Masako Morishita

From The Right Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

Masako Morishita is a Japanese executive chef based in Washington, D.C..[1][2] She was named as the James Beard Foundation's 2024 Emerging Chef.[1][3]

Early life

Morishita was born in Kobe, Japan.[1] Her family has worked in the restaurant business for a century. Her family's restaurant, Morishita Liquor and Bar, is run by her mother and father.[1][2] Morishita's grandmother previous ran and was a cooked at Morishita Liquor and Bar.[1][2] In 2013, she traveled to the United States as an exchange student in Poplar, Wisconsin.[2][4]

Career

In 2013, Morishita moved to Washington, D.C.[1] She joined the Washington Commanders cheer squad and stayed for five years, retiring in 2018.[1][4][5] She was the team's first cheer squad captain who was born overseas [1] In 2018, it was reported that Morishita and Andrew Chiou - her then boyfriend and business partner - opened the a Japanese restaurant Momo Yakitori.[5] In 2019, Morishita filed a lawsuit against her then ex-boyfriend chef Andrew Chiou and the business Momo Yakitori, which is an LLC legally under Chiou's name, for $66,000.[6] Morishita's attorney stated Morishita was entitled to damages regarding the salary she was allegedly owed; however, Chiou claims that Morishita was never actually an employee at the restaurant.[6] Also in 2019, Morishita opened her first solo pop-up, Otabe.[1][7] In 2021, Maxwell Park, a Washington, D.C. wine bar, commissioned Morishita for several dishes for tastings and eventually hired her as executive chef.[1] She worked at Maxwell Park until 2022.[2][7][8] After leaving Maxwell Park in 2022, she started working as executive chef at Perry's, a forty-year old sushi restaurant located in the Adams Morgan neighborhood.[2][9][10][7] At Perry's, she started a new Japanese breakfast service.[2][3][11] She is also the first Japanese woman to hold the executive chef position in Perry's history.[7] In 2023, Morishita was named at "Chef of the Year" by D.C. Eater.[12] In 2024, she was named as the James Beard Foundation's Emerging Chef.[1][3][3][13] She was also nominated as a finalist by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) in its "Rising Culinary Star of the Year" category.[14] She is also a member of the United States Department of State's American Culinary Corps.[15]

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 "Emerging Chef Winner Masako Morishita on Achieving Her American Dream | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Stern, Gary. "James Beard Award-Winning Chef Morishita Is Reimaganing Japanese Comfort Food". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Adkins, Lenore (2024-04-16). "D.C.'s Newest James Beard Nominee Wows With This Unique Japanese Dish". Eater DC. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "How Being a Cheerleader Prepared Masako Morishita to Be a Chef". Washingtonian (magazine). 2024-01-08. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Plumb, Tierney (2018-01-31). "Japanese Grill Momo Yakitori Plans February Opening". Eater DC. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hiatt, Gabe (2019-05-20). "Lawsuit Claims Momo Yakitori Chef Never Paid Alleged Partner". Eater DC. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Never Gets Old: Perry's Keeps It Fresh With New Chef, Iconic Drag Brunch". DCist. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  8. ↑ Plumb, Tierney (2021-08-10). "A Rising Chef Finds a Home for Her Japanese Comfort Food at Maxwell Park". Eater DC. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  9. ↑ "From Commanders cheerleader to 'Top Chef': How Masako Morishita is re-imagining DC's elite food scene". wusa9.com. 2024-07-11. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  10. ↑ Limpert, Ann (2024-06-11). "Michael Rafidi and Masako Morishita Win Big at the 2024 James Beard Awards". Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  11. ↑ Plumb, Tierney (2023-10-11). "Perry's Introduces D.C. to Japanese Breakfast Service This Month". Eater DC. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  12. ↑ Plumb, Tierney (2023-12-06). "Here Are 2023's Eater Award Winners for D.C." Eater DC. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  13. ↑ Hunter, Marnie (2024-06-11). "These chefs and restaurants are the 2024 James Beard Award winners". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  14. ↑ Plumb, Tierney (2024-04-09). "Here Are the 2024 Rammy Awards Finalists". Eater DC. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  15. ↑ "Diplomatic Culinary Partnership". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
Retrieved from "https://rightwiki.org/index.php?title=Masako_Morishita&oldid=14942219"