Robert De Niro is one of the finest actors of our time, with a number of Oscar-winning roles under his belt. What’s not as widely known is that the New York native is also a highly-successful businessman.

The star of classics such as Raging Bull and Taxi Driver is the co-founder of Nobu, the upmarket Japanese-Peruvian fusion dining brand.

He established it in 1994 along with celebrity chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa and film producer and entrepreneur Meir Teper.

Soon after, outposts dotted up all over the world and the company later expanded: lifestyle brand Nobu Hospitality was founded in 2009. Nobu is now a household name, revered in both restaurant and hotel circles.

In 2021, there are 47 Nobu restaurants in total across five continents, as well as 13 Nobu Hotels. Bangkok, it has been confirmed, will soon welcome the 48th Nobu restaurant.

Asset World Corp Public Company Limited (AWC) and Nobu Hospitality have announced their new partnership that shall bring Nobu’s first-class hotels and restaurants to Thailand.

AWC, the Kingdom’s leading integrated lifestyle real estate group, together with Nobu, have partnered on the new project to offer travelers unique and innovative accommodation options, building on Nobu’s noted reputation that rose to prominence in the world of fine-dining.

Their plans include the first Nobu restaurant in the Thai capital, Bangkok, which is expected to open in time to become a fabulous New Year’s countdown viewpoint later this year.

Those who appreciate Nobu cannot talk about their outposts without thinking of the distinct and minimalist design, innate passion for service, and supreme quality of ingredients.

Since being founded, the teams at Nobu have worked exceptionally hard to conjure up unforgettable experiences by producing consistently exquisite food.

Besides, each of their restaurants and hotels offer extraordinary environments to relax in, and of course to savour delicious dishes. Nobu’s arrival in Bangkok promises to confirm the city’s status as a world-class food and beverage destination.

Both parties have signed a memorandum of understanding to complete an area development agreement covering Thailand with intent to open multiple Nobu Hotels and Restaurants exclusively with AWC in Thailand’s most compelling destinations, including Bangkok’s first ever Nobu restaurant, expected to open in time to serve as a spectacular New Year’s countdown viewpoint at the end of 2021.

“From the beginning Nobu has been about creating unforgettable experiences around exceptional food. The name Nobu has become synonymous with minimalist, instinctive design, the finest ingredients, a powerful energy, and an innate passion for service. Each hotel and restaurant are fully engaged with the local market and offers guests the place to relax and savour an experience in an atmosphere charged with a sense of being part of something extraordinary. The philosophy of Kokoro – which comes from the Japanese word for heart – is the heartbeat of the brand and what ties the destinations together.”

Wallapa Traisorat, Chief Executive Officer and President of AWC, stated:

“We are thrilled about this collaboration with Nobu, which is such a perfect partnership of the AWC and Nobu brands and our shared belief in unique offerings, design and creating experiences. From a business perspective, introducing Thailand’s first Nobu restaurant will enhance the value of our existing property Empire Tower, turning it into a large mixed-use facility and lifestyle experience destination right in the middle of the Bangkok CBD. Moreover, it will uplift the spirit of Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok with the uniqueness of Nobu furthering the city as a world class food and beverage destination. Our shared growth plan is to extend to a hotel under the Nobu brand in the future, which is to feature exquisite cuisine at every meal and a distinct, intriguing design. All of this is an affirmation that AWC is committed to building value for the tourism industry, that we are a key player ready to meet the existing and future needs of tourists from across the globe as well as Thai travellers of any lifestyle.”

“We are extremely excited to be working with leading lifestyle real estate developer AWC in Thailand to develop Nobu Hotels and Restaurants. Partners are extremely important for us, and with the leadership of Wallapa Traisorat we know that the future is bright with Nobu in Thailand and beyond,” stated Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro and Meir Teper.

Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality stated, “We are excited to be entering into a new partnership with AWC. Our strategy looking forward is to grow our brand with both regional and national partners so that they can access our business model and strength on a multi-site basis as others have successfully done before.”