Masako Morishita

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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]

Contents

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 previously ran and was a cook 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

Morishita was a member of the Washington Redskins cheerleading squad from 2013 to 2018. [1] [4] [5] She was the team's first non-American born captain. [1]

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] [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 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Emerging Chef Winner Masako Morishita on Achieving Her American Dream | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Stern, Gary. "James Beard Award-Winning Chef Morishita Is Reimaganing Japanese Comfort Food". Forbes . Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  3. 1 2 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. 1 2 "How Being a Cheerleader Prepared Masako Morishita to Be a Chef". Washingtonian . 2024-01-08. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  5. ↑ Plumb, Tierney (2018-01-31). "Japanese Grill Momo Yakitori Plans February Opening". Eater DC. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  6. 1 2 Hiatt, Gabe (2019-05-20). "Lawsuit Claims Momo Yakitori Chef Never Paid Alleged Partner". Eater DC. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "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.
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