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Los Angeles Times
7 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
‘Nobu' strains to showcase a humble man at the center of a sexy global brand
It takes a little over an hour for 'Nobu' to marinate long enough to approach a point of complexity, not exactly bitter but no longer cloyingly sweet. Nobu Matsuhisa, the celebrated sushi master, is running quality-control checks in one of his restaurants. A poor chef is sweating the test so badly, he won't need soy sauce soon enough. His dish keeps being sent back: Chop the chives finer. Why is this pile of raw crudo smaller? Why did you paint a line of salt instead of a dot? The scene goes on, excruciatingly. A few minutes later, Robert De Niro — an early investor and co-founder — dominates a private board meeting with concerns about too-rapid growth. It's not quite the ominous Waingro showdowns of 'Heat' but in the ballpark. Fastidiousness, precision and a kind of reputational exclusivity are at the heart of Matsuhisa's enterprise. These are hard things to make a documentary about. But it's also why Nobu needed to come to Beverly Hills for his concept take root — not just any Los Angeles but the '80s-era boomtown of power lunches and spend-to-impress dining. Spago's Wolfgang Puck makes an appearance in director Matt Tyrnauer's half-interesting film, fawning over his longtime friend sitting next to him but not quite articulating the essence of their revolution: high-end branding. You wish more time was spent on that conceptual idea, enabled by celebrities throwing around money on food they barely ate. The kind of doc that 'Nobu' more often resembles (as do most foodie-targeted profiles) is a gentle chronology of a humble genius and everyday guy who just happens to fly private. Matsuhisa bows to euphoric local fishmongers, does a lot of hugs and selfies with his staff, visits his roots in Japan and Peru. There are family interviews and a detour to Alaska, where, years before he had a 300-person nightly waitlist, an early restaurant of his caught fire — in the bad literal way (Tyrnauer cuts to the Anchorage newspaper headline). These false starts are somehow exhausting, lacking in suspense. He contemplated suicide, then came to California. The food sails by: wedges of black cod with miso, delicate plates of thinly sliced fish adorned with tweezer-manipulated herbs. All of it is crazy-making and delicious. Still, apart from former Los Angeles Times food editor Ruth Reichl, who witnessed the rise of Nobu as it happened, there are few on-camera voices who speak directly to Matsuhisa's gifts and experimentation with form. 2011's 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' does a better job of delivering the intimate discipline of cutting and shaping. More testimony to the experience of eating at Nobu would have helped this feel less like a commercial. 'Nobu' is a film oddly unconcerned with the communal experience of dining. We hear about the way his sushi workstations are elevated (a 'stage,' Matsuhisa calls them) and that's central to the performance going on here, also the remove. Something clicks when the film heads to Nobu Malibu and visits the table of supermodel Cindy Crawford, whose 'Cindy rice,' a dish he invented for her, adorns the menu. There's a deep mutual gratitude between them that goes back years. An appreciation of the finer things? No doubt. Game recognizing game? Definitely.
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Forbes
How To Spend The Perfect Weekend In Palma De Mallorca
getty Palma de Mallorca is often seen as little more than a gateway to Mallorca's postcard-perfect beaches, mountains and countryside–but overlook this enchanting Spanish city at your peril. The capital of the largest Balearic island is brimming with stunning architecture, rich history and outstanding cuisine, not to mention more than its fair of contemporary art galleries, natural wine bars and local design stores. Here's your weekend itinerary for Palma de Mallorca, including where to eat, stay, and play. The ensaïmada is Mallorca's most quintessential pastry. It can be served plain or with fillings like chocolate, custard or savory sobrassada. getty Let's assume you arrive in Palma in the early morning. So early that you probably won't be able to check into your hotel yet. Central Palma is an easy 15-minute cab ride away from the airport so hop in and drop your bags off wherever you are staying, before your first stop: breakfast. Mallorca's most famous morning snack is the ensaïmada, a rich, yet fluffy, spiral-shaped pastry served with a dusting of powder sugar. Try it at Can Joan de s'Aigo, a Mallorcan institution renowned for its Mallorquin pastries and homemade ice-cream. The original shop in Carrer de Can Sanç, which has been there for more than 300 years, is conveniently open from 8.00 a.m. HEAT by Sophia Lie Recovery Studio offers an array of treatments like Broad-Spectrum Infrared Sauna, LPG Massage and Face WorkOut. Anette Cook Time for a reset. To get your body ready for a weekend in Palma de Mallorca, head to HEAT Studio, a tranquil wellness oasis in the historic center of Palma. HEAT 's founder Sofia Lie knows a thing or two about getting over jet lag. After more than a decade of international modeling, she struggled with full-body fatigue and started researching recovery solutions. HEAT offers state-of-the-art treatments like Broad-Spectrum Infrared Sauna, LPG Massage and Face WorkOut, as well as yoga and breath work, all designed to leave you feeling restored, rejuvenated, and ready to take on the world. For a quick lunch, stop by Mambo, a trendy spot to sample innovative twists on classic tapas, like mushroom and foie gras croquettes, or anchovies served on bite-sized chunks of crisp puff pastry, before tucking into a whole, grilled market-fresh fish, such as turbot or monkfish. Set deep in Palma's Old Town, Portella is the epitome of a refined, luxury boutique hotel in the Mallorcan capital. Image courtesy Portella Portella Palma Boutique Hotel By now, you have more than earned a siesta, but not just any siesta. Open since 2024, Portella is the epitome of refined, quiet luxury in Palma. This 14-room boutique hotel, set in a meticulously restored 17th-century palace overlooking the Arab Baths in Palma's Old Town was formerly the home of a prominent Mallorcan artist. The hotel, designed to the highest quality standards by interior designers Festen Architecture and Gras Reynés Architecture Studio, features a cozy restaurant, a delightful interior courtyard with hanging vines and a babbling fountain and a rooftop terrace with jaw-dropping views of the Cathedral of Mallorca and Palma's Old Town. The soothing rooftop at Portella is the ultimate spot to wind down after a day spent pounding the pavements in the sweltering heat. Image courtesy Portella All the rooms feature plush King-size beds, terracotta floors, quality furnishings and soothing marble bathrooms with delicious walk-in rainfall showers, freestanding baths, and aromatic toiletries by Dyptique. DINS Santi Taura No weekend in Palma de Mallorca would be complete without a visit to one of the city's most celebrated chefs, Santi Taura. Taura has made his name as the foremost re-inventor of the island's most classic dishes, taking ancient recipes and turning them into contemporary wonders. His exquisite tasting menus earned him a well-deserved Michelin star in 2021 at his eponymous Dins Santi Taura that is just a five-minute walk from Portella through some of the prettiest and narrowest streets of Palma's old town. The terraces of the Cathedral of Mallorca are the ultimate vantage point from which to gawk at the Bay of Palma and the city, Image courtesy Fomento del Turismo de Mallorca Saturday Wake up early on Saturday morning and stroll around the winding alleyways of the old town before the tourists descend. Open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on weekdays and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Saturdays, the terraces of the nearby Cathedral of Mallorca offer the ultimate vantage point from which to gawk at the Bay of Palma and the city, while also admiring the architecture of this stunning Gothic Cathedral, including the bell tower, the flying buttresses and the rose window. Gallery RED Palma is an arty destination, and you will be blown away by the sheer number of galleries in the old town. Gallery RED is an international contemporary gallery run by Drew Aaron who moved from New York to Mallorca following a lifestyle change. Gallery RED features works by renowned contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Gerhard Richter, Yayoi Kusama, and Jeff Koons, alongside a multitude of rising stars. Fruit and vegetable stand at Mercado de Santa Catalina market, Palma. getty From here, it is a just short walk to the former workers' district of Santa Catalina and its famous market, where Can Joan Frau serves up giant, steaming plates of unfussy dishes like paella or sopa Mallorquín, a hearty casserole more reminiscent of a stew than a soup, in an informal market stall. On your way back to Portella for a refresh, stop into the next-door Arab Baths right before 6:00 p.m. closing time. One of few remaining pieces of evidence of Mallorca's moorish heritage, the baths, with their glorious gardens, a dome in the shape of a half orange, twelve columns and twenty-five light shafts, are believed to date from approximately the tenth century and most likely formed part of the palace or alcázar of a notable moorish ruler. The rooftop of De Tokio a Lima is the place to be on balmy summer nights. Image courtesy De Tokio a Lima De Tokio A Lima For dinner, make a beeline for the romantic rooftop of hip De Tokio a Lima. With a Peruvian restaurant currently topping the World's 50 Best Restaurants ranking, Nikkei food has never been more in fashion, as evidenced by the perennial popularity of this Palma hotspot. Order the Hamachi tiradito with pineapple and lulo sauce, topped with crispy amaranth popcorn for extra crunch, or the tender toasted octopus with red mole and Lima-style causa, but save space for the show-stopping lemon-meringue pie made with local Sóller lemons. If sipping Mallorcan natural wine before bed sounds like your cup of pet nat, head over to Little Jarana, an intimate, new 18-seater in Palma's old town that specializes in everyone's favorite combo of small plates and natural wine. It stays open till midnight on weekends. The shady, narrow streets of the old town of Palma de Mallorca provide a welcome respite from the summer heat. getty Sunday If you had one sip too many last night, don't fret. Breakfast at Portella is served until a very respectable 1:00 p.m. Take your time enjoying a feast of Mallorcan delicacies like seasonal fruit, sobrassada sausage and fresh-baked pastries, accompanied by the soothing sounds of the babbling fountain in the hotel courtyard, before heading up to one of the sun beds on Portella's panoramic rooftop for a snooze. Anyone who has been to Spain before, knows Sundays are not the best for shopping since most stores remain closed. However, the flagship of Cortana, a Mallorcan fashion brand that makes tastefully timeless ethical pieces using natural fabrics, conveniently opens seven days a week in Palma's old town. Food Tours Mallorca offer self-guided food and wine tours in Palma. Image courtesy Food Tours Mallorca Food Tours Mallorca What better way to finish your weekend in Palma de Mallorca than exploring its streets and gastronomic treasures all at the same time? Food Tours Mallorca offers a variety of self-guided food and wine tours ideal for couples, families or friends who want to enjoy a tour without having to spend the day with a group of strangers. Better still, their tours in Palma take you on a journey through the heart of the old town, combining some of the city's most striking sites with its most outstanding culinary creations. The tours are available seven days a week, for lunch or dinner–all you need is your cellphone, an internet connection, some comfortable walking shoes and a hearty appetite.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Ex-NBA Player Says Kobe Bryant Pushed Shaquille O'Neal Out Of Lakers Due To His Ego
Ex-NBA Player Says Kobe Bryant Pushed Shaquille O'Neal Out Of Lakers Due To His Ego originally appeared on Fadeaway World. When Shaquille O'Neal left the Lakers in 2004 for the Heat, it marked the end of a dynasty era led by the brotherly duo of Kobe Bryant and O'Neal at the time. They won three championships together, in each of which Shaquille O'Neal was awarded the Finals MVP. Advertisement However, it was reported that they eventually developed an internal conflict that led to O'Neal getting traded for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, and a future first-round pick at the time. This fact influenced the media narrative of how they saw Kobe Bryant's role in the championship. Gilbert Arenas agrees with the opinion that Kobe Bryant initiated the conflict with Shaquille O'Neal intentionally because he wanted to get the respect he deserved as the "next Michael Jordan" at the time. While discussing the ring culture in the NBA with Dan Patrick, he recalled what Kobe Bryant had to do to prove that he was among the top 10 players in NBA history and get his respect. 'There's a reason Kobe's at 10, there's a reason Kobe with three rings pushed Shaq away. Because when he had the three rings and he was saying, 'Hey, I'm Michael Jordan.' They're like, 'Yeah, well, Shaq is carrying you.' And he's like 'Wait, what, no wait hold on no you told me that I'm the next thing to Michael Jordan, why are you not treating me like that?' So now it's 'Well, I need to get rid of him to show who I am.' That's why his fourth and fifth rings to him are the most special ones, they're the sweetest ones.' 'You see the reality of it is, we're finding out in real time, we're told championships are everything when we're getting them and we're not being recognized for them, that's when reality kicks in.' Advertisement When Dan Patrick follows up while seeking clarity on whether it would be right to say, Bryant allowed his ego to make him initiate the conflict, Arenas agreed. 'That's exactly what it is, you're winning, he's getting all the credit. And he's like 'wait, I averaged 30 too, I did my part as well,' why I'm not getting the equal love right?' Kobe Bryant averaged only 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in his first stint in the NBA Finals of 2000 against the Pacers. Meanwhile, Shaquille O'Neal was averaging 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in the same series. There was no question that O'Neal deserved the Finals MVP that season. Bryant leaped to averaging All-Star caliber numbers in their second stint as he averaged 24.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in the 2001 appearance against the Philadelphia 76ers. But O'Neal outperformed him once again and averaged 33.0 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in that series, winning the Finals MVP once again. Advertisement In the third appearance, O'Neal averaged 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, and Bryant averaged 26.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. Clearly, O'Neal once again outperformed Bryant to win the Finals MVP award. Critics always need a reason to discount your greatness. Maybe Kobe Bryant did let the critics get into his head about being "carried: by Shaq in the Finals. There may be some merit in Arenas' claims that Bryant allowed his ego to cloud his objective judgment and take media narratives personally to get the respect he felt he deserved at the time. Related: Former NBA Players Think Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is The Next Kobe Bryant This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
