Meeting Morimoto at the New York Culinary Experience

Morimoto's fingers quickly rotated the daikon radish, slicing it as thin as possible. He moved with precision—always neat, never wasting any motion.

Saturday, I volunteered for the New York Culinary Experience, a two-day fantasy camp for foodies where they got to take cooking classes with their favorite chefs at The French Culinary Institute. Several culinary students and I helped Morimoto and his staff prep for his demo.

Morimoto made a large sushi platter in front of us. It would take me years to have knife skills like he does.




Morimoto's second-in-command Jamison Blankenship (right) explained to us each step that Morimoto did.



Taka Ozawa, of Otafuku Foods, taught the class how to make okonomiyaki, a Japanese pancake filled with cabbage, pork belly, shrimp, egg, noodles, okonomi sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise.


Taka Ozawa, of Otafuku Foods, making octopus filled batter balls.


I loved the okonomiyaki, especially the condiments that are later squiggled on top.