Chef morimotos biography

Japanese chef (born 1955)

Masaharu Morimoto (森本 正治, Morimoto Masaharu, born May 26, 1955) is a Japanese chef, best known as an Iron Chef on the Japanese TV cooking show Iron Chef and its spinoff Iron Chef America. He is also known for his unique style of presenting food.

Career

Morimoto was born in Hiroshima, where he received practical training in sushi and traditional Kaiseki cuisine; he opened his own restaurant in that city in 1980. Influenced by Western cooking styles, he decided to sell his restaurant in 1985 to travel around the United States. His travels further influenced his fusion style of cuisine. He established himself in New York City and worked in some of Manhattan's prestigious restaurants, including the dining area for Sony Corporation's executive staff and visiting VIPs, the Sony Club, where he was executive chef, and at the exclusive Japanese restaurant Nobu, where he was head chef.

While at Nobu he got his start on the Iron Chef television show. Several months after the weekly run of Iron Chef ended in 1999, he left Nobu to collaborate with Starr Restaurants and opening his own Morimoto restaurant in Philadelphia in 2001. His first expansion was a Morimoto restaurant in Chelsea in New York City. Architecturally, this New York City restaurant has exposed concrete, a signature element of architect Tadao Ando, who designed the restaurant in collaboration with Goto Design Group and structural engineers Leslie E. Robertson Associates. Mr. Morimoto has restaurants in Mumbai and New Delhi called Wasabi and has opened multiple locations of Morimoto around the

Morimoto has received numerous accolades for his cuisine and aesthetic, including several appearances on San Pellegrino’s “Top 100 Restaurants in the World” list, a James Beard Foundation Award for “Outstanding Restaurant Design” for Morimoto New York, and in 2010, Morimoto Napa was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Best U.S. Restaurant Openings.”In 2016, Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs was presented with the “Design Built Award of Merit” by the American Institute of Architects Orlando; and was the Silver Award recipient of the New York Design Awards.

Chef Morimoto first competed on Japanese television show Iron Chef in 1998 and then became one of the stars of Food Network’s Iron Chef America in 1999. As an Iron Chef, Morimoto was able to showcase his flawless technique and creativity with unique ingredients in front of millions of Americans. Chef Morimoto returns to the Iron Chef challenge in the spring of 2017 with Iron Chef Gauntlet.

His first cookbook, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking, won two International Association of Culinary Professionals awards, including the Julia Child Award for Best First Book. His second cookbook, Mastering The Art of Japanese Home Cooking, was released in November 2016.

Beyond his culinary genius and the exquisite design of both his food and restaurants, Chef Morimoto’s business acumen has helped him succeed in other related industries. Morimoto Signature Series of beer was launched in 2003 in partnership with Rogue Ales of Newport, Oregon.Chef Morimoto also has a line of premium sake produced in collaboration with the Fukumitsuya Brewery, a prominent sake brewery in Kanazawa, Japan that was founded in 1625; and in 2018 debuted his signature line of Easy Cup Sake, partnering with Gekkeikan Brewery in Kyoto, Japan that was founded in 1637. 

In 2016, Chef added Morimoto grape-seed oil, and Morimoto Cabernet Sauvignon blend produced in collaboration with Michael Mondavi. In 2020, Che

Masaharu Morimoto, known to millions of television viewers as a star of “Iron Chef” and “Iron Chef America,” is as comfortable cooking against the clock for a live audience as he is preparing his signature omakase menu at his namesake restaurants. But no matter the circumstances, Morimoto’s inspired, innovative dishes have garnered critical and popular acclaim. Through the seamless integration of Western and Japanese ingredients, Morimoto has effectively created his own, idiosyncratic, unforgettable cuisine—an unexpected result for a kid who wanted to be a baseball player.

After moving to America, Morimoto opened his first Morimoto outpost in Philadelphia. But Morimoto wasn’t just looking to make an impression in the States; his ambitions were global. In 2004, Wasabi by Morimoto opened to great acclaim at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, India, followed in 2005 by Morimoto-XEX in Tokyo. In January 2006, Morimoto brought his eponymous restaurant to New York City. The stunning space, designed by Tadao Ando and located in the city’s west side Warehouse District, was nominated by the James Beard Foundation for “Outstanding Restaurant Design” in 2007 and 2008.

Morimoto New York earned early and deserved acclaim from Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Zagat, and New York Magazine, among many others. And the chef’s first cookbook, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking, published in 2007, won two awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals and solidified both his style and role as a leader in the expansion of modern Japanese cuisine. Meanwhile, the chef continues the graceful expansion of his empire with Morimoto Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii, and his recent assumption of the helm of Japonais in Chicago.

Chef Morimoto first competed on Japanese television show Iron Chef in 1998 and then became one of the stars of Food Network’s Iron Chef America in 1999. As an Iron Chef, Morimoto was able to showcase his flawless technique and creativity with unique ingredients in front of millions of Americans. Chef Morimoto returned to the Iron Chef challenge in the spring of 2017 with Iron Chef Gauntlet. In 2023, Chef Morimoto ventured to become executive producer and head judge for Roku’s Morimoto’s Sushi Master, testing the sushi skills of eight expert chefs.

His first cookbook, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking, won two International Association of Culinary Professionals awards, including the Julia Child Award for Best First Book. His second cookbook, Mastering The Art of Japanese Home Cooking, was released in November 2016.

Beyond his culinary genius and the exquisite design of both his food and restaurants, Chef Morimoto’s business acumen has helped him succeed in other related industries. Morimoto Signature Series of beer was launched in 2003 in partnership with Rogue Ales of Newport, Oregon.Chef Morimoto also has a line of premium sake and shochu produced in collaboration with the Fukumitsuya Brewery, a prominent sake brewery in Kanazawa, Japan, that was founded in 1625; in 2018 debuted his signature line of Easy Cup Sake, partnering with Gekkeikan Brewery in Kyoto, Japan that was founded in 1637.

In 2016, Chef added Morimoto grape-seed oil and Morimoto Cabernet Sauvignon blend produced in collaboration with Michael Mondavi. In 2020, Chef Morimoto further extended his liquor expertise by partnering with Rogue Whiskey to create a three-and six-year-oldMorimoto Single Malt Whiskey.

Once COVID-19 hit, Chef Morimoto tapped into the timely need for personal protective equipment and developed his own line offace masks for fans to purchase, as well as a fun line ofmerchandise from t-shirts, hoodies to baseball caps and aplateware collection by Nikko,