An infusion of international glam is about to debut in Houston when Nobu opens its gilded doors on June 1.

The 280-seat restaurant, opening on the second level of the restaurant collection at the former Saks Fifth Avenue location at the Galleria, is perhaps the world's most famous Japanese restaurant, founded by superchef Nobu Matsuhisa and actor Robert De Niro. Its culinary reach is global: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Perth, London, Milan, Mexico City, Dubai, Moscow.

And now, Houston.

The second Nobu in Texas after Dallas, the restaurant will ply local diners with all the hot and cold seafood jewels, slivers of raw fish and Japanese Wagyu hunks of beef. Nobu signature nibbles will be solidly represented, as well as dishes developed with Houston in mind including Alaskan king crab legs with black truffle panko crust, pan-seared Dover sole with yuzu butter, boneless ribeye steak with yuzu butter, and grilled Wagyu in a pot of cherry blossom smoke with truffled cabbage.

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The Nobu experience, said executive chef Carl Murray, "starts when you come in the door." That means hospitality to be sure, but also visuals: white oak, soft lighting, Italian flooring and Japanese-inspired textiles. The look is austere but seductive. And plenty of light from the windows to the terrace dining area.

The menu is divided between classic hot and cold dishes – Nobu has two separate areas of preparation – and new hot and cold dishes. On the classic side, the hot menu includes Matsuhisa's iconic black cod miso. It also offers tiger shrimp with spicy garlic, spicy eggplant miso, rick shrimp tempura with ponzu butter or spicy cream, Chilean sea bass with dry miso, Maine lobster with spicy garlic or wasabi pepper, creamy spicy snow crab, and arctic char with crispy spinach and yuzu soy. The classic cold dishes include yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno, tiradito, red snapper sashimi with dry miso and yuzu, bluefin toro tartare, lobster ceviche on butter lettuce, and lobster and shiitake salad with spicy lemon dressing.

Murray, who comes to the Houston project from the Dallas location, oversees the hot kitchen. Executive sushi chef Eiji Saito, who moved to Houston from the Las Vegas Nobu in Caesars Palace, oversees the hot kitchen.

Saito said he has made slight adjustments to his vast sushi repertoire to take into account the city's humidity which he says requires stronger flavors – more sweetness and more sour.

But those who know Nobu will feel right at home at the Houston restaurant, said general manager Gordon Gilbert. "Each particular space is different," Gilbert said. "But the ultimate aim is to have a familiarity for regular customers. We want them to leave happy."

Plenty of Houstonians intend to do just that. When Nobu began accepting reservations last week, the response was tremendous: in one day more than 1,000 calls came in, Gilbert said.

He said his staff is ready to begin creating Nobu memories for its guests. "You're in control of creating an experience," Gilbert said. "You can walk them through and create a unique experience. You can more through flavors, textures, and temperatures. You want to see all those touch points."

Murray said he's thrilled to be in a "big, enormous city" that obviously appreciates all types of food and dining experiences. "It's exciting. You can feel the vibe going on in the diversity of the food," he said. "I really want to get on a close level with the people of Houston, get to know their palate and create with a Houston flair."

That flair goes into play on Friday.

Nobu Houston, 5115 Westheimer at the Galleria, 832-987-2599; noburestaurants.com/Houston. Dinner will be offered Sunday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m. Bar and lounge hours are Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.