21 May – Two time Academy Award-winning actor, director and producer Robert De Niro was recently in town to attend the grand opening of the upscale Japanese restaurant, Nobu. Also in attendance aside from the Hollywood star was chef Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa and film producer Meir Tepper. The three owners along with Tengku Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the daughter of the Sultan of Selangor, and Syed Yusof Syed Nasir, their Asian business partner, took part in a traditional Japanese sake ceremony during the launch by breaking open the lid of a sake barrel with a wooden mallet to symbolise fortune and prosperity. De Niro is one of the co-founders of Nobu, the restaurant named after multiple award-winning chef Nobu himself. The restaurant, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last August, is well-known for its contemporary Japanese cuisine infused with Latin American flavours. Located on the 56th floor of Menara 3 Petronas with a dramatic 360 view of the city's skyline, Nobu KL was soft-launched in September last year. It is the first Nobu restaurant to open in Southeast Asia. Prior to arriving in Malaysia, De Niro was briefly in Manila to launch Asia's first Nobu hotel in the capital city of the Philippines. Photo Source: Options, The Edge