San Jose: The wait is over; Iron Chef’s Momosan restaurant opens at Santana Row

Let the noodle slurping begin.

A month after “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto came to San Jose to celebrate the Bay Area debut of his Momosan ramen and sake restaurant, the Santana Row location has officially opened.

Momosan Santana Row is the renowned chef’s first ramen shop in California and his sixth nationwide. He launched the concept in New York City in 2016, and has since expanded to Honolulu, Seattle, Miami and Boston. He also owns a high-end Wine Country restaurant, Morimoto Napa.

Morimoto marked this long-awaited Silicon Valley opening with a Sept. 2 appearance at which he broke open a ceremonial sake barrel and enlisted a few hundred of his Bay Area fans to help him create a 140-foot-long sushi roll.

Topping the expansive menu are nine types of ramen, including a limited-availability Gyukotsu with seven-hour braised beef rib; more than 20 hot and cold appetizers, including Morimoto’s signature twice-cooked Sticky Ribs, spicy Tuna Sashimi Pizza and Popcorn Shrimp with kochujang aioli; and a shareable, house-roasted Peking Duck platter with tortillas, hoisin and pico de gallo.

Dinner is served daily from 5 to 10 p.m. — it’s first come, first served — and lunch service will be coming soon, the Momosan team said. The restaurant offers indoor and patio seating for 90, with an open kitchen design to allow guests to see the chefs in action.

Morimoto’s signature sake, wine and beers figure prominently on the libations list, along with a creative lineup of craft cocktails featuring Japanese whisky, gin, sake and plum wine.