Masaharu Morimoto
Author of Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking
About the Author
Works by Masaharu Morimoto
Associated Works
How I Learned To Cook: Culinary Educations from the World's Greatest Chefs (2006) — Contributor — 191 copies, 3 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1955-05-26
- Gender
- male
- Short biography
- Morimoto received practical training in sushi and traditional Kaiseki cuisine in Hiroshima, and 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 Manhattan, New York City, and worked in some of that city's prestigious restaurants, including the dining area for Sony Corporation's executive staff and visiting V.I.P.s, the Sony Club, where he was executive chef, and the exclusive Japanese restaurant Nobu, where he was head chef.
Interior of Morimoto Restaurant in Philadelphia, 2003
When he was 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, eventually opening his own Morimoto restaurant in Philadelphia in 2001. He now has a Morimoto restaurant in the Meat Packing District in New York City, as well as a restaurant in Mumbai, India, named Wasabi and another Morimoto in Boca Raton, Florida. He also partnered with businessmen Paul Ardaji Jr. and Paul Ardaji Sr. in an Asian bistro venture called Pauli Moto's; the initial branch opened in Tyson's Corner, Virginia but is now closed. Morimoto also owns Morimoto XEX in Tokyo that has a Teppanyaki and a Sushi floor. Morimoto XEX received a Michelin Star in the recent Tokyo Michelin guide.
Morimoto currently appears as an Iron Chef in Iron Chef America, a spin-off from the original Japanese "Iron Chef" series.
Chef Morimoto has also developed a line of specialty beers with Rogue Ales of Newport, Oregon. - Nationality
- Japan (birth)
- Associated Place (for map)
- Japan
Members
Reviews
I was both ecstatic and apprehensive when I won an Advance Readers Copy of this cookbook on Goodreads.com. I was excited because I love "real'' Japanese cuisine and would love to learn how to cook it properly myself. But, I also approached the book with caution. Masahuru Morimoto is an Iron Chef after all. I really expected the recipes in this book to call for ingredients I couldn't possibly find and to be too advanced to be cooked properly in my small home kitchen.
This book was a pleasant show more surprise. Morimoto states in the introduction that he was looking to gather together recipes for staple dishes that would highlight Japanese home cooking. And, he promised the ingredients would be readily available at Asian markets in the United States. I was pleasantly surprised when I picked out three dishes to try, and found all of the required ingredients easily.
From the simple (stocks and sauces) to the more complex (stir fry and pickled foods), Morimoto gives simple, concise instructions, detailed ingredients lists and an ingredient glossary in the back of the book. There are lots of photographs throughout, as well. Because I'm reviewing based on an ARC copy of this book, the photos were black and white in my copy. But I assume the final published version has beautiful color photos.
I was able to make a delicious, authentic Japanese meal for my family using my home kitchen with very little fuss. It did require a trip to the Asian market for some basic ingredients: miso, sea weed, spices, etc. At no time did I feel like the recipes were ridiculously complex or required ingredients that were too obscure or expensive. I didn't have to have any specialty cooking utensils either. So, the book lives up to its title -- you can make these meals at home with great results!
Now, as with any cookbook, there are a couple recipes that I will not try, just because they are not to my personal taste. I'm not going to be slow-cooking pork bellies anytime soon or simmering sweet seaweed, but for the most part the book is filled with recipes I will make for my family!
The cookbook is well-organized into several categories: basic Japanese stock, Rice, Soups, Grill/Broiled/Seared, Steamed, Simmer, Stir-Fry, Noodles, Fried, Dressings and Pickled foods. At the back of the book is an ingredients glossary that gives detailed information on certain ingredients, advice on finding the right items at an Asian market and pointers on how to pick just the right ingredients. Then there is a list of online sources for kitchen equipment and ingredients, followed by an index. My ARC did not contain the index pages, so I can't comment on the organization or usefulness of the index.
All in all, I am impressed with this cookbook. I will definitely be using it often to cook Japanese meals in my home!
Masahuru Morimoto is a Japanese Chef made famous on the television shows Iron Chef and Iron Chef America. He has published several Japanese cuisine cookbooks including The New Art of Japanese Cooking.
**I won an Advance Readers Copy of this book on Goodreads.com. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.** show less
This book was a pleasant show more surprise. Morimoto states in the introduction that he was looking to gather together recipes for staple dishes that would highlight Japanese home cooking. And, he promised the ingredients would be readily available at Asian markets in the United States. I was pleasantly surprised when I picked out three dishes to try, and found all of the required ingredients easily.
From the simple (stocks and sauces) to the more complex (stir fry and pickled foods), Morimoto gives simple, concise instructions, detailed ingredients lists and an ingredient glossary in the back of the book. There are lots of photographs throughout, as well. Because I'm reviewing based on an ARC copy of this book, the photos were black and white in my copy. But I assume the final published version has beautiful color photos.
I was able to make a delicious, authentic Japanese meal for my family using my home kitchen with very little fuss. It did require a trip to the Asian market for some basic ingredients: miso, sea weed, spices, etc. At no time did I feel like the recipes were ridiculously complex or required ingredients that were too obscure or expensive. I didn't have to have any specialty cooking utensils either. So, the book lives up to its title -- you can make these meals at home with great results!
Now, as with any cookbook, there are a couple recipes that I will not try, just because they are not to my personal taste. I'm not going to be slow-cooking pork bellies anytime soon or simmering sweet seaweed, but for the most part the book is filled with recipes I will make for my family!
The cookbook is well-organized into several categories: basic Japanese stock, Rice, Soups, Grill/Broiled/Seared, Steamed, Simmer, Stir-Fry, Noodles, Fried, Dressings and Pickled foods. At the back of the book is an ingredients glossary that gives detailed information on certain ingredients, advice on finding the right items at an Asian market and pointers on how to pick just the right ingredients. Then there is a list of online sources for kitchen equipment and ingredients, followed by an index. My ARC did not contain the index pages, so I can't comment on the organization or usefulness of the index.
All in all, I am impressed with this cookbook. I will definitely be using it often to cook Japanese meals in my home!
Masahuru Morimoto is a Japanese Chef made famous on the television shows Iron Chef and Iron Chef America. He has published several Japanese cuisine cookbooks including The New Art of Japanese Cooking.
**I won an Advance Readers Copy of this book on Goodreads.com. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.** show less
A surprisingly good stab at the Japanese-stuff-with-foie-gras fusion genre from an ex-Nobu alumnus. Perhaps some of the ideas are too off the wall (sugared salmon sashimi for pudding anyone) and the constant harping on about how his standards are so much better than anyone elses grate a little (so you make your own dashi from scratch and hull your own rice. Woweee...). However there are plenty of innovative ideas packed into this book and (on the whole) far more hits than misses.
The score more reflects what I expect from a book presented it the UK/Irish market rather than the book itself. It's American, with imperial measurements throughout so some translation will be required. The score may go up when I try a few of the recipes, they look pretty straightforward, even if his assessment of not taking a lot of time is vastly different to mine. Something that requires at least an hour resting in a fridge is not something I can throw together in a weekday evening.
I'm show more also not sure how available some of the ingredients are in Ireland. It may score better for you if you're from elsewhere and have more available time. show less
I'm show more also not sure how available some of the ingredients are in Ireland. It may score better for you if you're from elsewhere and have more available time. show less
If the purpose of a cookbook is to inspire, then this one is a step above the rest. Beautifully photographed examples of some of the chef's favorite dishes are enough to make anyone want to rush out to their nearest asian market and start gathering ingredients for these meals. For fans of Morimoto-san, Japanese cuisine, or just plain beautiful books, this is a must-read.
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- Works
- 3
- Also by
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- Members
- 331
- Popularity
- #71,752
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 5
- ISBNs
- 6
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