Manalapan · Palm Beach
Nobu Manalapan at One: A Night With Chef Nobu Matsuhisa at Eau Resort & Spa, Palm Beach
One year after opening on the oceanfront in Manalapan, Nobu’s Palm Beach outpost threw itself a birthday party, and the man whose name is on the door was there to host it. We were there for the chef stations, the cocktails and the saxophone drifting through the room.
There are restaurant anniversaries, and then there is the night the founder shows up. On the evening of October 17, Nobu Manalapan turned one at Eau Resort & Spa, the beachfront retreat many Palm Beachers still call Eau Palm Beach, and Chef Nobu Matsuhisa was in the room to lead the party. Billed as Taste of Nobu Manalapan, it brought the chef together with cooks from his Southern region, and it felt less like a corporate milestone than a homecoming for a restaurant that has quickly become one of the island’s most coveted tables.
The format was loose and generous: chef stations set around the room, cocktails shaken to order at the Nobu bar, and a saxophonist whose low, unhurried notes filled the room as the night went on. Guests drifted from station to station, plates in hand, and every so often heads would turn as Chef Nobu made his way through the room.
“It was a party so stylish that even Tommy Hilfiger and his friends stopped in, and with his Palm Beach home, Coral House, just up South Ocean Boulevard, who could blame him?” — Adrian Bryce, Editorial Director, 5 Reasons to Visit
An evening built for wandering
Instead of a seated dinner, the anniversary was designed to be explored. Chef stations turned the dining room into a tour of the Nobu kitchen, with the team working in full view, slicing, rolling and plating as guests gathered. It is the best way to experience a Nobu menu, honestly: a little of everything, eaten standing up, with a cocktail in the other hand and no rush to be anywhere else.
The hospitality matched the occasion. Champagne flowed from the first toast to the last, a signature martini became the drink of the night, and the sushi chefs hand-rolled each piece to order, so every bite reached the plate seconds after it was made.
“The Champagne never stopped, the signature martini was worth a second round, and the hand-rolled sushi, made to order right in front of us, was some of the best I’ve had,” said Adrian Bryce, Editorial Director of 5 Reasons to Visit.
“The saxophonist played all night long. Nobody wanted him to stop.” — Adrian Bryce, Editorial Director, 5 Reasons to Visit
The chef behind the name
It is easy to forget how unlikely the Nobu story is. Nobu Matsuhisa trained as a sushi chef in Tokyo, then moved to Peru, where Japanese technique met South American ingredients: chiles, citrus, cilantro. That collision became his signature. After years in Lima, Buenos Aires and Alaska, he opened Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills, and in 1994 opened the first Nobu in New York with partners including Robert De Niro. Today his name hangs over restaurants and hotels on several continents.
What struck us most in Manalapan was how little the scale has changed him. He moved through the room the way a host does in his own home, warm and unhurried, taking time with guests and his team alike. For a chef who could easily phone in an appearance, that kind of presence is the whole point, and you could see his crew in Manalapan picking up on it.
What to order at Nobu Manalapan
If the anniversary made you want to book a table, here is where to start. The Nobu classics are classics for a reason: Yellowtail Jalapeño, thin slices of fish with jalapeño and a bright yuzu-soy dressing, and the famous Black Cod Miso, rich and caramelized, are non-negotiable. From there, ask your server which plates are unique to Manalapan, since a few exist nowhere else in the Nobu world, and finish at the sushi bar or with one more round. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m. every night, and you’ll want a reservation.
The resort around it: Eau Resort & Spa
Part of Nobu Manalapan’s appeal is where it lives. Eau Resort & Spa spreads across seven acres of beachfront at the southern tip of Palm Beach Island, worlds away from the bustle yet within easy reach of Worth Avenue, and roughly a 15-minute drive from PBI airport. Jonathan Adler styled its 309 rooms, all glossy, playful and unmistakably Palm Beach. There are twin pools by the sand, Har-Tru courts for tennis, and the Eau Spa, which covers 42,000 square feet and is a destination in its own right.
Nobu is the headliner, but not the only act. Angle is the resort’s contemporary dining room for exceptional meats and local seafood, Breeze Ocean Kitchen brings Florida and Caribbean seafood to the oceanfront, and Stir pours Champagne and inventive cocktails. Book a room and make a weekend of it: spa by day, Nobu by night, and a nightcap by the ocean.
The perfect fall weekend at Eau
Fall is Palm Beach’s sweet spot: the summer heat breaks, the ocean stays warm and the island hasn’t yet filled up for the season. Here is how we would spend it at Eau Resort & Spa.
Friday. Check in, drop the bags and head straight to the sand. As the sun drops, settle in at Stir for Champagne, then walk over to the Nobu bar. If Tanoshi Hour is on during your stay (check the resort’s events calendar), select signature dishes and cocktails come at special pricing, a perfect first taste before Saturday’s big dinner.
Saturday. Give the morning to the Eau Spa, then linger over lunch at Breeze Ocean Kitchen with the Atlantic in view. Spend the afternoon poolside or browsing the boutiques of Worth Avenue, then dress up for dinner at Nobu Manalapan: Yellowtail Jalapeño, Black Cod Miso, a stop at the sushi bar and a martini to finish.
Sunday. A slow breakfast, one last swim, and a final stroll along the beach before heading home, already planning the next visit.
One year in
Nobu arriving on the Palm Beach shoreline was guaranteed to fill tables. What the anniversary showed is that it has become something deeper: a destination that pulls diners south of the usual haunts, anchored by a resort that clearly intends to keep it for the long haul. If the first year looked like this, the second should be worth booking early.
Nobu Manalapan — At a Glance
- Where
- Eau Resort & Spa, 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, FL
- Anniversary
- Taste of Nobu Manalapan, the evening of Oct. 17, 2026
- Host
- Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, with chefs from his Southern region
- Cuisine
- Japanese technique, Peruvian accents; a few plates found only here
- Must-orders
- Yellowtail Jalapeño, Black Cod Miso
- Hours
- Dinner every night from 5 p.m., by reservation
- The resort
- 309 Jonathan Adler-styled rooms; a 42,000-sq-ft spa
Plan Your Visit
Book a stay at Eau Resort & Spa and make it a weekend at the southern tip of Palm Beach Island, with dinner at Nobu Manalapan as the main event.
Reserve at Eau Resort & SpaFrequently Asked Questions
Where is Nobu Manalapan?
You’ll find Nobu Manalapan at Eau Resort & Spa, the oceanfront property long known as Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, at 100 S. Ocean Blvd. in the town of Manalapan. It sits at the quiet southern tip of Palm Beach Island, roughly a 15-minute drive from PBI airport.
When did Nobu Manalapan celebrate its first anniversary?
The restaurant turned one with Taste of Nobu Manalapan, held the evening of October 17, 2026. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa led the night alongside chefs from his Southern region, and guests moved between live cooking stations, Nobu cocktails and a saxophonist playing through the evening.
What should I order at Nobu Manalapan?
Start with the Nobu classics that made the brand famous, such as Yellowtail Jalapeño and Black Cod Miso, then ask about the dishes created exclusively for Nobu Manalapan. Pair them with a cocktail from the Nobu bar program or a glass of sake.
What is the best way to spend a weekend at Eau Resort & Spa?
Arrive Friday for evening Champagne at Stir and a first taste at the Nobu bar, ideally during Tanoshi Hour if it is running, give Saturday morning to the Eau Spa and lunch at Breeze Ocean Kitchen, then have dinner at Nobu Manalapan. Save Sunday for a slow breakfast and a last swim. Fall is an especially good time to go, with warm water and fewer crowds.
Is Nobu Manalapan open to non-hotel guests?
Yes. You don’t need to stay at the resort to dine there. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m. every night, and you’ll need a reservation, which locals and hotel guests make through the restaurant’s booking page.
What else is there to do at Eau Resort & Spa?
Plenty. The resort spreads across seven acres of beachfront, its 309 rooms styled by Jonathan Adler. Days can revolve around the Eau Spa, which covers 42,000 square feet, the twin pools by the sand or a match on the Har-Tru courts. For dinner beyond Nobu there is Angle, Breeze Ocean Kitchen on the water and Stir for Champagne and cocktails.
Who is Chef Nobu Matsuhisa?
Nobu Matsuhisa is the Japanese chef whose name now hangs over restaurants and hotels on several continents. Trained in sushi in Tokyo, he developed his signature style while cooking in Peru, blending Japanese technique with South American ingredients, and opened the first Nobu in New York in 1994 with partners including Robert De Niro.
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