Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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ON THE TOWN Robert De Niro and Nobu Matsuhisa have a partnership—and friendship—spanning 20 years. Sake is imported to Vegas exclusively for Nobu. INSIGHT Local love: Nobu Caesars Palace will have Vegasexclusive items Pioneer: Four more Nobu hotels are planned for places as far away as Riyahd and Bahrain. Fine taste: Both the Nobu hotel and restaurant were designed by David Rockwell. the hollywood foodie OUR PREDICTION: A NOBU RESERVATION ON VALENTINE'S DAY WILL BE THE TOUGHEST GET IN TOWN. COFOUNDER ROBERT DE NIRO DISHES ON THE FOOD, HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH THE FAMOUS CHEF—AND HOW HE WENT FROM TOUGH-GUY ACTOR TO INTERNATIONAL RESTAURATEUR. BY ABBY TEGNELIA B y the early 1990s, Goodfellas, Raging Bull, and The Godfather had made him an international tough-guy screen sensation, and New Yorker Robert De Niro was spending more and more time in Hollywood, on the eve of later classics A Bronx Tale and Casino. There, he became a devoted fan of the liquorless Beverly Hills hot spot Matsuhisa, which many credit as the home of Japanese fusion. It took him a few years, but the Hollywood heavyweight eventually convinced the humble chef, Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa, to open a restaurant in De Niro's neighborhood, Tribeca, with a third partner, producer Meier Teper. What started off as a one-off idea, perhaps so the actor wouldn't have to travel for his favorite food, has spread to five continents and serves more than 3 million people a year. Now Las Vegas is home to Nobu's first hotel—accepting reservations now for its February 4 opening—and its largest restaurant ever. 56 You've been working with Nobu for 20 years—what makes him so exceptional? The food, the special dishes. Everything he does, it's different, you know? Japanese food in itself is great, but the way he does it, it's really terrific. What is he like? Nobu has an artistic temperament and sensibilities. He has a strong sense of extended family and cares very much about what he does and for the people that work for him. He cares about their well-being and if a restaurant is having problems. Nobu Caesars Palace is opening in February, inside a hotel that is not only the first-ever Nobu Hotel, but the first ever in the US for a celebrity chef. continued on page 58 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC CHARBONNEAU/WIRE IMAGE (MATSUHISA), SETH OLENICK (SAKE), STEVEN FREEMAN (COD) De Niro's favorite dish: black cod with miso. VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 056-058_V_SC_FoodnBooze_OnTheTown_Win13.indd 56 1/2/13 1:40 PM