I'm not a fighter, but in my mind I'm fighting every day. 'What's new? What am I doing?' I'm fighting myself. My soul is samurai. My roots aren't samurai, but my soul is.

Morimoto competed in the first sushi battle in Kitchen Stadium on June 18 1999 against challenger Keiji Nakazawa. Morimoto was chosen based on his style of cooking which seemed to border on fusion cuisine as well as his international experience. Iron Chef
Morimoto's official win/loss/tie record on Iron Chef is 16-7-1.

In July 2010 he opened a Napa Valley location. Morimoto received practical training in sushi and traditional Kaiseki cuisine in Hiroshima and opened his own restaurant in that city in 1980. In April 2011 Morimoto sang at the Thousand Hearts Benefit for Japanese earthquake relief in California.