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Categories: Japanese, Asian Fusion [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Meatpacking District, Chelsea14th St-8th Ave (A, C, E, L)
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$24.07 Prix Fix lunch: APPEALING!
Plastic bottle decorative wall: MAGNIFICENT!
Japanese innovative toilet system: PRICELESS!
Home made tofu inside the miso soup was the best miso soup I ever had!
Beef gyudon could've been less sweet, which made my palate crave something savory right before dessert, which was something like passionfruit gelee over pannacotta -- it was not memorable *_*
Tried their black cod though, it was really well executed! :)
I want to come here for their a la carte menu...looking over @ other tables their lunch looked amazing! :)
I'm so coming again to play in the bathroom ^_^
Located literally next door to Chelsea Market in the meatpacking district. The front door is covered with red drapes. Once in the entrance, the interior looks like a ice castle, very modern and sleek. I was impressed. We had the bento box on the lunch menu and we were surprised that the quality of the food was excellent and the service was impeccable, the price was reasonable for the lunch menu.
You need to check out the washroom, in the lower floor. the stalls have some kind of special-effect to them, it looks like the toilet is floating in a dark endless tunnel (Once you see it you know what I mean).
I would definitely come back to Morimoto's.
Most Creative, Interesting Japanese food anywhere!
I went last year around this time for my sister's birthday. I even loved the things that I normally won't eat!
DRINKS:
Morimoto's Sake was delicious.
APPS:
Wagyu Beef Carpacio is one of those dishes I wouldn't normally have (raw beef... I eat my steaks well done!), but this was so amazing it melted in your mouth!
Curry Bread was a comfort food that I wish I could have every day (although I am sure not even close to as good as this)
Spicy King Crab Leg was just enough spice that the crab shines
ENTREE 1:
Wagyu Beef was incredibly tender and had a great flavor
- Yellowtail salad w Avocado & Tomatoes
- Baby Potatoes
ENTREE 2:
Miso crusted sea bass w tempura vegetables was excellent!
DESERT:
Chocolate ganache w puffed rice, white sesame ice cream, black sesame sauce and powder... What to say about this. This was a perfect finishing touch to an already amazing dinner. I loved the black sesame powder and the rice also gave a great textural contrast.
Morimoto's NYC restaurant we a wonderful experience. Although I still enjoyed his Philly restaurant a little more! (what is higher than 5 stars?)
Ehhh, my friend really wanted to come here on our one day visit to NY and there was much hype anticipated. Walking in, the atmosphere looked and felt really nice! The guy helping us out was really helpful and asked if we wanted to check in our shopping bags for free! I was kinda sad because we were being taken to the bottom floor which was quiet but quite unique. Low lighting w/ nice blue leds, I don't remember if there was some type of waterfall but it was a lot less hectic.
We sat down and realized this place was quite pricey. We were really hoping the quality of sushi would speak for itself so that we wouldn't have to complain. We tried pretty much the gateway dishes such as spicy tuna, cali, shiitake mushroom & eel. If I recall correctly, I think the spicy tuna was in fact the best I've ever had.. but everything else was okay.
On the side we ordered the tuna pizza, which was definitely a weird choice when I was thinking about it but turned out to be amazing! Served a tad bit cold, a crisp tortilla w/ spicy tuna carpaccio & anchovy sauce and some minced veggies.. this is a must besides the sushi! Other than that, we barely ate anything and the bill was still a bit pricey hahah. But I love the chopsticks here!! They seem so much easier to use even though I'm already a pro @ it =PP. Table setup was elegant and I enjoyed my stay. I won't be coming back here anytime soon unless I got money to spend and not care about.
I'm a sushi whore and I love eating here, but is it wrong if my favorite part of the experience is the bathroom? Sitting in one of those stalls is like being transported into the future. Or, perhaps it's the cumulative effect of great sake, raw fish, and an $8K Jetson's toilet that makes me like Morimoto.
The oyster, foie gras, and uni app is the stuff dreams are made of - but I really think the terriyaki sauce on top kills it.
Some of the menu seems like it was designed for tourists - which I'm not too mad at. I love tourists. You can come to Morimoto and have a top of the line sushi/kobe experience and drop your whole paycheck, or you can come in, have the rock shrimp tempura app and the ramen and be outta there (with a freshly fanned toosh) for under $40. Smart menu for an Iron Cheffy.
been here twice,
what to get:
DUCK DUCK DUCK
its so yummmm!
and also the ginger martini
second time i sat at the sushi bar and morimoto was there
but was not cooking
but still.
Dear Mr. Masaharu Morimoto,
Just want to make sure if I was indeed in your restaurant some weeks ago. Your automatic sliding door struck me with an impression that I might have been overdosed with Umami(savoriness). Please do not take me wrong way. I meant that I was so pickled in the universal Umami pool. In the worst implication - MSG.
I was not at all impressed and it took me long time to even start writing about because I loved you and still love you. You are a Iron Chef "America". Well said, I guess you are now Americanized. The place was filled with Americans not Japanese(?). That only says a million words. The decor was glamorous in white but, made me realize that plastics do not last - remember 70's? 80's? they were once so fabulous but, what do you see now? At least, natural decor gets better with age and resonates history. But, do please know that the enterence was grande and thumbs up, some walls and the ceilings were notable for the architecture. Warm and cozy high-tech(?) bidet bathroom. However, the table settings look like one of cheap laminates...and scratched. The proximity between the tables are so close that we feel like we are not dining alone. The tables were so small and even paying $120 each person we were sit at a tiny sized table next to the wall feeling like we are in a starbucks. The wait staffs could not even see my face unless I turn my whole body b/c they have to stand between the tables, their knees hitting our table. What does that mean? the next table must have a look of their behind. Enuff is said.....
The food. We had the tasting menu shared and a braised cod. The first course, tuna tartare pate spread in a bamboo case was a brilliant idea. The presentation, the accompanied dipping sauces are superb. But, that was the high point of the night and everything went downhill since. The thin fluke sashima was overpowered by the Yuzu oil & the smashed ginger sauce. I have seen this sauce for some liver sashima in a japanese Yakitori place. The powerful sauce to cover the strong gaminess of livers but this fluke, I found it unnecessary. The oyster and uni in Hoisin/oyster sauce, I detest this dish completely. The real ingredients were totally lost in the concentrated MSG sauce. mehhhh. Is this Japanese? The charcoal smoked sushis were nothing special. The grilled Kobe beef was salty and chewy. It seems like the marinating sauce was too salty/concentrated to begin with.. I do marinate Korean BBQ making the sauce from scratch so I know why this happened. It came with syrup coated fried sweet potato wedges to balance the saltiness but wasn't successful. The sweet potato dish is very common in Asia but mostly as dessert. I like it but not with the beef. Next, the Lobster, I felt that the lobster was wasted. The marination in the red pepper sauce completely shrunk the tender meat. That's why we don't use lobster in our seafood casserole. Also the sauce tasted like the dry powder comes with one of Korean instant noodles. This might have worked with Crabs instead.. seriously. At last, after all, I wanted to love the braised Black Cod but this wasn't the Miso grilled which he cooked so heavenly in Nobu. Again, it tasted Teriyakied and the cod was a OK.
I did like the dessert until we see the check. The waitress said that we get a desert as a part of the Omasake tasting menu but we can choose different one. We did choose a different one but she brought both out not replacing it. How difficult for her to ask us and make sure what we want to order before she zoomed to the kitchen? Un-refined service.
So we had 6 course that were so called "micro" sized as per my friend. and overfed with two deserts which was quite italian for some reason.
So again, let's study the night at the Morimoto. The french pate with japanese dipping sauces, Chinese teriyaki oyster & Uni, Overly chewy Kobe beef (this tasted like korean dish called Neo-Bi-Ani - failed), Korean Ramen seasoned Lobster and Italian biscuit and Gelatos.
Am I too underating? Maybe..... but do we want to come back? Nah... Once was enough.. We are going to Omen. Or maybe going to Kenka where Morimoto loves.
Honestly, we expected a lot more out of Morimoto's restaurant. The decor was excellent, but when it comes down to it, we'd rather eat great food in at a whole in the wall shack, than crappy food at a nice, lavish place. Don't get me wrong, the food here wasn't crap, but it definitely was over hyped and definitely not the best bang for your buck. If Morimoto had gone with less fusion and more traditional tastes, I think we would have enjoyed it much better. For the same price, I'd rather eat at Nobu's any day!!!
If it were not for the price, I'd give this place a 4.5 star at the least.
In my opinion, I just can't imagine the food worth $800+ for the one meal I had here...
I went with a friend after a business conference about 1 month ago, my friend had to make a reservation way in advance for 2 for their famous "omakase".
-- setting: urban chic NYC style, a bit loud because of the crowds but not too bad since we were seated at the "special" omakase section.
-- interesting notes: do check out their bathroom, very unique in the usage of mirrors to create infinite space appearance in each stall. Plus the Toto style Japanese toilet seats.... The bathrooms are
located on the lower floor where the bar is, can be a bit hard to find.
-- for regular omakase: $150 each, my friend decided to get the $300 version and wine pairing (I don't drink though). The dinner took over 4 hours and cost over $800..
Oh, boy, where do I even start ...
-- (I have to go now, will update later.. TBWritten =)
Rule No. 1 with Asian eateries. If you walk in and there are no asians eating, it's probably not great. The only asians there were management and the ones working the sushi bar. Uh oh...
My girlfriend took me here for my birthday and naturally, we had very high expectations coming in. Lets face it, Iron Chef Morimoto's restaurant should be what legends are made out of right?
WRONG. This place was clearly catering to a "western" palette. Japanese food is all about simplicity and light complementing flavors. This meal was far from it. It had it's highlights, but the only thing which blew us away was the ginger ale.
We had ordered omakase style and the menu came as follows:
Toro Tartare with Osetra Caviar
Seasoned Fluke w/ micro greens + cherry tomatoes
Sockeye Salmon w/ greens + apple vinegarette
Lobster Ravioli
5 pieces sushi
House Ginger Ale
"Flash Grilled" Kobe slice on candied Mountain yams
Half lobster w/ side of citrus creme freche
Pumpkin souffle topped with ginger ice cream, candied asian pear w/ ginger marshmallows.
Sorry, that's not omakase. That's a prefixed menu.
Omakase consists of tiny dishes which highlight's the chef's ability to take your mouth on a flavor adventure. This was simply an extended appetizer with a main course and a truly medeocre desert.
The Toro Tartare with Osetra Caviar was rather tasty, but to grind toro into a paste is such a terrible waste. The side condiments were semi fresh wasabi, citrus creme freche (tasted like sour cream), nori paste, avocado mash, and rice balls. an odd combo but it was a decent way to start.
Seasoned Fluke w/ micro greens + cherry tomatoes were rather tasty. no complaints here.
Sockeye Salmon w/ greens + apple vinegarette was odd. The salmon was very well prepared, but it was sitting in a sauce which tasted like pink mayonnaise. The apple vinegarette dressing clashed with the mayo like sauce and the sea salted skin clashed with everything else on the plate. Fail.
Lobster Ravioli in a yam broth dressed with the freshest ikura i've ever tasted. Unfortunately, that's where the food flavors ended and the bad ones began. The skin of the ravioli was chewy and the lobster tasted like a salt lick. i tried to wash the lobster down with the light broth, but my efforts were fruitless. Fail.
5 pieces sushi - Yummy Toro. Again. (in Omakase, repeats are like a dj playing the same song twice. No bueno). The other pieces, snapper/eel/mackerel were tasty but nothing spectacular. I was expecting Iron Chef. I got local cook. The fish was above average quality.
Shot of House Ginger Ale - Starts clean and fresh, ends sharp. Best part of the meal.
"Flash Grilled" Kobe slice on candied Mountain yams - Tasted like kbbq. A waste of kobe beef.
Half lobster w/ side of citrus creme freche - overly seasoned, tasted too strong. The seasoning killed the lobster flavor, parts were way over cooked, and the creme freche tasted like sour cream. Fail.
Pumpkin souffle topped with ginger ice cream, candied asian pear w/ ginger marshmallows. It was cute, but unimpressive. it was a sad attempt at wrapping up the meal.
For the two of us, the bill came out to be about 340. They even charged us 8 dollars for some rather unimpressive cheap tea. Service was spectacular, as was presentation. It was impecably clean, except for a lone fly buzzing around. That kind of grossed me out. I wouldn't pay those prices for somewhere which should be a spectacular dining experience.
Suffice to say, I have lost a lot of faith in food network. Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill is reviewed as whatever by many yelpers, Iron Chef Morimoto's own place's signature omakase failed to impress... I want to cry.
I'm in pain; in pain for the idol's fall and in pain for the amazing dinner that I could have enjoy at Omen, Perry Street (Marea? Jean Georges? probably) with the $120 that I spent at Morimoto.
The restaurant is huge and beautiful. Glass inspiration, white colors, 2 floors. The main dining room at the street level is divided in 2 for the stairs that drive you down to the bar area where there is also tables to grab some food. I was surprise seeing so much life inside; it was pack, lot of workers running around, DJ type music, a little loud tho, and sexy ambiance like a nightlife venue. The service was very good, even being that busy, although the bar was kind of crazy and I have the impression of disorganization over there. Sake and wine are clearly the principal at Morimoto, the selection for both is wide; they have also signature cocktails that it was demanded for me being in this ambiance. I choose White Lili which is a premium Shochu based drink with citrus scents: a little sweet , a little bitter and quite strong. I loved it even not being as sophisticated as the ones that you get in speakeasies, but that I actually told to Kenta, one of the Pegu's mixologist where we went after Morimoto. I wish to know Pegu's version for White Lili. My friend order a Lychee cocktail which wasn't as good. it was too much sweet too much bitter and it didn't combine very well.
Once we were seated in our table I could see that there were not Asians customers. Being 2 people we order Braised Black Cod with ginger-soy reduction and the Morimoto Omasake, a chef's choice multi-course tasting menu consisting in 5 appetizer-size dishes and a main course. The presentation was beautiful for all the dishes and sharing the Omasake and another main entree was more than enough. The Omasake change depending of the chef and a different server introduce each dish.
The servers and food exhibition started with Tuna Tartar along 6 different dipping sauces. I really like it. It was well done, ground meat version instead chopped as is served in many Italian restaurants, almost like a paste. Except one, I loved all the sauces. Next we got Whitefish Sashimi which was ok. Nothing impressive but coming with a sauce that I didn't like. Next course was good and impressive. I'll skip the fact that was also a little overdressed. It was a smoked fish that looked like meat actually; it melted in my mouth at the first moment. Raw inside, smoked outside.. I saw a flash of Iron Chef in this one. Next one was Oyster Foie Gras: market oysters, foie gras, uni and teriyaki sauce. I liked the texture and kind of enjoy the dressing, a mix of salty and sweet but a little too much again. The flash ceased very fast tho, and the Fashion show was followed for a mediocre 5 pieces of sushi, each one with a different fish including eel and scallop, but that wasn't impressive either the rice or the fish. The main course of the Omasake menu was Half lobster w/ side of citrus creme and Grilled Kobe slice on candied Mountain yams. I liked the lobster. It was grilled, juicy and tasty. The beef was good. I'm not a meat eater so can't be accurate but I know that the sauce killed the flavor. Too much dressing. The Braised Black Cod with ginger-soy reduction was ok. The piece was fresh but not juicy, it didn't melt and again overdressed, this time with an extra-sweet soy sauce. It gets the 4th position for Black cod in my rank, after Omen, Perry St and En Japanese Brasserie and its a rank with only 4 competitors so far... so the last one and being you the Iron Chef.
At least The Homemade Ginger Ale as transition between dishes, was really good. I loved it. But to summarize, the dinner was an exhibition of soy sauce more or less salty and/or sweet with stuff swimming on it. Sad and painful. As I said before "... there were not Asians .." guess why.
I'm glad to say that I enjoyed the desserts. The one from the Omasake menu was Pumpkin souffle topped with ginger ice cream, candied Asian pear with ginger marshmallows. Really good. And the ginger marshmallows was interesting and original. Iron chef-ish. We also order the Tofu 'hot and cold' : soy milk soufflé, tofu cheesecake and maple ice cream. The ice cream was ok for me. But the cheesecake and the souffle was amazing.
While I'm writing this I'm watching the Iron Chef Thanksgiving battle where you are Cora's partner against the others Iron Chefs. Lets say that the show keeps you maybe too busy to focus in your business . Lets say that. I'll still be your fan at the TV show since you always impress me, actually you are cooking in the battle this Lobster stew, Yakitori samples (Ducke skewers in 4 ways) and Tandoori Turkey that I wish I could try; but for Morimoto the restaurant, just give me the White Lilli recipe and then we can say goodbye each other.
I've been told the toilet shoots water at you when you're done doing your business, but unfortunately for me, I pee standing up, so I wouldn't know. This is borderline trickery as I'm not sure how I would react if I were to sit and experience this. But.....
Enough of my dilly dally jibberish. Yeah, the decor is fancy spancy and very futuristic, but the star of this place is the food. It is simply orgasmic. They prolly kill the fish on the spot because I've never tasted fresher sushi before. The drinks were great, and there's a good selection of saki. - when in Rome ;). I came celebrating my sister's marriage and we all left more than satisfied.
Warning - Morimoto will spoil you and dining anywhere else will never be the same. Now, I have to go back to collecting soda cans so I can afford to dine here again ;)
Mind-blowing. Phenomenal. Outstanding. Flawless. Superb. Outragous. Ridiculous.
Thought I'd start you off with some key words that best describes this phenomenon. There is a reason folks why he has the best record as an Iron Chef. His flavors are out of control. If you've never had Yuzu or Mirin as an ingredient in a dish...you don't know squat my friend.
If you're looking to get your girl to suck you off, this is the place to take her. Within entering the confines of this magnificent space, your partner will immediately drop her drawers...or maybe you'll drop yours since you'll be busy oogling at the sexy piece of ass man-ning the doors or maybe your girl will just smack you right in the kisser after catching your dumbass. Either way, someone's drawers will be coming off....either during or after dinner.
Advice #1: when you go: don't shit on yourself when you taste the Kobe Beef Carpaccio appetizer. Not a good look when your on a hot date.
Advice #2: don't have the "deer-in-the-headlights" look in your face when you recieve the bill....you cheap bastard.
Advice #3: Stop trying to get quick glances at the hot piece of ass man-ning the doors.
Enjoy & Good luck.
Very "ultra" space worth seeing, fantastic sushi
If you can't afford Morimoto, go to just to see the space. You don't need a reservation to slip downstairs to the neon-lighted bar, and more importantly, the WCs!
I've only had two dishes, plus a few sips of my partner's cocktail ($14), but I wished I had ponied up more time and money and ordered omakase (chef-selected tasting menu, about $100-$120). Highlight? The exceedingly elegant, yet inelegantly named, tuna pizza ($18): crisp flatbread with raw tuna, anchovy aioli, jalapeños, and a sprinkle of kalamata olives, cress-like greens, tomatoes, and red onion.
Traditional meets modern, cantina meets high end restaurant.
Morimoto is beautiful. Very white, very airy, with concrete and metal accents to remind you of the area you're in.
The dishes were really good. From fish to duck, the whole table enjoyed every single part of the experience. Great lychee-tinis. Good, very professional service.
I recommend it for an evening among friends, 4 to 6 at the table, to have drinks and enjoy original, well presented food. Make reservations!
Do NOT omit to check out the WCs... you'll be surprised :)
After many years of watching Iron chef I think I may have had expectations that were a little bit too high, I was expecting to have orgasmic taste buds all through the dinner service but that didn't happen.
Must say the sushi was very good though.
Service was superb, flawless and flowing.
The lighting was a little strong for the setting.
Three words: Kentucky Fried Fugu!
I have to give Masaharu Morimoto his star back. The food is still orgasmic, the drinks will kick you in the head, and the futuristic decor is still awesome. Morimoto has style, sex appeal, and killer Sushi. You can splurge on Omakase or you can order A la carte and not break the bank.
Definitely worth the frequent visit.
I'm sorry Iron Chef but I have to take one of your stars away!
After gallery hopping, Gia and I were…
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Wowy Wow Wow Wow
Perfection. From the amazing service, innovative decor and out of this word food, I would say put eating at Morimoto on your bucket list.
Having 24 hours in the city on a recent trip to NY, my foodie boyfriend and I decided that Morimoto was a must try and boy are we glad we went. Next time I am going to save my pennies and try the Chef's tasting menu which was something like $100 each.
Our table wasn't ready right away so we went downstairs to an ice age bar were I had a Yuzo martini, fabulous! They ask you for your last name so the drink goes directly on your tab. No having to pay out the bar before going to your table, genius. The host comes and gets you with a little tray to carry your drink to your table, nice touch. Our waitress was one of the nicest I've encountered and knew everything about the menu and chef and was willing to indulge us in our geeky obsession with the Master Chef. We order the tuna toro tartar and it was simple fantastic. I wanted to take its picture it was so beautiful. The rest of the meal was delicious and we topped it off with chocolate cake, whiskey carmel, tobacco essence and popcorn icecream. Deeeelish!
Apparently the men's bathroom was so cool, my boyfriend still talks about it. Anyhow, I don't need to say another word, go and try for yourself. You will be very happy that you did!
Simply amazing.
As a grad student, I dont indulge in nice meals often since my bank account is empty anyway, but Morimoto's in NYC was well worth the $80 spent. The toro sashimi slices melted in your mouth at a rate of nearly $15/slice and the oyster app with a touch of uni and other tastiness was about the same. I ordered the lobster main course for a whooping $39 but I would do it again in a heart beat. It was split and covered with a flavorful masala seasoning with a side of lime puff/cream.
This meal was so intriguing and full of interesting culinary concepts that my amateur foodie description can't really do it justice. If you're in NYC or visiting, this place is simply a MUST stop. And don't forget to try the cocktails.
All I can say is WOW!
Not to mention the fact that I actually met Chef Morimoto this meal was spectacular. Expensive?....Yes, but worth every penny. If you can afford it, this is the place to try. Our experience was great, from the moment we sat down till the moment we left, everything was perfect.
I had the tasting menu, my date had sushi and of course, picked off my plate(s). The $165 bottle of Sake was the best I have ever had...and I fancy myself a wine connoisseur (Sake IS wine, instead of grapes they use rice and the production process is more like beer than wine). It tasted just as it was described by our VERY knowledgeable server.
Even though we sat down 45 minutes late (It is New York), I still recommend this place to anyone and everyone.
Oh yea, we also saw "Vince" from the HBO show Entourage.
This place is dangerous. The food is killer, the service is killer, the drinks are killer , the decor is killer, and the female clientele is killer to look at.
I tried the tasting menu, which was amazing. Out of the 7 plates they served, only one of them was bad (imo). The 6 were amazing, but that 7th plate it seems was sent to me from hell. Seared Foi Gras served over an oyster. I detest both.
I stuck with K1 and tonics, but did venture at the end of the meal to try a flight of Morimoto sake. Pretty intense.
Definitely a great place to try, even if you cant afford the $130 tasting menu every night.
Had dinner here at 11:15 on Friday night. The place is beautiful as is the food. The only downside was our super obnoxious waitress. She was incredibly pushy.
Since I arrived early, I went downstairs to the lounge which is gorgeous and a great place to grab a drink.
The food was was delicious as anticipated. Highlights:
-Wagyu Beef Carpaccio
-Pork Gyoza
-Crispy Rock Shrimp Tempura
-Shrimp Tempura Roll
-Any of their sushi or sashimi
-Unfiltered chilled sake
I will be back.
If I were to take all of the meals I consumed in New York City to Kitchen Stadium, dinner from Morimoto's would be the clear winner in Battle Best-Meal-I-Ate.
The toro tartare appetizer lived up to all the raves on Yelp, plated with a palate of sauces so pleasing to the eye that we didn't want to dig in (for a split second). Soft shell crab sushi was fantastic. And my duck entree of a foie gras croissant, duck leg, and duck egg was delicious! I devoured everything, then decided that our table needed dessert. The white chocolate semifreddo was tasty: the ice cream came with crumbles flavored like pepper, and the contrast in sweet and savory worked well. The green tea sponge cake was chopped into little cubes and tasted way better than moldy bread crumbs, which is what it almost looked like.
The cocktails are pricey at $14 apiece, but they're both refreshing and strong. My hydrangea had touches of lychee.
Service was attentive, but not overbearing, although our elderly male waiter somehow morphed into a twenty-something, skinny girl by the time we ordered dessert. That's never happened before... not that this caused a hitch in service.
Oh, and the flowers suspended in the clear back wall of each bathroom stall mesmerized me. ...There's a sentence I never thought I would write. If my bathroom was like that, I'd hang out in there all the time, kthxbye!
And if you're lucky enough, you may just see the Iron Chef himself floating around. After we checked in with the hostess, we spotted an Asian man just hanging out by the staircase and stared at him, checking out his side profile for a few minutes ("is that Morimoto?" "maybe it's some other Asian guy." "it kind of looks like him...") before I just walked up to him and asked him if he was Iron Chef Morimoto. And with the straighest face ever, he looked at me and told me he was his twin brother. Good one, Iron Chef. Morimoto was friendly and hailed a waiter over so we could snap a photo with him.
Prices are high and the place is a "scene" but they make up for the obnoxious trendiness and prices by actually serving you GOOD food. Service was a little slow, if not inattentive, but I really enjoy this restaurant and encourage others to check it out. If you're still aprehensive, go during restaurant week so you don't feel like a sellout!
Went there on my birthday and had the Omakase.
- Toro Tartare with Osetra Caviar: It was delicious and fun to eat. This dish was up to Morimoto's standard.
- Kampachi Carpaccio with Yuzu Soy: Too salty and saucy, couldn't taste the fish itself.
- Sockeye Salmon with Microgreen: Just okay.
- Nigiri: It's good, except the barracuda, too fishy.
- Oyster with seared Foie Gras and Uni: Liked the Foie Gras and Uni, but hated the oyster...too briny.
- Fresh Matsutake Mushroom Soup: Loved this soup, the aroma and taste were so wonderful, I can drink and smell this all day.
- House made ginger ale: Not very interesting.
- Spiced Spiny Lobster with Yuzu Crème Fraiche, Waygu Beef with Japanese Sweet Potato: The lobster was overcooked and thin sliced beef was swimming in a very sweet sauce. Didn't care for this dish at all.
- Almond Soufflé with Apricot Sorbet: It was okay.
We enjoyed much more of our last visit here where we picked items off of the menu, instead of the Omakase. The Omakase was pricy and mostly disappointing. The standard of the sushi rice seems to have lowered as well. The service was very good and attentive. We would give this place another try and hope that Mr. Morimoto could better control the quality of the food that comes out of the kitchen whether he's present or not.
Its been over a year and a half since we ate here and I can't stop thinking about it. I'm a big fan of the Iron Chef Morimoto and his food. Its innovative and different. He really is a master of his artistry. We splurged and did the Omakase menu and it is all worth it. Sushi was outstandlingly fresh and menu very unique. Best sushi I have ever had.
I love Morimoto on TV, but in his restaurants, the food is only so-so. Went here with three friends, and while the food was solid, it definitely wasn't worth the price, or up to the hype. The same is true for their original location in Philly. The best thing I can say is that I like the decor.
I love everything about this place would eat here all the time if i could! the decor is great, service is great, drinks are awesome, and the food.. oh, the food..
everything from start to finish was inventive and delicious. Lots of unusual stuff on the menu, everything tasted great. The spicy king crab was INcredible and the calamari salad was addictive(really, i couldnt put my chopsticks down! my boyfriend had to stop me from picking at every last scrap in the bowl)
I had the sea bas with eggplant and miso. It was perfect. boyfriend ordered the surf n turf the hamachi ribbons melt in your moth and the avacado relish is like something dropped down from heaven.
we had the chocolate ganache with sesame for desert and it was more than orgasmic. mmmm... i didnt have room but ate it anyway. needless to say, the boyfrd got lucky that night.
service was superb.
interior was beautiful and very modern.
Omakase style = more like an extended appetizer with a main course and dessert.
Omakase does not have ANY main courses and just strickly sashimi with very little rice.
Japanese food is suppose to be simple.
I was extremely disappointed. this restaurant caters to the "western" crowd; not traditional Japanese.
I was more excited about the Shake Shack than this place.
I think i'll stick with Sasabune and Sushi Wasabi in LA/OC.
So I have been a Yelp user for many years and by now I do consider myself a "Man of Many Meals". I have been waiting for the right restaurant though to inspire me to write my first yelp review. THIS IS IT...
On a trip to NY with my girlfriend I decided that we should do an Iron Chef America tour of NY. With limited funds I could only pick my top 3 Iron Chefs so I decided to go with Flay, Batali, and of course Morimoto. (check out my reviews of mesa grill and lupa for comparison)
I think any chef who names a restaurant after himself better be able to live up to it, so I journeyed over to Morimoto's self titled restaurant. The entrance was covered with billowing sheets and when I walked in I thought I had entered an ice cave. Everything was super modern and shiny and glowing. It was really packed for a tuesday night. We decided to skip the chef's tasting (though all the other tables around us had gone with that) and just order whatever sounded interesting.
We started off with Morimoto's sake and what a great way to start! The sake was so good that I could taste the honey, nuts and rice after each sip. For appetizers we did the pork belly congee, scallop sashimi, and king crab legs. The crab legs were perfectly cooked and the spicy mayo type sauce on top was delicious. The scallop sashimi was extremely fresh. The pork belly congee... WOW. I mean it's pork belly so already hard to go wrong, but the congee was made using pork stock and yeah, so much delicious pork-ness I couldnt stop eating. After the appetizers we were already full and I could've left happy.
But of course we had to try the entrees so we got the duck served three ways and the sea bass. The sea bass was in a miso sauce and was very good. But after a bite of the duck I thought I was in heaven. The duck itself was cooked perfectly and they served it with a foie gras croissant that was absolutely THE BEST! For dessert we had raspberry tiramisu with peach gelatin. The tiramisu was good, but the peach gelatin was soooooo good!
As I write this my girlfriend is remembering how good the congee was and says that she could eat it for the rest of her life. In conclusion, Morimoto's was the best meal of my life. Hands down, no contest! Definitely go if you have the chance but beware: all future meals will be compared with Morimotos and it might be hard to enjoy food as much.
Omakase. Borderline worth the $120/person price, but hey it's NYC.
The toro tartare was great. I had fun scraping puree'd fish off a wooden plank. The one part of the omakase that I didn't feel met expectations was the Nigiri platter. All standard fish, albeit good quality, it was still Nigiri. No crazy, adventurous fish or anything, which is kind of what I was expecting.
Very stylish and trendy- dress nice else feel out of place.
The food was definitely good, but nothing extraordinary. The decor is very nice. Very sleek.
This place was freaking AWESOME!!! I know I know, I'm not supposed to like or enjoy or be excited about a celebrity chef restaurant, but this place was amazing. From the decor to the service to the food. It was all top notch. Oh and I cannot forget a mention of the bathrooms. Those were great.
My friends and I decided to use the opportunity of restaurant week to check out Morimoto. They had a great selection on the menu. However, we ended up not ordering from there and instead "splurging" since it was lunchtime.
I had the Black Cod bento box. It was wonderful. A huge box, loaded with treats - miso soup, salad, tempura, 3 pieces nigiri, and 3 tuna rolls, along with rice and the black cod. My only complaint is that the piece of cod was tiny and it tasted SOOO good that I wanted more! I thought this bento box was a great sampling of the different items on the menu and really enjoyed all of the offerings. I could have eaten about a full pound of that cod for sure.
One of my friends had the Foie Gras and Eel bowl. He was so full that he could hardly move and still had half his bowl left. A HUGE portion of foie gras, seared and placed on top of rice and avocado and eel, left him smacking his lips.
My other friend chose to try the sushi platter. It was absolutely beautiful. She ate every last piece of the 18 piece tray and was stuffed.
Yeah, this place is ridiculously expensive, but what a treat for a day that you've saved your $$$ for a special occasion. Fantastic!
A MUST!! This is one of my favorite restaurants, both for food and decor. I am a sucker for mega-restaurants and the ambiance they are able to pull off with their design. The space is huge and the ceiling is high... very sleek and simplistic, not too many overwhelming colors. They have tall glass walls in the center area of the restaurant that separate tables so people have more privacy. The bathroom stalls have these fun mirrors that show infinite reflections...felt a little trippy looking into them.
If you go, order the toro tartare appetizer, which comes with a pretty presentation and an assortment of condiments ranging from osetra caviar to creme fraiche. I also liked the yosedofu very much because you get to see the process of making tofu from scratch right in front of your eyes. It came with lobster ankake, dashi soy, and fresh wasabi. The sushi/sashimi may not be as good as Sushi Yasuda or Sushi of Gari (also not as traditional or "simple"), but it's a good spot to go to with a mixed group of people who might want to eat some things other than raw fish.
If food is like sex, then eating at Morimoto would be like going to an upscale strip club, finding one of the hottest strippers you've ever seen in your life named Raspberry, taking her home and having some of the most incredible sex ever (in positions you never knew existed) but also having some awkward moments when you accidentally drool in her eye, and at the point where you're on the edge of orgasm, she stops you suddenly and says: "I ain't a ho! I'm going home!" And as she walks out, she takes $178.43 out of your wallet and slams the door.
Yeah that pretty much sums it up.
Morimoto is one of the coolest looking restaurants I've ever been to -- the exterior is a huge arc-shaped entryway with bright red curtains that just scream out: "I'm the Iron Chef, bitch!" Walking into it, you see a huge wall made of glass bottles that are lit in way where you feel like you're in a P. Diddy music video. Even the bathrooms were awesome -- if you go, you gotta check out the stalls. Morimoto definitely had the best of the best design this place.
The food all looked incredible and most of it really was. I went with a friend and we shared an 8-course Omakase tasting dinner and also ordered the "Duck, Duck, Duck" entree, the Morimoto Sashimi platter, and a Soft-shell Crab Roll. The Omakase included: (1) Toro tartare, (2) Yellowtail carpaccio, (3) Sushi platter (5 different kinds of sushi), (4) Oyster w/ foie gras & uni, (5) Lightly-seared salmon salad, (6) Lobster, (7) Wagyu kobe beef slices, & (8) some muffin-like dessert with some fruit sorbet. Of all of these, my favorite was definitely the seared salmon. Probably the best piece of raw salmon I've ever had. Everything else was great, but there were a few misses in there.
The sashimi platter is awesome. 5 different types of sashimi stacked on top of each other and cut like sushi rolls, so you eat all 5 types of fish in each bite. They also give you 4 different eye droppers with different sauces that you can dip your sashimi into. Really awesome idea, really damn good sashimi. The soft-shell crab roll was incredible as well.
Now we all know Morimoto is fat. And now I know why: the "Duck, Duck, Duck". This entree is one of the most delicious and, at the same time, life-threatening dishes I've ever had. It's basically a plate of: (1) roasted duck confit, (2) a duck egg sunny-side up, and (3) a huge croissant filled with roasted duck, cucumbers, foie gras spread, and plum sauce. This duck croissant sandwich was INCREDIBLE, but the butter and fat fill up your mouth like you're eating Gushers. I was torn with a mixed emotion of gastrorgasmic joy and sadness that I'm going to leave the restaurant with man boobs.
Anyways, Morimoto is amazing with their appearance, plating (you'll see some of the coolest plating ever, especially with the toro tartare and the Morimoto sashimi platter), and service. Most of the sushi was great, but definitely not the best I've ever had -- which is a little disappointing because this was definitely pretty expensive sushi.
I left the restaurant with the feeling that I had an awesome experience, with some incredible highlights, but never really achieving that state of "Wow". And at the moment when you're almost at that point, the waiter brings you the check. Our bill came out to $178.43 per person after tip. You know it's not a great sign when you start making justifications like: "Meh, I'm only in NYC so often" or "Oh, you only live once." I wish I had said: "Only $178.43?! That was so worth it!" But I didn't.
As I slowly walked away from the restaurant, I could hear a faint sound of Iron Chef Morimoto himself saying: "I ain't a ho!"
This place is beautifully designed and very chic. The food was quite impressive along with the excellent service and everything in between. Gotta thank Ripal P. for suggesting and making reservations for this place since he knew I was such a foodie!
- Foie Gras Oysters: orgasmic delicacy served warm with oyster on the half shell, uni, and foie gras with the perfect amount of teriyaki sauce to flavor but still taste each unique ingredient.
- Salmon Roll: okay, nothing special. although there was a scale in one of the pieces I ate, it's forgivable, but for a place like this, it was just surprising.
- Beef Curry Bread: not what we expected (like 2 large fried falafels), but interesting in a good way. extremely fried and hard to cut, but tasty
- Braised Black Cod: really tender, delicious sauce but couldn't really taste the ginger, only soy mostly. didn't care much for the salad part
- White Lily Cocktail: peppery, flowery taste, not bad but not great
Everything from the hostess, bartender, bar counter design, food, servers/bussers, food timing, new plates & silverware after every dish, service, decor was excellent! This is one of the few restaurants that has wowed me in every way (Gary Danko & The Ritz are a few). Highly recommend to try even though it is a little pricey, but well worth it!
This review is for the standard bento box only.
I went in 2008 and this item was excellent - satisfying in every way.
Fast forward to a year later, 2009, during restaurant week. We opted for these boxes instead of the more generous RW deal.
In short, it just wasn't as good. The kobe beef was a lot smaller in size than before, said my friend - which mean it went from being the size of a matchbox to a couple of band-aids.
My fish bento box had a piece of fish I KID YOU NOT the size of a small eraser - you know, the kind you use over and over so there's just this little scrap you have to hold tightly between thumb and forefinger to squeeze the last little bit of erasing out of?
It wasn't just the size, it was ... something. It just wasn't executed with the same TLC. If people are paying this kind of price (anything over $25), you can't afford to slip.
Won't be back now. I judge a restaurant on consistent execution of the simplest things.
Filled with beautiful people Saturday night (fashion week?), was promptly seated in the minimalist lounge downstairs (though the high bar stool was completely uncomfortable for a "nice" sit down dinner), but the food absolutely made up for it. I had a difficult time deciding between the duck, duck, duck entree and the seafood "toban yaki", I guess I'll have to go back again for other dish! I started the meal with oysters topped with foie gras and sea urchin... I knew tonight was going to be a good night.
+.5 star for the knowledgeable courteous waitress, no-fuss seating (we didn't have a reservation), and trendy decor
-.5 star for uncomfortable chairs, I could lean back and tip over
+2 stars for lamb carpaccio - loved the scallion-ginger dressing/ topping
+1 star for melt-in-your-mouth wagyu filet, and the red miso-sake broth that accompanied seafood entree
+.5 star for the infinity glass in the bathroom stall and the many buttons for the toilet
+.5 for sitting right by Chef Morimoto having drinks with visiting guests.
I was visiting NYC for one week and decided to try some new restaurants. Morimoto was one of them and I was quite happy with the choice.
I started with the house salad which was a pretty standard dish, nothing to rave or complain about. The entree, sea bass, was the one that blew me away. The fish was perfectly cooked, very tender and well seasoned. The portion was just right. I hate it when restaurants give you tapa sized dishes as an entree. I was very satisfied with the sea bass that I'd say it was indeed the best sea bass I'd ever had in a Japanese restaurant.
For the dessert I had some fruity sorbet. It was refreshing and decent.
I took off one star because they charged me $8 for hot green tea, which was usually free in Japanese restaurants. The waiter asked me what I'd like to drink when I settled down at my table. I said hot green tea like I always did in Japanese restaurants. He didn't mention a word about the price. I assumed it was free and IT WASN'T. It was a pricy $8 cup of tea!!
Despite that stupid tea, my experience at Morimoto was quite delightful. 4 stars!
4.5 stars.
Came here for a restaurant week lunch and left feeling a bit underwhelmed with the food but completely wowed with the decor and service. The space is dazzling, consisting of sleek, clean lines and my personal favorite-- lots of bright, shiny things.
From the restaurant week menu, my date and I ordered the mixed green salad and miso soup for appetizers, the roasted bass and "angry" chicken for entrees, and both had the coconut panna cotta for dessert. Salad and soup were ordinary but the entrees were executed perfectly-- roasted sea bass with a delicious glaze and the "angry" chicken had a great spicy kick. The coconut panna cotta had a nice passionfruit gelee and accompanying cookie/cracker.
I was hoping a restaurant of Morimoto's caliber would have more exciting restaurant week options, but we were pretty satisfied with our meals. We had a seat at the sushi bar and had a great view of the chefs working their magic. After looking at the regular lunch menu, we were surprised to see the prices weren't that exorbitant and felt we could come back for a moderately priced meal during the day, even after RW was over.
For dinner, I'd say Morimoto is definitely a beautiful restaurant that's worthy of a special-occasion splurge. Get dressed up, enjoy some delicious Japanese cuisine, and don't forget to check out the amazing bathrooms downstairs!
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Neighborhood: Lower East Side
now serving on sundays!
Neighborhood: East Village
Neighborhood: Theater District
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: TriBeCa
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: TriBeCa
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Meatpacking District
Category: Bars
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