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00:00Good morning.
00:03Chefs, you've made it to the finale.
00:14Now, just two challenges remain before one of you
00:17will be named Morimoto Sushi Master,
00:19gain the recognition to realize your culinary dreams,
00:23and win the grand prize of $25,000.
00:26Wow.
00:29Chefs, you've been tested on the fundamentals of sushi.
00:38Faced off with a giant tuna.
00:40I feel pretty confident in this one. You?
00:42Yep.
00:43Kamagoyaki and bento boxes.
00:45This shape like I'm seeing every day.
00:47Thank you, chef.
00:49You've battled it out in team challenges.
00:52We're mean, we're green, we're sushi machines.
00:54Created works of art.
00:55Ooh!
00:56And traveled the world of flavors.
00:58Hey, who do you think's got the hardest country?
01:00Dude, I think honestly you did, man.
01:03Your journey to the finale has been unforgettable.
01:07I'm so sorry. It's on fire. It's okay.
01:09This is easily the most fun station we've been to.
01:11Each of you have won challenges and received the praise of your judges.
01:15It's beep. Good.
01:17But you've also faced critiques.
01:19Shrimp is nothing special, just a shrimp.
01:22If I had some wasabi, I'd be getting a little bit more Japanese.
01:25I'm conflicted.
01:26Even more vinegar.
01:27And soda.
01:28Got it.
01:29You've grown tremendously as chefs.
01:32And one of you will soon join the ranks of global culinary elites as Morimoto's Sushi Master.
01:41In your final Ikose Challenge, we are inviting you to craft a dish that highlights your skills that you've yet to fully exhibit in this competition.
01:49We want to be surprised by techniques or preparations that we might not be expecting.
01:56Consider this a choose-your-own-adventure culinary journey.
02:00I am stoked.
02:02We get to showcase us and impress the judge based upon our skill set.
02:06I feel like it's anyone's game, but I want to come home with a trophy.
02:10I want to win it.
02:11Chefs, this is it. This is the final.
02:14Show me your skill and your heart from the bottom.
02:18Okay, this is your personal bottom.
02:27Since we don't have such a strict parameter on what you can or cannot cook, judging is going to be difficult because it's going to be subjective.
02:35The way I'm going to look at this is whose dishes are the most technically proficient.
02:41So make sure whatever you cook is strong enough to keep you here.
02:46All right, chefs, you'll have 60 minutes and access to a pantry stock with incredible ingredients for your dish.
02:53When time is up, you'll present your dishes one at a time at the omakase table.
02:58This is an elimination challenge.
03:03One chef will be cut from the competition.
03:07Okay.
03:08This is the first time that a chef will be eliminated for the first challenge of the day.
03:12And I just cannot feel any other way other than determined to win.
03:17Your time starts now.
03:21It's short in this!
03:23It is the finale!
03:24Good luck, chefs!
03:30The judges made it clear that it's about technical proficiency.
03:34So I'm definitely looking out for both contestants.
03:37They're both very strong.
03:39And I know they'll probably put something together that will match the level of technique that I want to put forward as well.
03:46Today I'm going to be preparing some yakitori.
03:49It is going to be an execution of skill.
03:52The idea that breaking down fish requires skill set.
03:56Sometimes I feel like chicken requires even more technique to break down efficiently.
04:01Yakitori is something that really speaks to me because of the precision required to handle the chicken
04:07and the respect for the tradition of it.
04:11What do I need? What do I need?
04:13All storage.
04:14I'm feeling more relaxed and comfortable in the kitchen today
04:18because I won two challenges in the last competition.
04:22I'm feeling more confident today.
04:27I am making itayori tempura and also wasabi tartar sauce that go with it.
04:33And also I'm doing a vegan sushi because that's my specialty.
04:39I'm cooking as if this is my restaurant.
04:43I need to really enjoy this.
04:45Being in a restaurant environment and in life in general, I've struggled with speaking up.
04:51Developing vegan sushi almost feel like it gave me a voice.
04:55And I want to make sure the judges know who I am.
04:59So I'm devoning.
05:01This is itayori and I'm gonna salt it.
05:04So I'll be ready to tempura.
05:06I tend to do clean dish.
05:10Clean tasting, clean looking.
05:12But I've been getting that my taste wasn't there.
05:16It's too quiet.
05:17It's like my personality.
05:19I'm just trying to come out more and, you know, make sure they know who I am.
05:26Like I said, as if in my restaurant, but it's not.
05:31I am working on my matcha pasta dough right now.
05:46I am making a matcha uni pasta with a miso dashi broth.
05:51It's gonna have different components such as, uh, squirting twill, tomato ohitashi, ikura, and the star is gonna be the uni broth.
06:00This dish means a lot to me.
06:02It opened a gateway for me as a chef.
06:04I never liked uni before.
06:06When I first tasted it, it tasted oceany, briny.
06:10But when I first had it in a pasta, it kind of opened my eyes and motivated me to use Fijian flavors.
06:16I hope, uh, because I'm doing something I'm pretty comfortable with, that it's gonna do well in the competition.
06:21But then again, still have to impress the judge by making sure we execute correctly.
06:25There's definitely a lot of risk making pasta from scratch.
06:28I made pasta probably two to three times before, but I am very ambitious.
06:33I try to go above and beyond.
06:35The way I think of things is high risk takes hard rewards.
06:39So me doing this is definitely a risk that I want to take.
06:43How are you guys feeling?
06:45Feeling good.
06:46Feeling good?
06:47How are you feeling, Abe?
06:48Feeling great, man.
06:49It's a final round, guys.
06:50Let's cook our hearts out.
06:51Yeah.
06:52Yes.
06:56This is a dish that's true to me because aside from sushi, yakitori was a dish that I really fell in love with.
07:03I feel like this style of cooking is 100% all about skills.
07:07This is not very easy to execute, to get the shoulder blade muscle off, the belly of the chicken off, the skin cut off properly.
07:15Now I need to get started on stuffing my mushrooms.
07:20My stuffed mushrooms will be stuffed shiitakes with chicken meat.
07:25I'm making a variety of different parts of the chicken.
07:31I got skin that has the chicken belly.
07:34I have the thigh meat with green onions.
07:38And then I have a combo here that has the oyster meat of the chicken, part of the thigh, and also part of the chicken tail.
07:48So it's a combo of three different cuts.
07:52Still hoping that I don't go over time.
07:55Okay, guys.
07:5630!
07:58Two minutes!
08:0032分!
08:09I'm working on onigiri.
08:13I have tomato sushi and eggplant sushi.
08:17I'm fighting for female chefs.
08:20In this competition, Joan, Mio Mio, and Marisa, I know it means a lot for all the female chefs to see me.
08:30It will hopefully give them some courage to keep following their dreams.
08:35Yeah.
08:36It's my go-to sushi.
08:38So I think it came up nicely.
08:42I'm frying up my itayori canpura.
08:47I'm trying to work on my squid ink twill.
08:52I'm trying to get the temperature correct and let it dry out the moisture of it so it kind of gives like a coral look.
08:59Twill is, it's like a crisp.
09:02It's visually pleasing and has a nice texture into your dish.
09:11The only thing I need now is more sauce.
09:14I grab my mixture and start whisking my broth to build a foam.
09:18Okay, guys.
09:19This is some 12 minutes.
09:2112!
09:2212 minutes left.
09:2312 minutes left.
09:24Please, oh, please, oh, please.
09:26Uh...
09:27Damn it.
09:28I'm worried that my sauce is not building me the foam that I'm looking for.
09:31Let's just see how this turns out.
09:33Looks good.
09:34Mmm.
09:35It's down to three.
09:36We have Chef Jason, Chef Yoko, and I'm feeling like there's a lot of pressure because someone is gonna be cut.
09:54I'm gonna start plating.
09:56Okay, judges.
09:58Any initial thoughts?
10:00I think it's quite interesting that each chef has chosen such a different dish, but each one is such a technical dish.
10:10Chef Philip, I know yakitori looks like simple chicken skewers, but is it easy to prepare?
10:16I would hope he's very used to this technique.
10:19If not, this would be a really terrible decision to make in the finale.
10:23If the chicken is not cooked perfectly, crispy skin, that's it.
10:27Good on him for going for it.
10:29I want the fat to render down.
10:34I want it to create that smoke.
10:36I want to try to capture the smoke a little bit and really get that smokiness on the meat.
10:42With competitions, anything can happen.
10:44I hope I would make it to the final round, but anything could happen at any moment, and I could be going home for any reason.
10:51I'm making a tartar sauce.
10:56Nice.
10:57I'm just gonna add wasabi.
11:02Nice.
11:02I'm just going to add wasabi.
11:10One minute left.
11:11One minute.
11:11One minute.
11:12One minute.
11:13One minute.
11:14One minute.
11:15Focus, chefs.
11:17Focus.
11:18They will look nice.
11:24I'm trying to plate this nice as I can.
11:27This is the one that matters the most.
11:31I'm just going to get a little more sauce on these.
11:3610, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
11:51Hands up, please, chefs.
11:54I'm proud of the yakitori dish that I put up,
11:56but I'm also a little worried because anything can happen.
12:00Yoko or Abe could pull out some crazy dish with great level
12:03of technical proficiency.
12:06All right, Jason.
12:07Come on up.
12:16So today I decided to make yakitori.
12:18The first two skewers are shiitake mushrooms that are stuffed with trimmings.
12:22And the next one is the negima, thigh meat with the green onion.
12:26And then the following skewer, it's got skin that comes from the upper back, the breast meat.
12:31And it also has the belly portion of it, too.
12:33And then the last skewer is a combo.
12:36It's got the tail, the inner thigh meat, and then the oyster.
12:40And on the side, I prepared an onsen tamago, so it's a very soft-boiled egg.
12:44There's a little bit of a chili crisp on there and some green onions.
12:47I feel like the skill set required for yakitori is similar to that of sushi.
12:52Just like sushi requires such a high level of skill set to break down a piece of fish,
12:58the chicken or the bird, I feel, requires even more skills.
13:03This is good.
13:05And successfully, you used a charcoal because it's crispy outside and juicy inside.
13:10I would have liked some different flavor profiles for each skewer, but very good.
13:16Thank you, Chef.
13:17It's a relief to hear them say that they really enjoyed it.
13:20I'm hoping what I served the judges was good enough to stay here.
13:24Okay, Yoko, show us your dish.
13:27Today, I made pan-pei sushi with tomato, eggplant, and corn, and also my take on fish and chips.
13:37And the sauce has wasabi, so it's a little kick.
13:40I know I struggle with turning off my volume throughout this competition, so I wanted to
13:45showcase something that has some more punch.
13:50Yeah.
13:52Aw.
14:01The eggplant is one of the best pieces of sushi that I've had all season.
14:07It was fantastic.
14:08Ordinary technique, but not ordinary outcome.
14:11Very, very good.
14:12Thank you so much.
14:14I'm so happy that he thinks that was the best nigiri he ever had in competition.
14:22And it was eggplant.
14:23I'm really proud of it.
14:25Abe?
14:26Come on up.
14:30What I have for you here is a matcha uni pasta with crispy fried shiitake mushrooms,
14:36squid ink twill, and Japanese uni with a little togarashi on top.
14:41A long time ago, I didn't like uni at all until I met my wife.
14:45We ate at a restaurant that had an uni pasta.
14:48And that was like the gateway of getting inspired by other dishes and for me to become a chef.
14:53I'm happy to show this to you guys today.
14:55I respect and I actually really admire the fact that you were like, okay, I like pasta, may not be my strongest thing I cook, but it's what I want to cook.
15:12And so I do admire that.
15:15I do think you didn't have enough sauce.
15:18Both chef's plate is essentially dry and so is mine.
15:22Right away, he noticed that there was not enough sauce.
15:24I'm like, oh, my God.
15:25I knew this was coming, but I didn't have time to make the sauce that I wanted.
15:28Definitely nervous about this one.
15:29Chefs, please join us at the omakasi table.
15:34Well, here we are chefs, one of you will not be moving on to the finale, let's find out who's going home.
16:04We have three great chefs with three great dishes, but one of you will be leaving us now.
16:26Abe, you will not be going into the finale.
16:38I'm sorry.
16:39I'm sorry.
16:40I'm happy, happy guy.
16:46So this is a very tough decision.
16:49I'm very sad.
16:51I let you leave.
16:52You know what I mean?
16:53You're a great chef.
16:54You have nice smiling and nice skill, nice technique.
16:57You can do anything from Asian food to the pasta.
17:00You are the greatest chef.
17:02Okay?
17:03Unyielding, meaning never give up.
17:11That's a good way to define you, Abe.
17:13Yes.
17:14Thank you so much, Chef.
17:15I'm very proud of myself.
17:17There's only a handful of chefs that get to be in this competition.
17:21I came to prove that if you have a passion for cooking, no matter what you've done in your past or where you're from,
17:26it's all about what you do now, and I feel like me making to the finals is more than enough.
17:31This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
17:33If you really believe that you could achieve something, you can.
17:36You guys are awesome.
17:37Me too.
17:38Me too.
17:39I can't root for one of you guys, but I'm rooting for both of you guys.
17:43So you guys are great, Chef.
17:44Thank you so much, guys.
17:45Thank you so much, Abe.
17:46You're amazing.
17:47Chef Morimoto, thank you so much for this opportunity, and I'm not going to let you down.
17:52I'm going to keep improving.
17:53Congratulations, Yoko and Jason.
17:56You are facing off in the finale.
17:58Congratulations.
18:02What a crazy competition this has been.
18:04Oh, my God.
18:05It's you and Jason, the only one standing now.
18:08In the quietest chest.
18:10I know, right?
18:11I'm very excited.
18:12As am I.
18:13I'm very excited.
18:14Thank you so much.
18:16For your Sushi Master Challenge, you'll each be tested on your cooking skills, sushi preparation,
18:22and showmanship.
18:25The final steps of becoming a Sushi Master is live preparation and presentation at the omakase bar.
18:33We want you to make an eight-course omakase tasting menu that you will serve live to the judges.
18:39You'll be making four sushi dishes and four other dishes that are appropriate for an omakase.
18:48What I'm expecting when we come and sit down at each of your stations, I'm expecting to feel like I'm at a high-end, Michelin-starred omakase restaurant.
18:58A great omakase is a culinary journey where every bite tells a story about the chef's passion, skill, and attention to detail, creating an unforgettable dining experience.
19:09You'll have 90 minutes to prep before your customers, which is us, will be sitting at your bar and your service will begin.
19:17You must complete that service in one hour and 15 minutes.
19:22I know.
19:23That's, like, so much to ask of you.
19:25So, we are actually going to give you some help.
19:28I wonder who.
19:31Welcome back, Chef Lucas.
19:33Oh, my gosh.
19:34Great to see you all again.
19:38Lucas will be helping you both for prep and for service.
19:44Jason, Lucas will help you for the first 45 minutes of prep.
19:48Then, Yoko, Lucas will help you for 45 minutes of prep.
19:52Additionally, you'll both have Lucas' assistance for one hour of your omakase service.
19:58All right, chefs, your time starts now.
20:02Good luck, chefs.
20:03Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
20:10Let's go, guys. Let's go.
20:13The final challenge is omakase.
20:16You know, I'm feeling so happy and excited.
20:19This feels like the once-in-lifetime opportunity.
20:22I really have to keep my focus, show my strength, and my personality.
20:27Oh, what am I forgetting?
20:28I saw dried shrimp.
20:29Did we see dried shrimp before?
20:31Eight courses in 90 minutes can be a little difficult.
20:34So, I'm going to try to be as precise as possible.
20:37I'm going to try to make every dish count.
20:40This kinmedai is going to be one of my beginning courses.
20:44The kinmedai is a king of snapper, so it's an honor to use the kinmedai.
20:49I've done omakases before at home and at the restaurants in the past.
20:53It's a fun experience.
20:54Omakase is a really fun way to do things that you may not do all the time.
20:58I'm making tamagoyaki because I know Chef Philip loved the taste of my tamagoyaki.
21:12Mmm.
21:13Mmm.
21:14It's very, very tasty, Chef.
21:15Thank you so much.
21:16Let's go.
21:17It's going to be soy sauce and sugar that goes well with sushi rice.
21:27Right now, I'm going to start breaking down this fish.
21:31All right.
21:32So, this one is the kamasu.
21:35This is going to be for the nigiri course.
21:38My inspiration for the high-end omakase is adding some unique flavors to traditional nigiri,
21:47and that would be the Puerto Rican aspect of myself.
21:58Sorry, taco.
22:00So, I picked octopus.
22:03I want to do a very, like, nice appetizer dish.
22:07So, that previous challenge really inspired me to look into more artists,
22:13and I thought about incorporating their art history into my cooking.
22:19I wanted to do something that's outside of my box.
22:23Of course, I want to keep this mokase traditional,
22:26but I want to make something that's also playful and interactive for the guests.
22:32What you doing over there, Yoko?
22:35And...
22:36What you beating up?
22:38Oh, it's got to be taco.
22:40Yes, I'm beating taco to tantalize the octopus.
22:48Right now, I'm separating the shrimp.
22:50This is going to be part of the mofongo dish.
22:53I'm going to make a tartare out of the meat, and then I'm going to fry the heads.
22:58Mofongo is one of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes.
23:01It is an absolute comfort food for me.
23:04My mother is Puerto Rican, and mofongo was something that I always grew up eating.
23:09So, this dish is, you know, an honor of my mom and my Puerto Rican side.
23:14Jason, I got the bacon rendering right now on the stove for the mofongo.
23:20And then I'm wrapping the leeks right now with the remainder of the bacon.
23:23Okay.
23:29And then I'm going to do tofu next.
23:31I normally just smoke the regular tofu, but I'm going to try homemade tofu this time.
23:42I'm making smoked tofu, which is for my persimmon salad.
23:47I probably smoked this before I cook it.
23:51I really want to make the first dish something that's eye-opening,
23:55so you're excited to eat more for next courses.
23:59Yoko, you about ready for me?
24:02Yes.
24:03I'm heading over soon.
24:04How many minutes?
24:05I don't know.
24:06Not soon enough, right?
24:08Why could I not use this?
24:11Yeah.
24:12I always...
24:14Ow!
24:15Sorry, I caught myself.
24:17Uh-oh.
24:18Medic.
24:19Medic, please.
24:20Oh, no.
24:23Chef, here.
24:26Hold it above your heart.
24:28Take it down.
24:29Oh, I'm going to slide over here.
24:30Okay.
24:31Okay.
24:32That's not good.
24:35Oh, .
24:37Oh, .
24:38Oh, yeah.
24:39He's got warm.
24:40All right.
24:41We need to stick all the way down.
24:42Okay.
24:43Come on.
24:44Hold on to me.
24:47That sucks.
24:49I need a seat.
24:50Here.
24:51Hold on to me.
24:52I need a chair right here.
24:53It's okay.
24:54It's all right.
24:55It's happening.
24:56Can I...
24:57Can I lay down possibly?
24:58I don't know what's happening.
25:00How's that feel?
25:01You look better?
25:02Yeah, I'm okay.
25:03Okay.
25:04Perfect.
25:05You okay, Yoko?
25:06Yes, thank you.
25:07The cuts doesn't usually really affect me.
25:08Okay.
25:09But this time, it was very difficult to keep cooking.
25:12So I want to raise it up, and we'll raise it up.
25:13Jeff.
25:14What are you looking for?
25:15That's good.
25:16Perfect.
25:17You're the best, Lucas.
25:19You're good, okay.
25:20Okay.
25:21You're fine.
25:22Okay, perfect.
25:24You okay, Yuko?
25:25You okay, Yuko?
25:26Yes, thank you.
25:27Yes, thank you.
25:28The cuts doesn't usually really affect me.
25:29Okay.
25:30And this time, it was very difficult to keep cooking.
25:33I want to give it up, and I want to give it up.
25:36Jeff, what are you looking for?
25:38Yeah, it's good.
25:39Perfect.
25:40You're the best, Lucas.
25:42Time's up. You need to go help her, please.
25:45All right, Yoko, I'm here.
25:46Okay, great.
25:47What do you need?
25:48Uh, I need a smoke gum.
25:50We're gonna smoke this liquid and then blend in it.
25:53What kind of smoke do you want?
25:54Apple, please.
25:55Apple hurt.
25:58Good.
25:59Yeah, that's great.
26:00So right now, I have kohada and aji.
26:04Kohada and aji have specific way of prepping,
26:07and I think it's one of the items
26:10that really shows the skill of sushi chef.
26:15You still thinking ice cream, chef?
26:17Yes.
26:19The ice cream maker takes about 45 minutes.
26:22Maybe more.
26:24All right.
26:26In my head, I planned very well.
26:31I don't know what to do.
26:32Let's see.
26:34But in real time, my plan wasn't coming together as I hoped.
26:41Is that for the ice cream?
26:43Yes, sir.
26:44I want to use ice cream maker,
26:46but I'm running out of time,
26:48so I'm gonna use liquid nitrogen instead.
26:51Lucas, I'll need nitrogen, like, really soon.
26:54Heard.
26:56I'm making uni ice cream.
26:59I'm shucking some oysters.
27:19What course is the oysters for, chef?
27:21It should be, like, seven, so you're doing a...
27:24Hold on. I think I just need...
27:27I think I just need to breathe.
27:33Breathe, Yoko.
27:34Yeah.
27:35Everything started to feel overwhelming,
27:38but I'm here for a reason,
27:40and I'll keep going so I can have smooth omakase.
27:45It's okay, Yoko. You got this.
27:47Give him a clap. Give him a clap.
27:48You got this.
27:57Hello, chefs.
27:58Hi, Yoko.
27:59I'm nervous because I'm cooking
28:01right in front of the legends.
28:03I'm telling myself to remember to breathe.
28:06I think if I stay calm,
28:08it will be an amazing course of omakase.
28:13So, through this competition,
28:15I had this idea of, like,
28:17how this sushi should be,
28:19but meeting all these different kind of chefs
28:21really inspired me to open up more,
28:24so I wanted to prepare something
28:26that's playful for me.
28:28But first,
28:29could we take a shot?
28:31Yes.
28:32Thank you so much.
28:34All right.
28:35Cheers, y'all.
28:36Congratulations, chef.
28:37Cheers.
28:38Good luck.
28:39Bye.
28:40Thank you so much.
28:45All right.
28:46So, first course is going to be
28:48smoked tofu salad
28:50with persimmon and pistachio.
28:52I wanted to add a little bit of smoke
28:54to enjoy the smokiness
28:56and the freshness of the fruits.
28:58And...
29:01Oh.
29:02Gorgeous.
29:03Thank you so much.
29:04Oh, my gosh, it smells like Japan.
29:09I also smoked the tofu sauce.
29:12That's a very smart idea.
29:15Taco.
29:16We start with tomato.
29:18Tomato first.
29:19We want a tamari.
29:20So, for second course,
29:21we have beef chips with kinkan
29:22and also burger yaki with caviar
29:24and bokutokvas
29:26and shoyu nilin suki.
29:28Each item has different textures
29:29and flavor,
29:31and I'm able to show my platefulness
29:33on the plate.
29:34So, chef, how did you get into sushi?
29:36I got into sushi when I first moved to America, actually.
29:49So, you left Japan, moved to America,
29:51and then got into sushi?
29:52Yeah.
29:54Today, I have katsu,
29:56and then kamasu,
29:58and aji.
29:59Each has different way of preparing,
30:03and I really wanted to bring that to omakase today.
30:11Sashimi is very refreshing.
30:13Thank you so much.
30:14Nice choice.
30:20This a wave?
30:21Wave, yes.
30:22Nami?
30:23Hi.
30:24I was inspired by the Hokusai picture Nami,
30:27so I really want to bring my inspiration from art
30:30to my omakase.
30:31Of course, it's a two-piece of nigiri.
30:34We have kohada and aji.
30:47Did you like it?
30:49What do you mean?
30:50Oh, you don't think you should...
30:52Oh, okay.
30:55Oh, really?
30:56Yeah, those are more salt.
30:58Definitely a hundred percent.
31:02What's there bone, you said?
31:03Little.
31:04Sorry about that.
31:06Don't let that bother you, though.
31:07I have two kinds of oysters.
31:18One is ponzu ginger juice,
31:20and the other is marinated in soy sauce and dashi.
31:24Cook sushi and the oysters.
31:29I never even think about this.
31:31These are quite, you know, nice, new ideas.
31:35This is another playful roll.
31:37I wanted to do a Philadelphia roll.
31:40When I first moved to America,
31:42when I had Philadelphia roll,
31:43I thought it was really weird.
31:45Yeah, you know, weird with the cream cheese?
31:47But they tasted really good,
31:48so I did it with the mascarpone cheese instead
31:50and toro.
31:54This is the best Philadelphia roll I've ever had
31:56because it was toro, not smoked salmon.
31:59Exactly.
32:00And you didn't put cream cheese in it.
32:06Oh, and...
32:07It just keeps getting better and better.
32:08So you have wagyu with uni truffle,
32:15mountain potato hasamaki,
32:17and tamago.
32:26I learned calligraphy as a kid,
32:28so using squid ink to do calligraphy,
32:32it feels very nostalgic and also innovative
32:35that I was able to put that into cooking.
32:37into cooking.
32:42Oh.
32:43Does that say kokoro?
32:44It's, uh...
32:45Heart.
32:46Heart, soul?
32:51The soul.
32:52She literally put it on the plate.
32:58This is uni ice cream with pistachio.
33:01I wanted to do calligraphy
33:03because I wanted to do something
33:05that's very unique to me.
33:07Yeah.
33:08So, yes.
33:09Please enjoy.
33:10Oh, wait.
33:11Oh!
33:12So that's the ice cream
33:13is the part of the...
33:14Okay.
33:15Not enough.
33:16One more dot.
33:17Right, right, right.
33:18She made one more at that
33:21dot for ice cream.
33:23Then this is kokoro.
33:24Heartland.
33:25That's a part of...
33:26Yes.
33:27The center of her heart is made out of sea urchin.
33:29Oh, so, so, so.
33:30Yes.
33:36So this is the end of meal.
33:37This is good.
33:38And then from your spirits
33:40or entire meal.
33:41So from, uh,
33:43smoke
33:44to here.
33:51I'm very, very proud of myself
33:53that I kept going.
33:54Throughout competition,
33:55I was able to showcase
33:56my vegan sushi,
33:58my personality
33:59and creativity
34:01and most importantly,
34:02I stay true to myself.
34:04I've done omakases in the past,
34:18so I have an idea
34:19of how it should progress.
34:22Hello, chefs.
34:23Hello.
34:24But these are the most
34:25intimidating people
34:26to be serving an omakase, too.
34:28Welcome.
34:29This is their domain.
34:30This is their world.
34:31I'm nervous.
34:33Shall we start?
34:35Absolutely.
34:36It's all you.
34:37Okay.
34:39Excited.
34:40So today's first course
34:42is going to be
34:43a seared salmon belly.
34:45It's gonna have
34:46a little hot sauce
34:47that I made.
34:48I'm just gonna take the belly.
34:49I'm gonna sear it off.
34:50I'm trying to work
34:51as calmly as possible.
34:53I want to show them
34:54that I'm confident
34:55in my dishes.
34:56I'm confident
34:57in my ideas.
34:58I'm not hesitating.
34:59This is a dream come true
35:01to serve Chef Morimoto.
35:02At my own omakase.
35:05Chef Morimoto,
35:06at your sushi restaurants
35:08when you're serving omakase,
35:09are you one
35:10to talk a lot
35:11or no?
35:12It depends on the customer.
35:13Oh, it depends on the customer.
35:14And then how much
35:15are they gonna spend?
35:16No, they're just kidding.
35:18So here we have
35:20the seared salmon,
35:22the cucumbers
35:24I marinated in
35:25Dijon mustard,
35:26soy, sesame oil,
35:27and vinegar mixture.
35:28And the hot sauce
35:30is at the bottom.
35:31Mm-hmm.
35:39What do you guys think?
35:40Hot sauce isn't something
35:41that you typically
35:42see very often.
35:43A very Latin
35:44kind of vibe.
35:45Yeah.
35:47So the next course
35:48is inspired
35:49by my Puerto Rican side.
35:51My mom makes
35:52amazing Puerto Rican food
35:53and there's something
35:54about when mom makes it.
35:55There's like
35:56a feeling of love
35:57with it too.
35:58Yeah.
35:59My main comfort dish
36:00for Puerto Rican food
36:01is mofongo.
36:02It's a mashed plantain
36:03and then it's gonna get
36:04topped with shrimp head
36:05and also I'm gonna add
36:07a Japanese inspired
36:09broth to the dish as well.
36:11So it's a little chicken,
36:12it's a little dashi lyrica.
36:15And I'm gonna come around
36:16with the broth.
36:25Chef Morimoy,
36:26what do you think
36:27about this dish?
36:28Quiet.
36:29Quiet?
36:30The meal itself
36:31is quiet so far.
36:32Mm-hmm.
36:33People eating gufu
36:34are quiet.
36:35Ah.
36:36This is a very
36:37interesting dish
36:38because I've never had
36:39anything quite like it.
36:40Me too.
36:41This is kin medai
36:46and it's got a saikyo,
36:47miso, and yuzu sauce
36:49on the bottom.
36:50And then we're sauteing
36:51off some vegetables,
36:53corn, okra,
36:54and jalapeno.
36:55So this dish
36:56is sweet
36:57with the fish
36:58and then the flavor
37:00punch of the vegetables.
37:05My next course
37:06is going to be
37:07a seared piece
37:08of wagyu
37:09New York strip
37:10with the marinated vegetables
37:11and a bacon-wrapped leek.
37:18Jason, you've got
37:19a very interesting style.
37:20The ideals
37:21that hit the plate
37:22are combinations
37:23I don't think
37:24I've had before.
37:25Where does this idea
37:26of a bacon-wrapped leek
37:28pairing with wagyu
37:29come from?
37:30I mean, I try to have
37:32the idea of balance
37:33in mind,
37:34of acidity
37:35with savoriness
37:36from meat.
37:38Now we're gonna
37:39be jumping into
37:40sushi.
37:41Ooh!
37:43How did you get into sushi?
37:44Growing up,
37:45I lived in Puerto Rico
37:46until I was 10 years old.
37:47Moved to Milwaukee
37:48when I was 10.
37:49As soon as I
37:50graduated high school,
37:51broke teenager,
37:52going out to get sushi,
37:53you're like,
37:54I can't afford this,
37:55maybe I could make this.
37:56So sushi for me
37:57started as a passion
37:59and that's never changed.
38:00You know,
38:01this is my favorite part
38:02of my day,
38:03making nigiri.
38:04It's about, like,
38:05the consistency.
38:06It's about the pressure.
38:08There's so much to it.
38:09You know,
38:10that's a dream of mine,
38:11to just do, like,
38:12an omakase restaurant.
38:13So if you opened
38:14your own restaurant,
38:15it would be in Milwaukee?
38:16Yes, it would.
38:17And you'd want it
38:18to be in Milwaukee?
38:19I would.
38:20I don't want to
38:21leave Milwaukee hanging.
38:22I want there to be,
38:23like, somebody there
38:24who wants there
38:25to be good sushi
38:26in Milwaukee.
38:27It's just a matter of time.
38:28Yeah.
38:29So here we have
38:30the, uh...
38:31Ooh, thank you.
38:32It's got some grated daikon,
38:34ponzu, chives,
38:36and some crushed cashews.
38:43Now I have some
38:44clam nigiri,
38:46agunganmaki.
38:47It's gonna have
38:49black truffle
38:50and a little bit
38:51of lemon juice.
38:52Exciting.
38:59Mmm, this is a nice
39:00interesting dish.
39:01Tastes like, maybe,
39:02if you're eating sushi
39:03at, like, a crab shack,
39:04almost.
39:09So right now,
39:10I have kamasu coming
39:11with a Thai basil oil,
39:14and then it's gonna
39:15get topped with a
39:16parmesan crisp.
39:19Enjoy.
39:20Whoa.
39:33So this is the
39:34Santa Barbara uni.
39:35Wow.
39:36The Golden Ocetra caviar,
39:37and there's some
39:38matcha green tea
39:39on the outside.
39:40Is this meant
39:41for sort of
39:42dragging and yipping,
39:43or...?
39:44a little tea
39:45along with the sushi.
39:51I will like this one.
39:55Oh, my God,
39:56sweet mother of pearl.
39:59I'm gonna end it
40:00with some tea
40:01for you guys.
40:03And this is the
40:04fukamushi center.
40:05Whoa.
40:09Well, thank you, chefs.
40:12Thank you for
40:13dining at my restaurant.
40:14Hope you enjoyed everything.
40:14Thank you so much.
40:35Thank you for dining with me.
40:36I'm feeling relieved.
40:38It's over with.
40:39I served the judges.
40:40I got some good feedback.
40:42I believe
40:43that my omakase
40:44showcased the skills
40:45that I have
40:46put forward
40:47throughout this
40:48entire competition.
40:49I'm feeling
40:50confident,
40:51but it is a competition
40:52and anything can happen.
41:04Jason?
41:06Yoko?
41:09This has been
41:10an incredible journey.
41:11Thank you so much
41:13for sharing your food,
41:14your skills,
41:15creativity,
41:16and your stories
41:17with us.
41:18You should both
41:19be so proud
41:20of yourselves
41:21with what you were able
41:22to show us
41:23in this competition.
41:24Jason,
41:26so I want you
41:27to challenge you
41:28from day one
41:29to today,
41:30the finale.
41:31You've been great.
41:32And then today's omakase,
41:33your background
41:34from Otrico,
41:35you say?
41:36Yes.
41:37great,
41:38a successful story.
41:39Thank you very much
41:40for that.
41:43to Yoko.
41:47First time I saw you
41:48eight contestants here.
41:50Oh, such a small
41:51Japanese girl
41:52came in, huh?
41:53So that was
41:54first impression.
41:56Now,
41:57you are here
41:58like this.
41:59Top two.
42:00There were so many hits,
42:10and very few misses
42:11in both of your omakases,
42:13but it came down to
42:15who had the most
42:16flavorful dishes.
42:18Only one of you
42:19will earn
42:20the $25,000 prize
42:21and the most coveted
42:22title in the world
42:24of sushi.
42:27Let's find out
42:28which chef
42:29has truly earned
42:30the title
42:31as Morimoto's
42:32sushi master.
42:42And Morimoto's
42:44sushi master
42:45is...
42:59I did it.
43:13I won.
43:14Winning Morimoto's
43:15sushi master
43:16validates
43:17all of the
43:18hard work
43:19that I've put
43:20in so far
43:21and why
43:22I do what I do
43:23now and why
43:24I feel so strongly
43:25about sushi.
43:26All season,
43:27you've been a very,
43:28very strong competitor.
43:29You've given us
43:30some solid dishes
43:31and even stumped
43:32me a few times.
43:33Things that I thought
43:34for sure wouldn't work
43:35did.
43:36You should be very
43:37proud of yourself.
43:39This is the biggest
43:40accomplishment
43:41of my sushi career.
43:42This whole competition
43:43has been tough.
43:44To finally make it
43:45to the end and win,
43:46it is the cherry on top.
43:47during this competition.
43:49And it is
43:50the best thing ever
43:51to be complimented
43:52by these two chefs.
43:54To hear it from you guys
43:55is the best thing
43:56in the world.
43:57Well, Jason,
43:58not only do you
43:59get the title
44:00of Morimoto's
44:01sushi master,
44:02but you also
44:03win the $25,000
44:04grand prize.
44:05Oh, my God.
44:09Thank you so much.
44:10To leave here
44:11with $25,000,
44:13I'm gonna use that
44:14to bring
44:15an elevated omakase
44:16to Milwaukee.
44:17This is quite
44:18the milestone
44:19of my career
44:20and my journey
44:21and it's
44:22nowhere close
44:23to being done.
44:24This has made me
44:25feel so good
44:26about myself.
44:27And I'm so ready
44:28for my next chapters.
44:30Thank you guys
44:31so much.
44:34You cooked
44:35really, really
44:36well all season.
44:37You should be
44:38very proud of yourself.
44:39And if you ever need
44:40an investor to open
44:41your vegan sushi
44:42restaurant, you look
44:43me up, okay?
44:44Thank you so much.
44:45Good job.
44:48Congrats.
44:49Although I didn't
44:50earn a title
44:51as a sushi master,
44:52I'm feeling happy
44:53for Jason.
44:54Throughout this competition,
44:55I got to push myself
44:56and grow
44:57as a person
44:58and chef.
44:59I feel like
45:00my confidence
45:01blossomed
45:02and I also gained
45:03my sushi brothers
45:04and sisters.
45:05I'll give you
45:06one thing, okay?
45:13Adversity
45:14polishes you
45:15like a gem.
45:16Nice English.
45:17Thank you so much.
45:18Jason.
45:19Um, come, come.
45:20Fortune,
45:21perseverance,
45:22and stubborn tenacity.
45:23Thank you so much.
45:24In the beginning,
45:25I couldn't even believe
45:26that I could get
45:27to where I'm at now.
45:28But I proved it
45:29to myself.
45:30My hard work
45:31has paid off.
45:32Coming home to Milwaukee
45:34with this win
45:35means so much to me.
45:36I know this journey
45:37isn't over
45:38and I will just
45:39continue on
45:40with the passion
45:41that I have
45:42inside for this.
45:43Okay, so...
45:44Thank you so much.
45:45Thank you so much.
45:46Thank you so much.
45:47Thank you so much.
45:48Say sushi.
45:49Sushi.
45:50Sushi.
45:51Sushi.
46:01Sushi.
46:21Sushi.
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