like to see others succeed and I heard that he’s driving a very nice car now. I enjoy being around positive people and I still like to impart some of my knowledge whenever I can. It’s hectic because I can spend half a day here before heading off elsewhere.”

Declaring himself to be inept at business negotiations, Matsuhisa is nevertheless deft when it comes to the tools of his trade. He’s creative and a master of cuisine, as comfortable slicing seared tuna as he is rendering octopus eggs palatable. “Make no mistake, Nobu-san is dedicated to his craft,” asserts Tan Sri Syed Yusof. “The partners have their high standards to adhere to. They brought in famed architect Severine Tatangelo and interior designers from Los Angeles to conceptualise the open kitchen and we abided by their requirements, because they know what’s best for Nobu. Everything came together quickly with Meir loving the place and, basically, that’s how we made it happen. We are still very hands-on and we lend our expertise by providing advice on Malaysian laws and the ways of running a business in our local context.”

Food for thought
Matsuhisa’s foray into the food industry stemmed from his need to provide for his family – the result of his father meeting with a tragic traffic accident when he was just seven years old. His first encounter with a sushi knife, however, was anything but inspiring. During his early days as a budding chef, he slogged it out at Matsue Sushi in Shinjuku, Tokyo, for seven years. Armed with a renewed sense of purpose when a Peruvian regular offered him the chance to headline his own kitchen, he packed his bags and bravely headed to South America.

However, without access to various Japanese ingredients, he became resourceful at improvising. Deciding to give his dishes a local spin, his knack for fusing Peruvian influences into traditional Japanese fare arguably made his food stand out. The South American connection is apparent even in his ingestible works of art. When asked, Matsuhisa denies that he has a signature style, preferring to say that his approach to food is instinctive. “I never knew that you could cook fish with just lemon juice, garlic and chilli before moving to Lima,” he recalls. “I have my techniques, but it was still an eye-opener for me to see what’s possible with different ingredients at my disposal.” Inevitably, there were a few bumps along the road – including a failed restaurant in Alaska that burned to the ground – before he started Matsuhisa in Beverley Hills in 1987. That was where he first met Hollywood star Robert De Niro.

“It was a chance encounter,” he says, shaking his head in disbelief at how one of the greatest American actors became an invaluable partner. “I had no idea who he was at the time. He came to Matsuhisa with a regular who was a film director. When it came to ordering, Robert just said: ‘Anything you want.’ He doesn’t like oysters and shellfish, so we served him the specials of the day. From there, we expanded on our omakase-style of serving food, where we’ll ask if a diner has any allergies or certain misgivings about selected dishes. Robert still never orders anything from the menu but I have noticed that he likes to eat small portions of toro tartare with caviar, sashimi salads and sushi. Plus, he likes to drink saké.”

It was at De Niro’s urging that the first Nobu opened in New York City in 1994, with help from restaurateur extraordinaire, Drew Nieporent. Fuelling Nobu’s popularity were positive acknowledgements from celebrities and food critics alike. This is someone who clearly casts a spell even when he’s not slicing sashimi. Not surprisingly, he is greeted fondly everywhere he goes. There are now more than 30 Nobus worldwide and even two Nobu Hotels in Las Vegas and Manila.

At the same time, he is also a much sought after food author with Nobu West, Nobu: The Cookbook, Nobu Now and Nobu Miami: The Party Cookbook under his belt. In between all these, he’s also the star of Discovery Channels’ Nobu’s Japan and effectively plays the role of tour guide to famous fellow chefs including Jose Andreas, Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Eric Ripert. “This is what I prefer doing, as opposed to being a judge on a reality cooking show,” says Matsuhisa. “I’m more at ease bringing people to, say, Yamaguchi to sample delightful fugu (blowfish) or heading to Sado Island to visit the Hokusetsu brewery where my saké is made.”

A season to sow
When it comes to pushing the boundaries of hospitality in Malaysia, the sky’s quite literally the limit for Tan Sri Syed Yusof, who will soon unveil the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur under the same company, Venus Assets (in which Ipoh-born tycoon Ong Beng Seng and HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor also hold stakes), that counts Nobu Kuala Lumpur in its stable. “There are changes to the floor plan and we are also finalising government approval for the height of the building. The retail outlets and the apartments will be ready as schedule and the finish product will be an iconic building in the heart of our city.”

During his years pursuing an accounting degree at the University of Tasmania, a young Tan Sri Syed Yusof initially worked odd jobs that included being a fire watcher and apple picker, which he says helped him “earn some pocket money and not to be reliant on family (his father is the late Parliamentary Speaker, Tun Dr Syed Nasir Ismail) to pay for my overseas expenses.” Upon his return to Malaysia, he began his career at Petronas. To this day, he is adamant that hard work lays the foundation for the future.

Many would consider Tan Sri Syed Yusof to be an entrepreneurial chameleon. For every financially conservative infrastructural company under his burgeoning portfolio, there’s another gutsy project in the pipeline. The role of risk-taker is not completely new territory for him; he says he’s fortunate to have had more ups than downs in his career, which is apt given that Tan Sri ‘Jojo’, as he is popularly referred to, is still known as the man who once brought the ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson to town. “Michael always liked to say he loves you,” remarks Tan Sri Syed Yusof. “So, you always had to say it back to him. I remember him as a perfectionist and we were glad he was patient enough, as we had an uphill battle securing the performance venue as we weren’t allowed to hold the concert in Selangor.”

These days, he has passed on the day-to-day operations to his general managers. “This is a satisfying place to be, work-wise, and I’ll be the first to admit that I am afraid of failure. Being bold has its rewards, but there’s also one’s reputation at stake. But I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that I’ve had very strong and supportive partners who have been with me all these years. My staff are, likewise, the backbone of my companies. Without them, I wouldn’t have succeeded in any endeavour. And that’s why I’m respectful of everyone who works alongside me.”

Tan Sri Syed Yusof says he has no regrets in life. “I’ve learnt to move on and glean what I can from every incident that didn’t meet initial expectations. As a company, we are also well-diversified. We only have a finite amount of time in life and I do what I can to make it a happy one. At my age, I have to enjoy what I’m doing professionally.”

It was only after leaving his chairmanship in a bank that he finally found his calling as an entrepreneur. “Life keeps me going. Even at my current age, I’m up at eight in the morning – no matter what time I slept the night before. I do not like morning meetings as I prefer to head to the gym and get a good workout. I’ll usually work till eight in the evening before calling it a day. And that’s why Jojo Entertainment gave me a lot of satisfaction when we brought in acts like the Gipsy Kings and Linkin Park to Malaysia. They weren’t familiar with the country and I’m glad we were able to change their perception of how vibrant and dynamic their fan base is actually here.”

A beautiful friendship begins
“Look at the amazing view we have here of the city,” says Tan Sri Syed Yusof, pointing out the scenery from the 56th level, giving diners a visual feast of Kuala Lumpur. “The first Nobu I paid a visit to was the one along Berkeley Street. I didn’t see why we shouldn’t have a Nobu in Kuala Lumpur. I loved the crab tempura and the freshly prepared edomae sushi. Since then, Nobu was always on my mind. Finding the right location was imperative. We had discussions with the then-president of Petronas (Tan Sri Shamsul Azhar Abbas), who was keen to have a high-end restaurant in KLCC, and CEO of KLCC properties (Dato’ Hashim Wahir).”

He then decided to set up Nobu, first, as a pop-up restaurant, with chefs on loan from London, to cater to those attending the first Offshore Technology Conference in Malaysia last year. From then, it has evolved into the Nobu we see now, which, arguably, has the best location in Kuala Lumpur. “As Madonna once quipped, ‘You can tell how much fun a city is going to be if Nobu has a restaurant there.’ We have a discerning clientele who know exactly what they want. We can’t name-drop on who has dined here, but the response has surprisingly met our projections. Nobu Kuala Lumpur closes on Sundays but, judging from what we’re seeing, we might consider opening that day as well.”

As a frequent traveller, Matsuhisa still prefers to eat at his own restaurants whenever he can. “There are two reasons for this,” he says. “Firstly, I like very basic Japanese dishes that are my idea of comfort food, and I also get to ensure, first-hand, that the quality of what we’re serving is up to scratch.” He is also the brand’s Global Ambassador and, although his status and visibility have clearly risen, he still comes across as the most hands-on and hardest worker in the kitchen.

Clearly, there’s no time to be self-congratulatory when your business is as big as Nobu’s. And, based on what we have seen and experienced, Tan Sri Syed Yusof’s elaboration hints at bigger things to come for the dynamic duo. “A Nobu Hotel in Malaysia is possible if we play our cards right,” he lets slip. “For now, we’re contented with the exclusivity that Nobu Kuala Lumpur provides.”