“You can tell how much fun a city is going to be if Nobu has a restaurant in it,” Madonna wrote in the foreword of chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s first major cookbook in 2001.
Almost 25 years on, when The National catches up with the eponymous chef and restaurateur in October, he paraphrases the queen of pop: “When Nobu opens in a city, the city is going with change.”
So, what does that say about Dubai, as the city prepares for a third Nobu offering?
The emirate is already home to Nobu Dubai at Atlantis The Palm, and Nobu By The Beach at Atlantis The Royal, and Nobu One Za’abeel will open on Saturday in Za'abeel district near DIFC and Downtown Dubai.
Meeting Matsuhisa following a hard-hat tour of the restaurant – and seeing parts of the spacious dining area for the first time alongside him – I can tell he is impressed by the 274-seat venue’s skyline views, floor-to-ceiling windows, 28-seat sushi counter and adaptable private dining areas.
But does Dubai really need another Nobu? In a word, Matsuhisa says with confidence: “Yes.”
“We have two restaurants here already, but in different locations, completely different areas,” he says, dismissing worries about oversaturation. “Dubai keeps growing, so it will be a completely different customer.”
Located 100 metres above ground inside The Link, the world’s longest cantilevered building, Nobu One Za’abeel is in a part of the emirate that is defined less by leisure and more by commerce. The clientele, he believes, will reflect that.
“This area is more business,” he says. “We have built this for new customers here.”
At roughly 20 kilometres as the crow flies from Palm Jumeirah to One Za’abeel, the distance might not seem significant, but rush-hour traffic these days makes a 90-minute door-to-door journey more likely than a 30-minute one. Compared to the three Nobu branches within 3.5km of each other in Las Vegas, Dubai’s locations are positively spread out.
Matsuhisa has seen a remarkable change in the emirate. He first opened Nobu Dubai in 2008 when there was, he says, “not so much competition”. In January 2023, the restaurant reopened at a new spot in the same hotel as well as launching an al fresco offering at its neighbouring sister property.
“I have known Dubai for nearly 20 years now. When I first came, I saw Burj Al Arab, but not many other buildings,” he recalls. Gesturing out of a window from the One&Only One Za'abeel suite we’re sat in, which shares a Downtown Dubai view with his latest restaurant, he adds: “Look at this … It's the UAE that keeps growing.
“A view is nice,” the chef adds. “But food and service are number one and number two. The view is number three.”
When it comes to the business of running a restaurant, he says he appreciates it when, amid ever-growing options, people choose to frequent Nobu. But he candidly adds that the restaurant business is also becoming increasingly expensive and difficult to thrive in.
“It used to be the case that we’d spend $2 million to $5 million to build a beautiful restaurant; now it's like more than $30 million or $40 million,” he says.
Matsuhisa’s interest in the UAE is not limited to restaurants in Dubai. The restaurateur has well-established plans for Abu Dhabi, with a hotel and branded residences on Saadiyat Island and Nobu Hotel Al Marjan in Ras Al Khaimah, both due to open in 2027. Regionally, Nobu Doha has been open for a decade, and plans are afoot for Nobu Hotel Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia.
“I like the energy of business in the Middle East,” Matsuhisa says, adding that it helps that people in the region “know good food”.
Inside Nobu One Za’abeel, regular customers will be greeted with familiar low-lit and atmospheric decor, with menu options that include crowd-favourites, the black cod miso and yellowtail jalapeno.
Located at the end of a dramatically lit long corridor, the interiors have been finished with black cerused oak, bronze, marble and leather accents. There are a handful of dishes developed specifically for this location, including amadai ginger shiso ponzu and Wagyu tenderloin shiitake millefeuille tosazu.
Ultimately, Matsuhisa puts his success down to constant communication with his customers, simply hearing from them and listening to what they like, what they don’t like and what they want to see more of.
“That makes the guest happy,” he says, “If a guest comes once and they’re happy, they return with a friend. We go step by step, but always try our best to make the guest happy.”
Nobu One Za’abeel is opening at The Link at One Za’abeel on January 17
