Nobuo Naito -owner and chef at Nobusei Japanese Restaurant, located at 7137 N 9th Avenue near the Eastgate Shopping Center since June 30, 1991. "Nobu" first came to Pensacola from Japan in 1974, where he had been a chef since 1967. Between 1974 and 1991, Nobu was employed at Yamato and Benihana Japanese Restaurants. His most popular items are the hibachi-grilled meals that he both cooks and serves in the immediate presence of his customers, friends, and guests while he entertains them with mostly quick one-liner jokes and comedy. Included in said list are actor Steven Seagal; Yoshukai karate instructors Hiroaki Toyama, Mike Culbreth, Seadog, and Master Yamamoto; retired World Kickboxing Champions Gerry Blanck and Cheryl Wheeler; world champion boxers Sugar Ray Leonard and Roy Jones, Jr, and professional wrestlers Rikishi, The Islanders and Edge. When not managing his restaurant, Nobu listed his favorite pastime as fishing.
