Masaharu Morimoto is a Japanese chef best known as Iron Chef on the Japanese cooking show Iron Chef and its American spin-off Iron Chef America. He was also a guest judge on Hell’s Kitchen and Top Chef.

Morimoto’s first cookbook, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking, was published in 2007 and received two awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Net worth

His successful career has earned him a net worth of $15 million, as well as a lucrative salary from various sources.

Early Childhood and Education

Masaharu Morimoto was born on May 26, 1995, in Hiroshima, Japan, as Morimoto Masaharu. He is of Japanese ancestry.

Morimoto studied at Tamagawa University.

Career

Morimoto opened a restaurant in Hiroshima in early 1980 after receiving practical training in sushi and Kaiseki cuisine. Later, he was inspired by western cooking techniques and sold his restaurant to travel America; as a result, he was exposed to different fusion styles of cuisine and became more influenced, eventually settling in New York City.

Morimoto worked in a number of prestigious Manhattan restaurants, including Sony Corporation’s executive staff and visiting VIPs, Sony Club’s executive chef, and Nobu’s head chef.

During his time at Nobu, Morimoto launched the television show Iron Chef, but after several months on the air, the show was canceled in 1999, and Morimoto left the restaurant.

Later that year, in 2001, he opened Morimoto in Philadelphia. In addition, he opened the Morimoto restaurant in Chelsea, New York City. He collaborated with Tadao Ando and Goto Design Group to expand his restaurant around the world, including Wasabi in New Delhi and Mumbai, India, and Morimoto in Boca Raton, Florida.

Morimoto formed Ardaji Restaurant Ventures, LLC with businessmen Paul Ardaji, Sr. and Paul Ardaji, Jr. When Ardaji, as well as their investment entity Ardaji Restaurant Ventures, LLC, declared bankruptcy, the partnership disintegrated.

Morimoto XEX in Tokyo is also owned by Morimoto, which received a Michelin star in 2008. He also appeared in a number of other television shows, including Recep Oke Rudy, which aired on RCTI in Indonesia. Morimoto appeared on Hell’s Kitchen in 2010 to teach a contestant how to make sushi. Morimoto also appeared as a Guest Judge in Season 8 of Top Chef. He appeared as a guest star on CBS’s Hawaii Five-0 and also made his first appearance on Ma Ke Kahakai’s first season.

Private life

In 1978, Masaharu Morimoto married Keiko Morimoto. The couple is the proud parents of three children.

Morimoto, who was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame in 2011, performed at the Thousand Hearts Benefit for the relief of Japan earthquake victims in April 2011. He also received the James Beard Award for the special.

In 2010, he opened two more Morimoto restaurants in Napa Valley and Waikiki, Hawaii. Morimoto later reopened the Asian Fusion restaurant Bistro in New York in October 2013. In April 2016, he opened Momosan Ramen & Sake on Lexington Avenue in New York City.

Morimoto and his family currently reside in New York.

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