Photo: Chef Nobu Matsuhisa
Honolulu -- The Howard Hughes Corp. announced world renowned restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa will open a flagship restaurant at Ward Village in Honolulu. Ward Village is a new 60-acre coastal master planned community in the heart of Honolulu located between downtown and Waikīkī in the Kakaʻako district.
The 60-acre development includes two mixed-use residential towers – Waiea and Anaha – that are now under construction and will transform the popular shopping and dining district into a vibrant neighborhood that offers exceptional residences with incredible island and ocean views and a carefully curated mix of retail experiences set among dynamic public open spaces and walkable streets. Nobu Honolulu will join an array of new restaurants and stores including Merriman’s and Whole Foods Market.
The vision for Ward Village is consistent with the master plan approved by the HCDA in 2009, which allows for up to 9.3 million-sq. ft. of mixed-use development and will include over 4,000 residences and over 1 million-sq. ft. of retail space. In late 2016, Nobu will move from Waikiki to a new space at the base of Waiea, Ward Village’s first residential building, that will become part of the Honolulu skyline and provide a glimpse into the future of Ward Village.
“At Ward Village, we are curating an unmatched mix of design, retail and food experiences with Nobu serving as a culinary anchor for our community,” said David R. Weinreb, CEO of The Howard Hughes Corporation. “Nobu’s decision to move from Waikiki to Ward Village is significant as it moves us closer to our long term goal of becoming the new center of Honolulu.”
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa is a pioneer in Japanese cuisine, and Nobu Honolulu will join his impressive 32-restaurant roster. The restaurant will consist of approximately 8,000-sq. ft. of indoor space and 2,000-sq. ft. of outdoor space set in a garden-like atmosphere.
“Ward Village is creating a new community in the heart of Honolulu that is unlike anything that exists in Hawaii,” said Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. “The combination of world class architecture, a walkable neighborhood and an authentic district of high quality shops, restaurants and entertainment offerings makes Ward Village a unique destination and the place to be in Honolulu.”
Ward Village is Hawaii’s only LEED-ND Platinum-Certified project and the largest neighborhood development in the country to receive such a prestigious certification. The Information Center and Residential Sales Gallery is located at the iconic IBM Building.