Nobu Matsuhisa plans to open new restaurant in Paphos

Nobuyuki – or as he is most commonly known, Nobu – Matsuhisa is a Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur known for his fusion cuisine. He has restaurants bearing his name in several locations, including Limassol. And he is not stopping there, as he revealed exclusively to CBN during his recent visit to Cyprus: he will be opening another Matsuhisa restaurant in Paphos soon.

Matsuhisa Limassol has been up and running at the upscale AMARA Hotel in Limassol for just over four years now and it is safe to say that it has been embraced by the locals.

“After four years of the (Limassol) restaurant’s success, while also at the same time growing the Matsuhisa teams, we decided that maybe it was time to go to the next step, by opening another restaurant here in Cyprus. In Paphos,” he said.

As his business partner explained, the restaurant will be in the same format as the Limassol one and will open in a hotel, run by the same owners as AMARA. It was the same business partner that first got Matsuhisa in touch with the AMARA Hotel’s owners, eventually leading to the collaboration that is currently celebrating over four years of success.

Asked whether he had plans to open any more on the island, he said it was indeed a possibility, but not in the immediate future. “Business is doing well, the chefs are working hard and a lot of people are asking me if I’m opening a new restaurant,” Matsuhisa said. “But not immediately. We have to research with my business partner, locations, how to employ people to get working, how I can get the products. You know, we have to research so many things. Then you have to train the team and then open the restaurant. So always one by one. Step by step.”

Matsuhisa made his entry into the European market with an eponymous restaurant in Mykonos. But his story began back in 1987, when he opened the first Matsuhisa restaurant in Los Angeles. What is the secret behind his successful empire?

“This year it is over 36 years,” he explains. “In the last 36 years I have built strong teams. So now there are teams thriving all over the world – corporate chefs, corporate directors, the CEO – and all of my team, I have trained myself.”

His teams, having been trained first-hand by the man himself, are in a position to ensure Matsuhisa’s high standards are being kept across the board – whether this has to do with the quality of the food, or the service. “So now I have a strong team; that’s why our company keeps growing.”

The famous chef said he liked to incorporate local products – especially Cyprus’ fresh seafood and vegetables – in his dishes as much as possible. “But all of Matsuhisa’s signature dishes, all over the world, are exactly the same.”

So what does he think of the Cypriot customer?

“I feel the customers here are very ‘no stress’! People come here and it’s not about the crazy business. They come to relax. I love to see customers eating, they’re relaxed, smiling, with friends, family. So inside this kind of atmosphere, even I can feel relaxed. So very peaceful here, I love that.”

Nobu Matsuhisa in person comes across as very level-headed, down to earth and calm. But is he like that in the kitchen as well?

“I go to the kitchen and I don’t say much,” he responds. “If I find something, I give my advice, that’s all. But I never say ‘Do this!’. I think this way is much better, this is my advice. Because, I like to see the people working like they are my kids, I like to educate them to become better. I enjoy watching what they do.”

At AMARA, Nobu is working alongside his long-time friend and fellow Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli. Together, they held a cocktail party at AMARA to celebrate their restaurants’ opening with loyal guests.

“I’ve known Giorgio Locatelli a long time,” said Matsuhisa. “In Dubai, same hotel together. We have restaurants in London, his restaurant is across the street. Now that AMARA hotel is open, we are kind of next to each other. So finally, after the pandemic, I’m here, Giorgio’s here. So we did the Four Hands Cocktail Party and invited all the regular customers. So it’s very fun and I’m very happy to be here today.”

Chefs Matsuhisa and Locatelli took over the AMARA’s kitchens for a one-of-a-kind cocktail party featuring delectable bites from both chefs on 23 June.

Guests got to sample their famous food while they also enjoyed signature cocktails by the two chefs. Both chefs were on site, interacting with guests.