HONOLULU – Masaharu Morimoto, known to millions as the star of Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, is pleased to announce some exciting new menu items at Morimoto Waikiki (1775 Ala Moana Boulevard; 808.943.5900), the signature restaurant at The Modern Honolulu. Morimoto Waikiki features a stylish dining environment and offers Chef Morimoto’s signature cuisine, which seamlessly integrates Western ingredients with traditional Japanese culinary sensibilities and techniques. Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant boasts a dramatic, yet warm and welcoming décor capturing the essence of Hawaii’s lush and tropical setting.
Three of the new featured menu items include:
Morimoto ‘Pork Chop and Applesauce’
Miso marinated Kurobuta pork chop, Granny Smith apple puree, kimchee with garlic chives and house cut smoked bacon
Snapper
Locally caught seasonal snapper, yellow Thai curry sauce with Thai chili, black mussels, house polished rice, sea beans and Pohole fiddle head ferns from Hawaii Island
Hamachi Tacos
Fried gyoza shells from Sun Noodle, Japanese Hamachi ribbons, nuoc cham with cilantro, jalapeno, fish sauce, avocado puree and crème fraiche. Topped with grape tomatoes and micro cilantro.
Chef Morimoto and his discerning team of chefs pride themselves on using the freshest fish available, always seeking out the best seasonal seafood items from Japan as well as from local waters. Fish mongering is an art form in Japan, where unique care and attention is paid by fishermen to preserve the freshness from the moment they are caught. Simple preparations are best to allow the seafood’s texture, flavor, and freshness to shine. Autumn and winter are special times for seafood because as the waters turn cold, fish are fattened up to keep them warm. Chef Morimoto’s famed raw fish, which is shipped overnight directly from Tokyo, become tender and melt in your mouth.
The chefs at Morimoto Waikiki also source many varieties of locally harvested fish, capitalizing on the vast selection of seafood across the island chain. ‘Shun’ (in season) now are Hawaiian bottom fish including onaga, uku, and opakapaka, which are featured in the Crispy Whole Fish and the Thai Curry dishes. There is great anticipation for the seafood that comes with the fall season. ‘Hashiri’ or the first catch of the season will include ‘ehu and ama ebi at the sushi bar.
Morimoto Waikiki is located at 1775 Ala Moana Boulevard in The Modern Honolulu, overlooking the picturesque Ala Wai Boat Harbor in Waikiki. For reservations call 808.943.5900. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served daily with breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Sunday – Thursday and 5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The bar and lounge will be open from 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., 7 days a week. After the Labor Day holiday, Morimoto Waikiki will no longer be open for breakfast, focusing on their premiere lunch and dinner service.
About Masaharu Morimoto
Chef Masaharu Morimoto—known to millions as the star of Iron Chef and Iron Chef America—has effectively created a signature cuisine that has gained worldwide appeal and positioned him as one of the world’s most influential and acclaimed chefs today. Chef Morimoto is executive chef at Morimoto Philadelphia, Morimoto New York, Morimoto Sushi Bar in Boca Raton, FL., and Wasabi by Morimoto in Mumbai and New Dehli. In July 2010, he opened his first West Coast restaurant, Morimoto Napa, in downtown Napa’s new Riverfront development, followed by the fall debut of Morimoto Waikiki in The Modern Honolulu hotel. Over the years, he has expanded his culinary empire to Mexico City in the Camino Real Polcano, to Japonais Morimoto in Chicago and will soon open Morimoto Las Vegas in The Mirage hotel.