Sushi Masterclass at 15-Year-Old Nobu Budapest

The Nobu Budapest Restaurant and Sushi Bar celebrated its 15th anniversary this October with memorable events, one of which was an exclusive Sushi Masterclass led by Go Namerikawa, Nobu’s Corporate Executive Sushi Chef to elevate the culinary skills of the limited number of participants.

This special masterclass has been designed for both aspiring sushi enthusiasts and seasoned gourmets eager to deepen their appreciation of Japanese culinary artistry. Participants had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the refined art of Japanese cuisine at this one-of-a-kind experience at Nobu Budapest and to embark on a gastronomic journey showcasing the traditions, precision and creativity that define authentic sushi. The limited number of participants were offered an insightful introduction to the revered techniques and meticulous attention to detail behind sushi making and gained invaluable knowledge on achieving the perfect harmony of flavor, texture and presentation.
The highlight of the session was a hands-on experience, where Chef Namerikawa personally guided each participant in preparing classic sushi forms, from delicate maki rolls to perfectly crafted nigiri. Using premium ingredients and authentic tools provided by Nobu, guests could enjoy a seamless and enriching culinary adventure and had the opportunity to create their own sushi.

Recommended to anyone
Explaining to Diplomacy&Trade what this masterclass is about, Chef Namerikawa first mentions the Sushi Plus approach where participants are shown the basic skills, the Nobu dish, Nobu technique and Nobu philosophy, among others. “We make three signature sushi rolls, we show how to make sushi, how to make a hand roll. I recommend such masterclass to anyone who loves Japanese food, to those who want to run a sushi bar or want to be sushi chefs. So, I can recommend it to anyone.”
Also, in this master class, the chef promises that participants can experience what Nobu lifestyle means in international gastronomy today. Describing it, the chef highlights that ‘Nobu lifestyle’ respects Japanese tradition that is clean, has taste, quality and beauty. These are the most important characteristics. “At Nobu, guests have the opportunity to share a number of dishes with each other. This exclusive event offers a rare chance to immerse yourself in the refined world of Japanese culinary craftsmanship.”

Tasty food from different ingredients
There are Nobu restaurants all over the world. As to what is different in the one in the Hungarian capital, Go Namikawa notes that “at these various branches around the world, we have a special menu in each location depending on what they can get hold of as the highest quality of ingredients. For example, the specialty we offer to guests here in Budapest is foie gras sushi.”
The use of local ingredients is very much in line with the philosophy of Japanese cuisine that the sushi masterclass participants gain insight into. Summarizing this philosophy, the chef says
Japanese cuisine emphasizes seasonality and natural flavor of the ingredients, respecting nature and season and they need respect for the ingredients as well. In the preparation of Japanese dishes, it is the simple and clean procedure what is important.
What is also needed is a skillful chef to combine the ingredients into tasty food. “For me, Nobu was very surprising first because in Japanese food is quite different from Peruvian food used as ingredients at this restaurant. Japanese food is more focused on the characteristics of the ingredients, like a natural flavor of taste to make it simple. The Peruvian food has broader taste, it is more spicy, more aromatic. But Nobu is making the best balance of the different cultures,” he stresses.
A very iconic dish we have between the Peruvian and Japanese fusion is a dish called tiradid or tiradito as is known in Peru. When preparing Sea Bass Sashimi, we put the soy sauce (Soy Salt) on the fish and add the Peruvian chili, the coriander for the Peruvian flavor. Finally, we pour the yuzu and the lemon juice. This is a very good example for a Japanese food item with Peruvian flavor. We don't say fusion, but Peruvian-Japanese mixed dish, instead.

Making guests happy
The Nobu restaurant is bearing the name of Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa, a Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur known for his fusion cuisine blending traditional Japanese dishes with Peruvian ingredients. Chef Namerikawa recalls meeting him by saying that Nobuyuki Matsuhisa “takes work very, very seriously, he is a humble and precise person but sometimes warm. He always makes guests happy. I believe his secret of success is the food he prepares – that makes people happy. This is his personality. Teamwork is very, very important here. So, we all work together to give the best experience for our guests at the sushi bar. As an organizer, Mr. Matsuhisa is always making the sushi from the bottom of his heart – the guests can feel that.”

Constant evolution worldwide
As for the secret of the worldwide success of sushi, why this kind of Japanese food is popular all over the world in different cultures, Go Namerikawa confirms that sushi is the most key food item in the Japanese cuisine outside of Japan. I believe this is because people can eat sushi much more easily than larger pieces of Japanese food. That is why many countries have developed their own sushi depend on their culture and local ingredients – that is what makes sushi a global dish. Many people create whatever version they want. Tradition is important, but I think that, the worldwide evolution of this dish is also important for us.”
Chef Namerikawa cannot emphasize enough how important tradition is in Japanese cuisine. Naturally, this is also one of the most important features here at Nobu Budapest. In reply to the question whether guests are still likely to experience change or new trends in the years to come, he underlines that there is constant evolution is dishes. “We always get new ingredients, apply new techniques around the world and we are opening new locations from time to time. That applies to Europe too. So, yeah, it is important to respect the ingredients, the traditions, but we are evolving. Therefore, customers can expect something new to come all the time – so, it's worth returning here.”