Japanese restaurant Wasabi completes 20 years in India, ‘Iron chef’ Masaharu Morimoto calls it the trickiest market

“I was working in Philadelphia when someone suggested I come to India. I didn’t know much about India then but was aware that the Taj was the best hotel in the world,” recalled Chef Morimoto, adding that while he is involved in conceptualising menus, finalising presentation and ensuring the taste of every sauce, he cannot oversee day-to-day operations. “But Taj, being who they are, could. That’s how we survived 20 years in India,” he noted.

Although now a significant force in the culinary world, known for his innovative Japanese cuisine and its global popularity, Morimoto initially aspired to a career in baseball. A shoulder injury led him to pursue his other dream — becoming a sushi chef.

“I didn’t come from a wealthy family… but once or twice in a month, we – my sister, I and our parents — would go to a restaurant after payday. My mother would pour sake for my father, we would eat together. The sushi was excellent and the overall atmosphere was very good. It was then I decided to become a sushi chef,” shared chef Morimoto. He began studying sushi in his hometown of Hiroshima and, at 24, opened his first restaurant. A few years later, he moved to America to expand his culinary repertoire, and in 1995, he was hired by Nobu in New York, started by the legendary Nobu Matsuhisa.

Mizuhiki Salad was also served at the White House to former President Barack Obama. (Express Photo)

In 2001, Morimoto opened his first restaurant in Philadelphia, Wasabi. He brought it to India in 2004. Today, Wasabi operates in 23 locations across countries, including India, Mexico, Indonesia, Morocco, Qatar, the US and Japan. The most recent opening was in Bordeaux, France, and a Wasabi at Taj Lands End in Bandra is in the planning stages.

Morimoto described India as a particularly challenging market. “Twenty years ago, sourcing ingredients was very difficult. I was a pioneer, trying to make sense of everything and giving logic (to my colleagues). For example, I needed vinegar to marinate fish and make sushi rice. Initially, people were sceptical, saying ‘This is alcohol,’ and I had to explain, ‘No, this is food.’” He also noted that the restaurant greatly assisted him with vegetarian options. Soon, patrons were coming for signature dishes such as Black Cod Miso, White Fish Carpaccio, Toro Tartare, and Chilean Sea Bass with Yuzu Kosho Ponzu, as well as vegetarian options like Nori-less sushi and Truffle Lilibud.

Chef Morimoto left on Monday after spending nearly a week celebrating the restaurant’s twentieth anniversary and presenting guests with an Omakase menu. This chef-curated dinner, which means ‘I leave it up to you,’ featured dishes such as Mizuhiki Salad, served at the White House to former President Barack Obama; Grilled Chilean Sea Bass cooked on robata with yuzu kosho ponzu sauce; and Musk Melon Brandy Jelly with fig mousse, made from Japan’s muskmelon and served with matcha tea cake, muskmelon, blueberries, and blackberries. “All the ingredients were flown in last night from Japan,” he told diners. These dishes have now been added to the à la carte menu.