Nobu Matsuhisa Plants His Japanese Fusion Flag in Toronto

Empire-builder Nobu Matsuhisa has set his sights on Canada with a gigantic Nobu funplex in downtown Toronto. According to the Star, the chef, with longtime collaborator/actor Robert DeNiro, is opening a 15,000-square-foot restaurant, a hotel, and residential condominiums, all housed in two 49-story towers. There’s no official opening date for the project yet, but there is a very fancy website that offers Canada’s high rollers a small glimpse into the mood they can expect (yes, there’s snow).

Since opening the first Nobu with DeNiro and restaurateur Drew Nieporent in New York in 1994, Matsuhisa and his hospitality group have opened more than 30 locations of the high-end Japanese restaurant chain on four different continents, along with several hotels around the world. And Toronto isn’t the only Nobu project currently in the works. Here’s a brief look at what’s on tap for Matsuhisa in the coming years. It appears his jet-setting isn’t slowing anytime soon:

• Nobu Newport Beach (Newport Beach, CA): A Nobu restaurant in Newport’s Lido Marina Village is set to open this year as part of a massive waterfront revitalization project.
• Nobu Downtown (New York, NY): Nobu’s flagship location is moving from its home in Tribeca to the Financial District, where it will reopen as Nobu Downtown. The final night of service at the Tribeca flagship is March 25, though an exact date for the Downtown opening hasn’t been announced.
• Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay (Ibiza, Spain): Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay will join Nobu’s other vacation destinations in June 2017. The resort-style hotel will include four restaurants, including a Nobu with Matsuhisa’s signature Japanese-fusion cuisine.
• Nobu Palo Alto (Palo Alto, CA): Nobu is slated to open in the Epiphany Hotel space vacated by local favorite Lure + Till this June. The restaurant will be Matsuhisa’s first in Northern California.
• Nobu Matsuhisa’s memoir: Matsuhisa is working on a book that will cover his life, passions, and (presumably) his relationship with DeNiro. A listing on Amazon puts the release in November.
• Nobu Hotel Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico): The first Nobu hotel in Mexico is scheduled to open in 2017, in collaboration with RCD Resorts. The Cabo San Lucas resort, featuring a Nobu restaurant with waterfront views, will become Nobu’s ninth hotel.
• Nobu D.C. (Washington, DC): Eater DC got word of a D.C. Nobu location way back in 2015. Since then, the Nobu team scoped out a West End location. In recent months, though, official updates have been lacking, so D.C. may still be a long way off from getting the Nobu treatment. Stay tuned.
• Rumored Nobu LA project (Los Angeles, CA): A few months ago, Eater LA noted the appearance of Matsuhisa’s name on some paperwork in a space under construction on Melrose. If the rumors prove to be true, this project will be the fourth from Matsuhisa in LA, joining the Nobu restaurants in West Hollywood and Malibu, and the original Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills.

• De Niro’s Nobu Plans Luxury Condo Complex in Downtown Toronto [The Star]
• Canada's First Nobu Set to Open in Toronto Development [Metro CA]
• Nobu’s New Home at 195 Broadway Will Feature a Giant Brushstroke Sculpture [ENY]
• Attention, Sushi Lovers: Nobu Is Coming to D.C. [EDC]
• What’s Nobu Matsuhisa Doing With a Fancy Melrose Address Across From Mozza? [ELA]