Nobu’s New Japanese Head Chef Brings Filipino Flavors

Nobu Manila has been one of Manila’s most exclusive restaurants since it opened. Known worldwide for its modern approach to Japanese cuisine, garnering fans that include global celebrities, its presence in Manila’s City of Dreams complex elevated our local dining scene. I particularly enjoy their Sunday brunches, because instead of having most dishes sitting out in a line, you’re given a menu so you can constantly order dishes for your buffet a la minute.

But that’s not the news that’s important here: Nobu has a new executive sushi chef, Keiichi Hirokawa, who has made his rounds in Japanese restaurants across the United States, including Nobu Malibu. What he brings to the table, along with his decades of experience, is a new approach to Nobu’s gastronomic sensibility.

FROm top: Tuna Sisig, Emperor Adobo and Belt Fish with Chimichurri.

Yellowtail Kare-kare with Karashisumiso Bagoong.

Grilled Umami Chicken with Toamato Salad.

With his arrival here, he vows to experiment with Filipino flavors and ingredients, with the help of Filipino head chef Michael de Jésus, and the rest of the Manila team.

He relayed stories about being welcomed with our local food, and finding inspiration that you might not necessarily reconcile with the simplicity of Japanese cuisine. He’s experimented with using coconut milk on salmon sashimi, creating a cross between our local kinilaw and the Peruvian ceviche and has even added a miso-laced bagoong onto yellowtail sashimi.

Nobu Manila Head Sushi Chef Keiichi Hirukawa.

Monthly, the omakases will change according to chef Hirokawa’s discoveries as he embraces the Philippines as his new home, but there are some mainstays that you’ll be able to catch when you dine. Those include the staples such as Nobu’s rock shrimp tempura, but also fresh innovative takes on sisig with tuna and a belt fish laced with chimichurri.