Masako Morishita is a James Beard Award\u2013winning chef and the Executive Chef of Perry\u2019s, the iconic Adams Morgan restaurant in Washington, D.C. Known for her vibrant approach to Japanese comfort food, Morishita blends traditional flavors with modern techniques, drawing deep inspiration from the nostalgic dishes of her childhood in Kobe, Japan.<\/p>\n
Morishita grew up in her family\u2019s nearly 100-year-old restaurant and bar, where cooking and hospitality were part of everyday life. Some of her earliest memories include making dumplings with her mother and breathing in the comforting aromas of dashi, mirin, and soy sauce in her grandmother\u2019s kitchen. Those experiences shaped her culinary philosophy: food should evoke memory, warmth, and connection. Inspired by her mother\u2019s curiosity in the kitchen, Morishita developed a style that respects tradition while embracing creativity and experimentation.<\/p>\n
In 2013, Morishita moved to the Washington, D.C. area to audition for the Washington Commanders cheerleading team. She made the squad and later became the first captain in the team\u2019s history to be born outside the United States. While cooking for teammates and friends, she discovered a growing passion for sharing the flavors of Japan with a broader audience. <\/p>\n
In 2019, while still working a corporate job, Morishita launched her pop-up concept OTABE, named after the Japanese phrase a mother uses to encourage her children to eat. Through OTABE, she began introducing Washington diners to the comforting, nostalgic dishes of her childhood. The project quickly gained attention in the local culinary scene and ultimately inspired her to leave the corporate world to pursue cooking full-time.<\/p>\n
In 2022, Morishita was named Executive Chef of Perry\u2019s, a Washington institution that has been a neighborhood staple for more than four decades. At Perry\u2019s, she revitalized the restaurant\u2019s menu with her distinctive interpretation of Japanese comfort food\u2014balancing authentic flavors with bold, modern influences. Dishes such as Garlic Edamame Dumplings with parmesan, lemon, and chives and Miso Butter Clams with miso dashi broth and togarashi reflect her ability to bridge tradition and innovation.<\/p>\n
Morishita\u2019s work has earned widespread recognition. In 2023, Eater DC named her Chef of the Year. In 2024, she was named one of Plate Magazine\u2019s Chefs to Watch, received the RAMMY Award for Rising Culinary Star, and won the James Beard Foundation Award for Emerging Chef, one of the most prestigious honors in the culinary world. She also served as a member of the U.S. Department of State\u2019s American Culinary Corps (2022\u20132024), representing the power of food as a tool for cultural diplomacy.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":10593,"template":"","class_list":["post-10592","chef","type-chef","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southernsmoke.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chef\/10592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southernsmoke.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chef"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southernsmoke.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chef"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southernsmoke.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southernsmoke.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10592"}],"curies":[{"name":"\u0648\u0648\u0631\u062f\u0628\u0631\u064a\u0633","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}