When this chef left Japan to strike out on his own, his father tore down the family restaurant so that he will not look back
Today, Nobuhiro Nishi’s father would be proud of his son’s fine cuisine that melds culture and tradition with surprise twists at his eponymous restaurant Nishikane by Nobuhiro Nishi.
In a culture where family restaurants are passed from fathers to eldest sons, Nobuhiro Nishi’s decision to leave Japan was not an easy one. His family’s restaurant Nishikane in Fukui had served kaiseki-style cuisine since 1850 and Nishi was the sixth generation expected to carry on the legacy.
Ironically, it was Nishi’s father who encouraged him to work outside to broaden his culinary perspective when he was 18 years old. He alternated between his family restaurant and stints in others around Japan for several years, and eventually became the second in command at three-Michelin-starred Kagurazaka Ishikawa in Tokyo from 2010 to 2014.
It was a turning point. Nishi was inspired by Kagurazaka Ishikawa’s international outlook — non-Japanese customers formed at least half of the clientele and the restaurant frequently did pop-ups in cities such as Seoul, Singapore and San Francisco. He explained: “In our family restaurant, we focused on serving the customers, but at Ishikawa there were many exciting and interesting things beyond that. That was when I decided to leave Japan to learn more.” The patriarch was naturally disappointed but he also saw his son’s determination. The family restaurant was closed, and Nishi’s father demolished the outlet in front of him so that he would not look back.
In 2017, Nishi found a position with Singapore’s Kappo Shunsui, then located at Cuppage Plaza. His effervescent personality and culinary finesse soon garnered a loyal following and in 2020, he opened his own 18-seater, kappo-style Nishikane at Stanley Road in the Central Business District. The restaurant was re-launched last September under new management and a chef-focused branding as Nishikane by Nobuhiro Nishi.
Nishi’s 10-course omakase menu is underpinned by shuhari, where the three stages of mastering Japanese cuisine — learning the fundamentals, breaking with tradition and parting with traditional wisdom — is respectfully executed with shavings of surprises and a dash of fun. There is also a shorter six-course degustation menu available and a sukiyaki option for lunch.
The restaurant’s open-concept dining space is a departure from the formal kaiseki style in Nishi’s family restaurant, where there’s a clear delineation between the dining room and the kitchen, which is usually hidden at the back. Nishi brings a friendly vibe as he chats breezily with guests, all while preparing Japan’s seasonal best with two other chefs.
There is often a sense of captured time in the courses. Faux holly berries and fresh pine leaves on December’s appetiser tray created a feeling of Christmas in Japan as they cradled the likes of Koubako snow crab, a winter delicacy from Fukui, and a clean yet savoury beancurd-skin roll of wild bluefin tuna and cream cheese. April’s menu celebrates hanami (sakura viewing season) with ingredients such as Toyama firefly squid, cherry salmon, whose peak fishing season is around this time, and vegetables like the Haru cabbage and Mitsuba leaves.
Nishi showed us his father’s recipes, all neatly written in an A4-sized lined notebook. It offered a glimpse of the “quiet, no-talking man” who had schooled the 39-year-old now giving these dishes a creative nudge wherever he feels appropriate. It could be a delicate shirako tofu with sea urchin or zuwai kani (male snow crab), its simply boiled flesh is enjoyed in all its sweet glory on a temaki (handroll). Nishi prefers to explain why he would cook a dish in a certain way rather than change the original recipe to cater to local preferences, saying: “I will only serve a dish when I am 100 per cent happy with it.”
He is especially particular with soups, where he believes the umami hit should be the strongest towards the end. A soothing winter broth of white miso with grilled cod fish, Japanese yam, spinach, shitake mushroom and red carrot from Kyoto did just that. He explained: “If you taste the full umami at the first sip, it means the soup is too heavy and it won’t refresh you for the next course.” His signature noodle dish uses handmade soba from Fukui and is served in a faceted bowl personally carved out of a solid ice block by him. Its toppings change monthly: Autumn mushrooms in November segue into yam and Hokkaido sea urchin in December and January before giving way to radish, katsuo flakes and wasabi leaves that flourish in the latter part of winter.
To pique the interest of Singaporean diners, whom Nishi feels is already familiar with Japan’s star produce, he introduces ingredients from lesser-known prefectures such as bamboo shoots from Kagoshima and sea urchin from Hyogo. He explains that few diners are aware that the source of produce can differ within seasons as it depends on weather conditions.
He also wants to share why certain dishes are eaten during specific months. For example, the white miso soup served in January is commonly drunk in Kyoto during the Japanese New Year (Oshogatsu). The turnip soup served in February is a representative dish of the snowy season. He said: “Making delicious food is important but I also want people to know why I use certain ingredients at a particular point in time. I hope that when people eat here, I can touch their hearts and help them learn more about Japanese culture.”