It’s not about bragging rights to have gone to a fancy restaurant. Neither should food writing be an exercise in PR slyly done for a business associate in the resto biz. Food writing should whet (or when appropriate, quell!) your appetite. It should spark your imagination. After hearing from so many readers over the years, it’s clear people appreciate the virtual taste of the finer dishes in life. People want to know how unusual dishes actually taste, if certain expensive places are worth going to, what to expect.
On that note, you are highly encouraged you to — as my mom says — “save your pennies” for Philadelphia’s Morimoto. One of Food Network’s original Iron Chefs, Masaharu Morimoto has had restaurants in NYC and Philly for several years. Sure, there are lots of Food Network personalities who are making money at the public trough and you wouldn’t be blamed if you said about them, “What a douche.” But Morimoto is simply an exquisite experience and well worth going to Philly just for a meal there.
Years ago, a lunch date was a budget-friendly way of checking the place out. After considering ordering the “omakase” — chef’s choice — it was rejected. At at that time, they didn’t put prices for it. It could’ve been anything! Who can afford “anything”?
A recent dinner showed there are now two price points for omakase dinner. Hubby ordered the $120 one and generously ordered the $150, as well. The meals are similar, except for some extra luxurious garnishments and the inclusion on one of premium, special ingredients. Certainly, both are excellent. But, for the $30 more, the premium omakase is transcendent.
When you enter Morimoto, there’s a moment of thinking, “Did I crash someone’s New Wave party?” The furnishings are crafted to coolly remind you of the sea and the lights change color at night. Very quickly, you feel part of the party yourself! Techno pop plays in the background. Downstairs are the futuristic restrooms, plus a very romantic private dining area.
The Karai cocktail is highly recommended to open your meal: Jmilagro silver, Calpico, grapefruit, jalapeno syrup. It has a bit of heat, fresh micro cilantro. There are subtle, savory flavors; it’s fresh and drinkable.
Both dinners started with an amuse bouche: toro (tuna belly) tartare with fresh wasabi and osetra caviar. It was golden with crunch, onion-y. You are instructed to tip your tongue with wasabi, then eat the clean tuna. It was salty but sweet in a way!
They have beers that Morimoto developed with Rogue Brewery.
The next course was Barcats oysters from Virginia with Japanese salsa, Meyer lemon (a hybrid of lemons and tangerines) with coarse sea salt, cilantro ceviche and Thai fish sauce with jalapeno. It was great to see a regional product treated so exotically. The other course was Amadai (tilefish) soup with Shimeji mushroom and daikon radish. This was a savory, but still delicate broth: very comforting.
The third course was seared scallop carpaccio with uni, garlic, ginger, mitsuba & chives with a yuzu (Japanese tangy fruit) and citrus soy dressing. The corresponding course was the same, except it was seared red snapper carpaccio. Both were delicious, with some heat in the ceviche (horseradish, perhaps?) and the silkiness of the sea urchin uni, but I think the scallop one was a little more elegant.
The 4th course was chef’s selection of sashimi. Among the gorgeous fish was Firefly octopus sashimi, which is definitely on the stronger side of raw seafood flavors. Its tail tickles going down.
Then, for both, came a cucumber mint soda intermezzo: once again within the reaches of familiarity and yet, innovative.
The next course was “Lobster Epice,” Chef Morimoto’s 8 spice lobster served with citrus crème fraiche. It was beautiful and generous lobster broiled with Asian spice. The lemon crème fraiche was a different, yet still familiar flavor accompaniment. It was also plated with turnip, which was so good, it inspires one to begin cooking with the US-forgotten vegetable. The corresponding course was seared diver scallop with white asparagus a la pancha, Maine uni, black garlic puree.
My 6th course was the out of this world grilled A5 Miyazaki Japanese Wagyu beef served with farro and spring vegetable stew. This tender, super rich meat was unlike any experienced! The buttery texture and flavor was like pork belly. There is simply nothing like Japanese Wagyu and this alone would be worth coming to Morimoto. The corresponding course was American Wagyu culotte – excellent beef, but not nearly as silky-tender as Japanese. The corresponding course was supplemented by Aka miso.
Can there be an embarrassment of riches? Admittedly, it was a little shocking to have a sushi course after the beef. But on the other hand, it was a progression towards lighter food such as dessert . . . a denouement, if you will.
For dessert, both of us had matcha (ground green tea) and chocolate cake with cassis mousse and violet sugar. The dessert was light and perfect, but perhaps the fruit part was more of a smash after a rich dinner than the chocolate part.
Luxe & Down-Home Cuisine/Culture/Travel/Style 