Golf Iron Chef
The day after playing in his first PGA Tour pro-am at the Sony Open, Iron Chef Morimoto will cook at Sony’s gala in the Hawaii Convention Center, his first ‘banquet’ experience
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If you’ve been to the new Morimoto Waikiki or one of the chef’s other celebrated restaurants in New York, Philadelphia, Florida, Napa, Tokyo or New Delhi, you know what an extraordinary dining experience unfolds.
No doubt, he will score well on both the golf course and banquet tables. A Morimoto dining experience is orchestrated for indelible memories. His food presentation, carving skills, mastery at melding international flavors and cooking styles are legend.
Renowned star of Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, Morimoto is known for his seamless integration of Western and Japanese ingredients.
Before earning chef stardom, Morimoto, the middle child of three, was drafted as a baseball catcher in Japan’s major leagues. A shoulder injury ended his career. Soon thereafter, he studied sushi and kaiseki (traditional multi-course meal), honing his craft for seven years at an acclaimed restaurant in his native Hiroshima.
He and wife Keiko were married in 1978 at Waiola Chapel in Manoa, much to the chagrin of their traditional Japanese families, who frowned on the Hawaii elopement. But all was forgiven on their return home.
At age 24, Morimoto opened his own restaurant, and after five years sold it and traveled to the U.S. to broaden his experience.
In 1993, Morimoto was tapped to head the sushi bar and Japanese kitchen at the executive Sony Club in New York. He was recruited by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa to open Nobu restaurant in 1994 as executive chef.
Sixteen years later, their respective restaurants compete in Waikiki just blocks from each other.
Innovation keynotes both ventures. “Nobu taught me hospitality,” Morimoto says, referring to his don’t-say-no philosophy.
Customers are of the same mind. Response to Morimoto Waikiki has been positive, and on the day we drop in, restaurant manager Yuri Lily Endo is expecting 300 guests for dinner. That’s in addition to the hundreds who jammed into the hip, modern dining room at 1775 Ala Moana Blvd. for a rousing New Year’s Eve, complete with Chef Morimoto’s spontaneous karaoke.
Something of a Renaissance man, Morimoto is a song-and-dance man too. He actually has a decent set of pipes (check it out on YouTube).
Or you can sometimes catch him at Side Street Inn with fellow chefs “Alan-san, Roy-san and Mavro.” Late-night local grinds and midnight karaoke are great ways to unwind, he claims. His Tribeca Canvas will cater to the late-night crowd until 4 a.m. nightly. Expect dishes such as onion gratin soup dumplings and chicken pot pie in this new-wave Morimoto establishment, opening this month.
Meanwhile, Waikiki Edition’s debut and sustained success is a focus for the Morimoto team. The signature restaurant is an important adjunct to hotel developer Ian Schrager’s entry into the Hawaii market, in partnership with Marriott International. The father of the boutique hotel genre and ultra-hip places (like Studio 54) chose Hawaii for the first Edition Hotel in the world. All eyes are on what Morimoto brings to the Schrager brand.
What Schrager wants is “an electrifying cultural experience and social integration” that is engaging and stimulating.
That plays off Morimoto’s own vision of the dining experience as an entertainment venue where he is “conductor.” His keen sense of order, artistry and cutting-edge cuisine are well-established.
“I don’t do fusion confusion,” the chef says. “My style has deep foundation.” Indeed, Morimoto’s unique cuisine is characterized by beautiful Japanese color combinations and aromas, while the preparation infuses multicultural influences such as traditional Chinese spices and simple Italian ingredients, presented in a refined French style.
If that isn’t an “electrifying cultural experience,” we don’t know what is!
One look at Morimoto’s menu and you know he’s written the book on bringing innovation and excitement to the table. Top quality is a standard and a benchmark for all that he presents. Only the finest ingredients will do. In Hawaii, that extends to locally supplied produce and seafood. He buys “sustainable tuna” from the Big Island and has given Nalo Farms on Oahu specially selected vegetable seeds from Japan.
As a New York Times restaurant reviewer observes, “Morimoto was there from the beginning, surrounded by new flavors and working under a mandate not to be limited by the strictures of tradition.”
While his television persona brings him fame, it is his food that truly captivates America.
Traditional Japanese cuisine it is not, although there is a preponderance of sushi on his menus. But, as Morimoto concedes, sushi does not define Japanese food. Not anymore. Consider Morimoto’s take on tofu in his Waikiki restaurant.
Yoso Dofu is tofu made tableside. That’s right, tofu is made on the spot. A server mixes soymilk, saltwater and nigari in a clay pot, covers it and returns a few minutes later to unveil a warm, wonderful tofu that’s enjoyed with kim chee sauce and dashi broth.
One is amused yet impressed with Morimoto’s take on local favorite loco moco, which he labels “Loco-Moto.” It is top-grade Wagyu beef on premium rice, topped by hayashi gravy, a sunny side-up egg and fukujinuke (pickled radish).
Speaking of rice, Morimoto’s sushi rice is worthy of mention because of the meticulous detail of each grain. The restaurant has a rice polisher that turns brown kernels to glossy white, exclusively for use in Morimoto-style sushi. Now we are impressed.
Only in America, observers might say, could an immigrant pursue a dream and make a fortune by slicing raw fish, rolling out sushi and establishing a global identity on a TV cooking show. Morimoto is grateful for these opportunities. But the maverick chef, with the soul of samurai, can take credit for his own resolve and determination to distinguish himself in a crowded field of creative geniuses. Once considered the “back of the house,” talented chefs have emerged as confident celebrities and heroes to inspire a new generation of professional foodies.
Posing for MidWeek‘s cover, Morimoto exudes that confidence as he brandishes golf irons and a huge cooking implement as if they are weapons. Whether on the golf course or in the kitchen, the heat is always on and his competitive spirit thrives. With his slicked-back hair in a ponytail, signature glasses (for aesthetics only), silk kimono and pleated hakama skirt, striped tabis and geta footwear, he is ready for battle.
“Cooking on TV is 10,000 times more stressful because the Iron Chef is never supposed to lose,” he says.
He’s a winner in our book.
(The boldface letters of our story spell out MORIMOTO. You think we learned nothing about presentation from the Iron Chef?)
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