NOBU - small name big flavors

Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, known to the world simply as Nobu found himself mesmerized by the atmosphere of a sushi restaurant when his older brother took him for the very first time, and from then on he started his ambitious career, because he knew he was destined to be in the kitchen.

After graduating from high school he found a live-in job at a sushi restaurant in Tokyo. At 24, he accepted an offer from a customer to open a restaurant and that took him to Lima, Peru. The effect of his time spent in Peru cannot be inflated as this resulted in his incorporation of Peruvian influences into his dishes – the genesis of his signature style. After 3 years and a brief time Argentina, he was heading back to his homeland of Japan, but an opportunity to open a restaurant in Alaska came up, unfortunately the restaurant burned to the ground on a night he happened to be away from the restaurant. With debts to pay on the ruined business enterprise, he went to Los Angeles on a friend’s advice, took a job at a sushi bar to pay off his debts. Jump to 1987, about 10 years later, he opened his own restaurant Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills. Matsuhisa was an instant success and became an attraction for food lovers and celebrities. Thus began his longtime friendship and business relationship with Robert De Niro. He partnered with actor Robert De Niro, producer Meir Teper, restaurateur Drew Nieporent, and managing partner Richard Notar to bring his modern Japanese to Tribeca. Drawing upon his traditional training at sushi bars in Tokyo and his life in Peru and Argentina, he created a brand new trend in Japanese cuisine by fusing South American and Western influences.

Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the most diverse in the world. The Economist in 2004 stated that "Peru can lay claim to one of the world's dozen or so great cuisines", while at the Fourth International Summitof Gastronomy Madrid Fusión 2006, Lima was declared the "Gastronomic Capital of the Americas". From pre-Incas, Inca heritage, to Spanish, Basque, African, Sino-Cantonese, Japanese and finally Italian, French and British migration - Peruvian cuisine combines the flavors of 4 continents and with this eclectic variety in traditional dishes – the coast alone boasts over 2000 different types of soups, and over 250 traditional desserts.

This great variety in the cuisine come from 3 major influences:

1) Peru's unique geography

2) Peru's openness and blending of distinct ethnicities and cultures

3) Incorporating the ancient cuisine into modern Peruvian cuisine

NOBU is a chain of Japanese restaurants that spans the globe. With the fusion of Peruvian and Japanese influences being the focal point, the art shines through in the fusing of the ingredients used. Japan and Peru use and consume a lot of seafood. They equally enjoy fresh fish and ingredients, but where the Japanese use soy sauce, the Peruvians use salsa, spices, olive oil and tomatoes. In Japan, they marinate fish, and in Peru they make a ceviche with the same fish, but eaten in an entirely different way. No doubt Chef Nobu Matsuhisa experimented with ingredient available while he was in Peru, since Japanese ingredients were not readily available. With a touch of his genius and in only 3 years time, he managed to transport the 500 year old Peruvian mixed influence cuisine and integrated it with Japanese style cooking.

Dining at NOBU is a wonderful experience, the staff is always very friendly, and the atmosphere/ ambiance truly sublime with a Zen-like quality. All thought out with precision and designed by famed architect David Rockwell. The food is consistently fresh, and always orgasmic to the palate – each bite transcends you and you just can’t stop eating, you want to keep going back for more. It is expected of Nobu, and they deliver every time with their tantalizing dishes ranging from Wasabi Lobster Tacos, Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno (Tiradito style) to the classic Rock Shrimp Tempura and, of course, Black Cod with Yuzu Miso. There are anticuchos, (a cut stewed meat on skewers) which in Peru are cow hearts but substituted with Japanese Wagyu Beef, (cooked teriyaki style or with wasabi salsa) Sea Bass and Truffles with Yuzu Soy Butter. All heaven on a plate. The prices are not cheap, but so well worth it every time because it is fine dining at its best and you will be, in essence, eating Peruvian influenced Japanese Cuisine. Some may say this is a biased review, but my love for NOBU has led me to rendezvous with all these fabulously executed and orgasmic dishes in Las Vegas and also in the Bahamas...hmmm, which NOBU will be next?

NOBU - 105 Hudson Street (212) 219-0500
NOBU 57 - 40 W 57th Street (212) 757-3000

Healthy Eating for Vitality and Longevity

Tao is an ancient Chinese “doctrine” meaning the way or path and can be roughly stated to be the force that flows through the universe, or the force behind the natural order, equating it with the influence that keeps the universe balanced. This is often expressed through the yin and yang point of view, where every act creates a counter-act as a normal, inevitable movement inside the way of the Tao. “Go with the flow” is an adequate description of Taoism’s principle teachings. Taoism is one of the great “religions” of the world, although, Taoists do not pray to a God as Catholics do, but seek answers to life's problems through inner meditation and external observation. The belief is that Tao surrounds everyone and everyone must listen to find it. They strongly promote health and vitality, therefore, their diet is extremely important to the physical, mental and spiritual being. Two common principles of Taoism: To increase Qi, the vital life force energy flowing through the body and strive to keep balanced in the awareness of the surrounding ecosystem. The Taoist diet is not to lose weight … but to keep harmonized within your body and what you put into your body has a lot to do with how you feel.

Here are some simple rules:
1) Eat only food, not un-natural non-foods (heavily processed foods that the body cannot process, artificial additives, drugs etc. that contain little or no nutritional value (white flour, sugar etc.)

2) Avoid foods that are hard to digest (dairy products, red meats, and anything acidic which upsets the delicate balance of the stomach – like citrus fruits)

3) Opt to eat the food nature intended us to eat – opt for locally grown whenever possible and choose organic 100% USDA certified, as they contain no artificial chemicals, or pesticides and causes less harm to the environment.

Ayurveda … ayur (life) veda (science), is the knowledge concerning the maintenance of a long and healthy life. An integral part of this science is to use the body, mind and soul to service the real you (your cosmic spirit). The ideas and teachings encourage people to follow a wholesome lifestyle, one that gives fulfillment, clarity and peace of mind in return. Ayurvedic cuisine is about cooking and eating for better balance, well-being and happiness. The cuisine is one of the major components of Ayurveda. There are no “bad” foods, only the idea of balance - and the principal goal of these practices is to cleanse the body of substances/toxins that can cause disease, thus helping to re-establish harmony and balance.

Qi is an Asian eatery inspired by the Taoist diet and Ayurvedic cooking.

At Qi, two Asian philosophies come together melodiously in their tantalizing dishes that are filled with natural health benefits of traditional Asian ingredients. Some examples are tumeric, curcumin, lemongrass, ginger … that all help maintain energy flow keep the balance within our bodies and also act as a buffer for when we want to indulge. Ayurveda describes six major tastes by which all foods can be categorized and to maintain perfect balance and be completely satisfied and nourished; we should ideally have these six tastes at every meal: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. These are all represented at Qi.
Upon entering, you will notice the high ceilings and model sail ships hanging, alongside burnt orange colored panels that run across the ceiling in a wave-like manner. The walls are partially adorned with abacuses and gongs. The seating is communal and the seats are giant “cubes”, that initially look apprehensive as to how comfortable they are, but to be completely honest, they cradle your backside and align your back ergonomically – go figure. An educated guess would be they incorporated Feng Shuipractice in the décor of Qi, since the five elements/phases fire, metal, wood, water and earth are represented. There is Asian art visible through a glass cube in the center of the space that will definitely impress you, and last but not least, the dimly lit rest rooms are a religious, even a spiritual, experience with museum-like Asian statues and a waterfall sink that is a giant ceramic urn.

Qi is great for big groups; the portions are quite generous and all beautifully presented. The food is Asian, Asian fusion, Thai, Malaysian and Chinese influenced and literally explodes with the flavors like curry, coconut milk infused with aromatic, exotic Asian herbs and spices. Let’s not forget the health benefits from the cocktails with ingredients from matcha green tea to ginger, ginseng and lotus root. The medicinal properties will just about rival the alcoholic strength you will feel, as the drinks can be a bit heavy-handed. Stop in for Happy Hour from 4-7 and sample a specialty cocktail at $6. You will find the menu complete with appetizers to wonderful specials with prices ranging from $3.50 to $19.00, plus they are Vegan-friendly. Qi is highly recommended, and an acceptable word for you Scrabble enthusiasts out there.
What a fabulous eating journey...to be revisited over and over again. Namaste!

Qi
(212) 929-9917
31 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10011