Masaharu Morimoto
Masaharu Morimoto | |
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Born | Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan | May 26, 1955
Culinary career | |
Cooking style | Japanese Fusion |
Current restaurant(s)
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Television show(s)
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Masaharu Morimoto (森本 正治, Morimoto Masaharu, born May 26, 1955, in Hiroshima) 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 received practical training in
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 world.[1]
In July 2010, he opened a
In November 2012, Morimoto opened Tribeca Canvas in New York's Tribeca neighborhood, featuring Asian-inflected takes on American comfort food. After a string of bad reviews and flagging business, he closed the restaurant for a revamp in August 2013, and that October opened the restaurant Bisutoro,[4] with his interpretations of classic bistro fare, in the same space. Bisutoro suffered the same fate as its predecessor and closed in January 2014.[5]
Morimoto also owns Morimoto XEX in
In 2005, he partnered with businessmen Paul Ardaji, a credited Film Producer (ALI) starring Will Smith, and Paul Ardaji, Jr., through Ardaji Restaurant Ventures, LLC in an aborted Asian bistro venture which was to be called PauliMotos Asian Bistro.[8] The relationship between the Ardajis and the Iron Chef broke down when the Ardajis could not raise the $20.0 million necessary capital to open 11 locations throughout the United States.[9][10]
In September 2015, Morimoto opened the Pan-Asian restaurant Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World in Florida. [11]
In April 2016, Morimoto opened the restaurant Momosan Ramen & Sake on Lexington Ave. in New York City.[12]
In October 2016, Morimoto opened Morimoto Las Vegas located insided the
In October 2021, Morimoto opened the restaurant Momosan Ramen Boston on Causeway St. in Boston, Massachusetts.[14]
Iron Chef
Morimoto's official win/loss/tie record on Iron Chef is 16-7-1.[15]
Morimoto's costume on Iron Chef was silver with red trim and a picture on the back of
Unlike his predecessor, Koumei Nakamura, Morimoto's introduction as an Iron Chef came with little fanfare, debuting the week following Nakamura's retirement battle against Yukio Hattori. Morimoto was chosen based on his style of cooking, which seemed to border on fusion cuisine, as well as his international experience.
Morimoto was initially reluctant to accept the title of Iron Chef, but accepted fearing the show would hire someone else. Originally, he had planned to incorporate some of the dishes that he had routinely prepared in New York for Iron Chef, but discovered that previous challengers and Iron Chefs had already made similar dishes. He would become known as the Iron Chef whose dishes always seemed to come out of left field—a famous example is his Bell Pepper Sushi in a sushi battle in 1999. He would usually have a bottle of Coca-Cola to drink while cooking on the show; on one occasion he combined it with nattō to fashion a dessert dish.[16][17]
Morimoto competed in the first
Morimoto is also memorable for being the target of Tadamichi Ohta, a vice-chairman of the Japanese Culinary Association and head of the notorious "Ohta Faction" of Japanese chefs, themselves noted for targeting all the Japanese Iron Chefs starting with Michiba. The Ohta faction lost three battles with Chef Morimoto before finally winning one when challenger Seiya Masahara defeated Morimoto in the
In his first battle with
Iron Chef America
Morimoto and Hiroyuki Sakai were the only two original Iron Chefs to appear on Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters. On this Food Network special series, he lost two battles with American Iron Chefs Mario Batali and Wolfgang Puck, but won a tag team battle along with partner Bobby Flay against Batali and Sakai.[23]
When Iron Chef America was greenlighted as a regular series, it moved from
As of October 2021, Morimoto's win/loss/tie record on Iron Chef America is 26–17–1, and his total combined record for both Iron Chef series is 41–21–2.
Morimoto opened a restaurant in the
In The Next Iron Chef, Iron Chef Morimoto has made several appearances as a guest judge.[27]
Other television appearances
In 1999, Masaharu Morimoto and Rokusaburo Michiba went to Indonesia appearing on Resep Oke Rudy broadcast on RCTI and Media Partner Tabloid Wanita Indonesia.
In the 2010 season of
In Season 8 of Top Chef, Iron Chef Morimoto was the Guest Judge. Each finalist had to make a "Last Supper" for one of the judges. Finalist Antonia Lofaso prepared a traditional Japanese meal for Morimoto, consisting of miso soup and a sashimi bento.[29]
In 2016 he participated as a guest in the 6th edition of Masterchef Italia. His task was to evaluate the contenstants in cooking a selection of Japanese dishes.
Morimoto has made guest appearances as himself on the
In Season 10 of MasterChef, Iron Chef Morimoto was the Guest Judge for the King of the Crabs battle.
Morimoto made a guest appearance in the 4 Million Subscriber Special of
Charity work
In April 2011, Morimoto sang at the Thousand Hearts Benefit for Japanese earthquake relief in California.[35]
Awards
- Culinary Hall of Fame Induction.[36]
References
- ^ a b "The First Serving at Morimoto". The New York Sun. January 25, 2006. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Morimoto's Experience Worth the Price". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 2010-10-06. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Chef Morimoto opens two new Waikiki restaurants". Hawaii News Now. 2018-01-18.
- ^ "Bisutoro, the Tribeca Canvas Do-Over, Opens Monday". Eater. 18 October 2013.
- ^ "Morimoto Jumps Ship as Bisutoro Closes". Eater. 2014-01-10.
- ^ Christian CarylFebruary 02, 2008 (2008-02-02). "The New Food Capital Of The World". Newsweek. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Rogue Ales". Rogue.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Zibart, Eve (2006-04-14). "Pauli Moto's: Haute In Name Only". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "The Morimoto Project That Wasn't To Be". Scott Joseph Orlando. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
- ^ "Fuku Restaurant on West Palm Beach's Clematis Street fractured..." www.palmbeachpost.com. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
- ^ Sullivan, Erin (2015-09-09). "Disney announces opening date for Morimoto Asia | Blogs". Orlandoweekly.com. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
- ^ "Momosan Ramen & Sake Grand Opening, NYC". Average Socialite. April 8, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
- ^ "A first look at Masaharu Morimoto's new restaurant at MGM Grand - Las Vegas Weekly". lasvegasweekly.com. October 24, 2016.
- ^ Blumenthal, Rachel Leah (2021-10-15). "Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto Opens His First Boston Restaurant at Hub Hall". Eater Boston. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
- ^ "The Iron Chef can't win them all". Abilene Reporter. 11 August 2008. Archived from the original on 2010-01-13. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Iron Chef Japan: Rice Battle Episode Summary". Tv.com. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Musgrove, Mike (2000-06-25). "The Food Network's Entree; Dueling Chefs Leave It to Cleaver in a New York City Showdown". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Iron Chef Sushi Battle (1/5)". YouTube. 2006-09-23. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Stein, Joel (June 26, 2000). "The Joy Of Cooking". TIME. Retrieved on April 9, 2011.
- ^ a b Marin, Rick (2001-06-06). "Lobsters at Five Paces, Knives and Egos Bared". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Bianculli, David (2000-06-23). "Hail To (half Of) The 'Chef'". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Marcus, Erica (2005-01-15). "Japan's Food Fight Hits America". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Haughton, Natalie (Apr 25, 2004). "Food Network's 'Iron Chef' to Stick as Close as Possible to Japanese Show". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ^ Doublebower, Robin (9 November 2007). "'Next Iron Chef' Stirs Up Drama". The Hofstra Chronicle. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011.
- ^ Denn, Rebekah (2007-10-02). "Iron Chef Morimoto Makes the Leap from TV Star to Cookbook Author". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Boca Raton Restaurants & South Florida Fine Dining". Boca Raton Resort & Club. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Joanne Chen (12 November 2007). "Michael Symon: Iron Chef!". CNN Money. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Wednesday Returning Shows: 'Modern Family,' 'Hell's Kitchen' and More". The Dallas Morning News. 2010-09-22. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Tharp, Sharon (2011-03-23). "'Top Chef: All-Stars' Recap: "Last Supper"". Ology. Archived from the original on 2011-04-27. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Famed Iron Chef guest stars on Hawaii Five-0". Hawaii News Now.
- ^ "9 CBS Sync Facts from "Ua'aihue" - Hawaii Five-0 S5 E11". CBS.
- ^ Ellen Stodola (2011-04-13). "Hawaii Five-O recap:'"Ma Ke Kahakai'". TheCelebrityCafe. Archived from the original on 2013-02-03. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Jeanne Cooper, Special to SFGate, Special to SFGate (2011-04-16). "Island Food is the Real Star of Hawaii Five-0". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Binging with Babish. Season 2. Episode 48. YouTube. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- ^ "Morimoto Sings at Japan Earthquake Relief Benefit | Zagat". Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- ^ "Masaharu Morimoto Inducted". Culinaryhalloffame.com. 2012-12-26. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
External links
- Official site for Masaharu Morimoto, the person
- Masaharu Morimoto at IMDb
- Masaharu Morimoto at the Chef and Restaurant Database