Internationally famous chef Masaharu Morimoto —the Iron Chef sushi master known for his Japanese restaurants around the world — is opening a new restaurant in Manhattan this year, as reported by New York Post. This marks his return to high-end dining in New York after shuttering his namesake restaurant in 2020 (which was panned by former Eater NY critic in 2015). Here’s what we know about his new forthcoming restaurant:
What is Morimoto’s new restaurant about?
It will be a high-end restaurant, per Morimoto’s press team. The chef also shared with the newspaper that it will be “a concept that will surprise and delight our guests.” It will be centered on Japanese cuisine with Western elements, as are all of Morimoto’s restaurants.
What is Morimoto’s restaurant called?
Where will Morimoto’s new restaurant be located?
It will be at 1255 Broadway at West 31st Street in Midtown South, Manhattan. The 17,642-square-foot restaurant will occupy a two-story space inside an 11-story commercial building. It will operate on the ground floor and basement. The restaurant will join a handful of other new behemoth-sized restaurants with Flatiron’s Aqua (24,000 sf) and Grand Central’s Grand Brasserie among them. The team signed a 20-year lease.
Who is involved with Morimoto’s upcoming restaurant?
Morimoto and Montclair Hospitality Group have teamed up for MM by Morimoto; the hospitality group is behind restaurants like Pasta Ramen from James Beard semifinalist Robbie Felice in Montclair, New Jersey. This will be the second in-the-works collaboration between the two groups that started in 2023; the partners first announced MM by Morimoto as a New Jersey restaurant. It’s set to open sometime in the spring of 2025.
What other restaurants does Morimoto have in New York?
There are three casual restaurants currently operating in New York: pan-Asian food stand Sa’Moto in the Citizens Market Hall near Hudson Yards (the food hall is closing in April for a revamp); ramen restaurant Momosan in Murray Hill; and recently opened hand roll food hall stand Mori Mori in the Time Out Market in Dumbo, Brooklyn.
Update, February 12: This article, originally published on February 11, has been updated with more details about the new restaurant.
AloJapan.com