Straight from Nobu Malibu, Chef Keiichi Hirukawa is teaming up with Head Chef Michael de Jesus to bring diners diverse offerings, both innovative and iconic to the globally renowned brand
Born to a chef father and trained by an uncle who manages a Japanese restaurant, Chef Keiichi started his career with Nobu two years ago at Nobu Malibu, considered one of the signature restaurants of the fast growing eponymous brand of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa.
Chef Keiichi brings with him a wealth of more than 20 years of experience as Sushi Chef in various US-based Japanese restaurants. The kitchen is no stranger to Chef Keiichi, who worked his way up from helping as a dishwasher to a head chef or sushi chef in the restaurants he worked into.
He carved his career as Sushi Chef in Kiyoshi’s Japanese Restaurant in Florida from 1998 to 2006; and as a co-owner and Head Chef at Florida’s Kanpai Sushi and Sake Bar from 2007 to 2010. He also served as a Head Chef in California’s Wokcano from 2010 to 2014, and in Cho Cho San from 2014 to 2016. Chef Keiichi’s culinary career also led him to be the Sushi Chef at The Izakaya by Katsuya from 2015 to 2017 before finding his way to Nobu Malibu as the Sushi Chef from 2017 to early parts of 2019, immediately before joining Nobu Manila.
As Nobu Manila’s Head Sushi Chef, he intends to create signature dishes unique to Nobu Manila by melding Filipino ingredients and methods into iconic Nobu-style dishes—providing an exciting and distinctive dining experience catering to both the local and international palate.
