Yazawa Nobuyuki, also known as "Taisho," serves food and drinks at Izakaya Nobu every day, helping to make the establishment a thriving business. He is affectionately known as "Taisho" by the residents of the ancient walled city of Aiteiria, which exists in another world. The cool-headed chef rarely shows his true emotions, but when it comes to cooking, he has a passionate and artisan-like side... In this article, we'll be introducing you to this chef!
How old is the imposing chef Nobu?
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa, Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
He has a dignified presence and a sharp expression...but he's actually 32 years old! I'm sure there are many anime viewers who are older than Chef Nobu. Incidentally, he began training as a chef in Kyoto at the age of 18, right after graduating from high school, meaning he's been in the business for 14 years.
Chef Nobu is a quiet man who doesn't say much
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa/Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
Chef Nobu exudes the air of a true craftsman, and as you'd expect, he's a character who speaks very little. When talking with Shinobu or the customers about the food, he speaks quite a bit, but mostly just says "Omachi" and explains the food.
Boss Nobu is actually a bit of a scatterbrain
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa, Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
We've introduced him as a man of artisanal dignified ... Eva's sneaking in to steal the faucet (which she mistook for a magical water-producing device) was also due to Chef Nobu's failure to lock the door properly. He also has a warm, gentle personality when not cooking.
The chef prepares eel in the Edomae style
In Aiteiria, eels are considered a strange fish and are rarely eaten. Upon hearing this, Chef Nobu immediately offered to give it a try, and he quickly cooked the eel. However, what caught my attention was the way the eel was prepared. Chef Nobu had trained in Kyoto, but for some reason he prepared the eel in the Edomae style, by cutting it from the back.
Eel, once considered a strange food, becomes an instant hit
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa, Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
Eel was once considered "worthless," but Chef Nobu's kabayaki eel became an instant hit! Word spread, and despite it being an izakaya, the restaurant was flooded with people looking for eel...So Chef Nobu started selling eel in bento boxes outside the restaurant as unaju.It became so popular that long lines would form even in the daytime.
Once he gets into it, Chef Nobu can't stop
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa, Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
Chef Nobu has an extraordinary passion for cooking, but when he gets into his fixations, he shows such obsession that even Shinobu is put off. Not only does he not compromise, he also creates one highly original and unusual dish after another, and in the other world he even creates dishes that amaze customers. Even the scouting party was taken aback by this...
An unusual passion for salads
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa, Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
Of all his specialties, Chef Nobu is most particular about making salads! After a certain incident, Chef Nobu decided to expand his menu repertoire, and he prepared a large number of prototypes to expand his salad menu. Just by looking at the number of prototypes, there were five different types. The final salad was called "Nobu's Special Fruit Salad Hyakushiki." Even the name sounds like it's full of spirit (lol).
Nobu's Incredible Adaptability
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa/Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Iteria
In the anime, Nobu spends time happily with various people, but we must not forget that this is an alternate world. If a normal person opened a restaurant and walked through the door only to find themselves in another world, they wouldn't be able to focus on cooking. However, Chef Nobu treats customers as if they were normal, and even accepts payment in the currency used in the other world.
The other side of the back door leads to the real world
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa/Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
Shinobu sometimes leaves through the back door to do some groceries, and it seems that the back door is connected to the real world. (In the comics, Eva also gets lost in the present day...) In response to this, Chef Nobu simply says, "This is our homeworld," and doesn't openly reveal to his customers that he's from another world.
A secret pleasure? Chef Nobu's Evening Drink
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa/Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
While scenes of Chef Nobu eating or drinking are rare, he has mentioned "evening drinks" in the past. He's been depicted as having a preference for thick-cut bacon, so perhaps his evening drinks consist of thick-cut bacon and beer or hot sake? Personally, I think hot sake suits Chef Nobu best.
Nobu, the Chef Devoted to Helping People Overcome Their Dislikes
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa, Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
On the day Bertholdt came to consult about overcoming his fear of squid before his marriage, Chef Nobu prepared a variety of squid dishes, starting with squid somen noodles, simmered squid, and salted squid. Even so, Bertholdt couldn't bring himself to eat it...and then Chef Nobu's chef spirit seemed to be ignited, as he began serving up a flurry of squid dishes with a rare spark in his eyes.
Burned out, Chef Nobu makes old man jokes...
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa/Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
Chef Nobu tried to help Bertholdt overcome his dislike of squid with various dishes, but his plan failed. Even Chef Nobu turned a little pale and was heartbroken. At that moment, he blurted out, "It's truly unfortunate, but I'm afraid I can't make any more." For Chef Nobu to make such a pun, it seems he was seriously injured...
The knives Chef Nobu uses are also top-notch!
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa, Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
While we tend to focus on the food, the tools used by top-notch chefs are also top-notch! The knife used by Chef Nobu was so exquisite that it even captivated the Aiteirian chefs, and it made us gasp in admiration. Furthermore, beer mugs were apparently quite rare and eye-catching in Aiteiria.
A lookalike of General Nobu? The Mysterious Man's Identity
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa/Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
At a dinner party held towards the end of the story, a group of girls who look just like Shinobu and Eva make a mistake, and a man who looks just like Nobu appears to make amends. However, this was merely an imitation of something that had happened at Izakaya Nobu by the former Emperor, and the character itself was a figment of Gerenote's imagination and was actually a completely different person.
The Customer is God!? A Woman Appears Before Chef Nobu
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa, Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
In this work, there is a customer who comes from a mysterious place, neither the present nor another world. It's Inari-sama! Izakaya Nobu has a household altar where fried tofu is offered, and it seems that this deity has secretly visited the restaurant. Judging from the original work, it's possible that this god was also responsible for connecting with the other world...?
A Summary of Yazawa Nobuyuki: A Master of the Arts, Yet a Bit of Playfulness
Source: Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" © Natsuya Semikawa, Takarajimasha/Ancient City Council of Aiteiria
Chef Nobu is extremely serious when it comes to cooking, and sometimes goes off the rails. However, he's usually a kind-spoken character who's well-liked by everyone. Everyone, please take a moment to pay attention to the quiet, handsome character played by Sugita Tomokazu! Excuse me, but I can't help but think, "Sugita can have such a quiet, serious voice..." (lol)
