This summer, chef Nobu Matsuhisa partnered with Honolulu’s newly restored Waikiki Parc Hotel to open Nobu Waikiki, his first restaurant on Hawaii. Nobu took a few minutes away from the heat of the kitchen (and sun) to speak with CITY’s Alex Garinger about the new venture.

You’ve been traveling to Hawaii for leisure for years. Be honest: Is this new endeavor really just an excuse to write off vacations on your taxes for the next 20 years?

Personally I wanted to keep Hawaii as my vacation place. I have mixed feelings about it because it’s great having a restaurant there, but now I have to work, I can’t just relax!

What do you love most about traditional Hawaiian flavors, ingredients, and techniques, and how will they influence the menu?

There are a lot of Asian influences in Hawaiian food—for example, they use soy sauce in poke. I love that about Hawaiian flavors; there are similarities with my food. I want to incorporate fresh local fish and create more Nobu-style dishes with them.

Who are some of your favorite local chefs and what have they taught you over the years?

Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong are good friends of mine. Being local they obviously know Hawaii, and I hope to continue to receive advice from them, which will help me create Nobu-style dishes that are appropriate for Hawaii.

You’re working again with the Rockwell Group on the design. Oahu is a very different type of island than Manhattan—what was the goal with this design?

David Rockwell and I have worked on many restaurants together. For any place we try to recreate the image of Nobu restaurant, which is a comfortable space with lots of energy. In Hawaii, we are located in the Waikiki Parc Hotel, across the street from the Halekulani. Outside there are people walking around in their beachwear under the tropical sun, but once you step inside the restaurant it’s totally different. The design is similar to my Dallas and Bahamas restaurants: It’s definitely a Nobu restaurant, and you feel the energy of New York.