Masaharu Morimoto

Masaharu Morimoto Bio

Masaharu Morimoto (born in Hiroshima, Japan) is a Japanese Iron Chef and author most renowned as the executive chef of the highly acclaimed Nobu restaurant in New York City and the owner of Morimoto Restaurants. His unique fusion cuisine blends Japanese color combinations and aromas with Chinese spices and simple Italian ingredients, while maintaining a refined French style of presentation.

As a child, Morimoto had two major dreams—to become a baseball player or a sous chef. However, after sustaining a shoulder injury, Morimoto gave up his dream to pursue his cooking career. He started his career working in a sushi restaurant in Japan for seven years.

After years of training, Morimoto moved to the United States in 1985 at the age of 30. In 2001, Chef Morimoto opened his first restaurant in Philadelphia, followed by restaurants in New York, Napa, Honolulu, Boca Raton, Mumbai, Mexico City, Tokyo, and Maui. In 2006, he opened another restaurant in New York City.

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. In 2021, Chef Morimoto partnered with Grgich Hills Estate to release an exclusive Cabernet Sauvignon label, Morimoto Dream.