David "deathmaster" H.'s Profile

I went to Morimoto with a party of 4 people on a Friday night. The reservation was made 3 days ago so it wasn't incredibly hard to make; however, the table wasn't quite ready when we arrived so we waited about 15 min at the bar downstairs.

Four of us ordered an appetizer, two main courses, plus one "morimoto omakase" (chef's choice). They allowed us to order just one tasting menu, so that's pretty nice.

For appetizer we had the "tuna pizza." I thought it was a very interesting dish, and I liked it. I wish there could be more "tuna" though, but it's just me. We had "sea bass" and "ishi yaki buri bop" for the main courses. The sea bass was really tender and well-seasoned. The ishi yaki buri bop is just like Korean bim bip bap where you mix meat, vegetable, and rice together with special sauce. The raw fishes were heated and cooked against the hot stone bowl. Personally I like the sauce and semi-cooked sashimi :D

Now let's talk about the morimoto omakase. The portion was definitely not for 4 people, but oh well, we just want to "taste" it.

toro tartare: the presentation was really cool. It differs from the usual tartare that you actually mix your own toro meat and all the garnishes.

sashimi salad: more like...sashimi and a couple leaves; not too impressed.

fluke slices: same as above. I think it's so-so.

oyster foie gras: didn't get to taste this one (as it was shared among 4 of us) but it did look delicious!

sushi set: I had the tuna and ikura (salmon roe) nigiri. It was good, but not like "heavenly."

surf & turf: The wagyu beef was really tender and delicious!

dessert: I like the ice cream, but nothing special either.

I like some of the ideas (like toro tartare and the sushi set. Maybe the oyster foie gras if I had tasted it), but for $120/person, I'd expect better.

We had the Octopus Cocktail for appetizer and Sushi + Sashimi Combination with one additional "007" roll.

Overall the food was really good. We really enjoyed both the volume and the freshness of the fish. It came out to be about $60 for 2 people including tax, which is not too bad considering we're both pretty full.

Service was very nice, although sometimes a little slow (due to lack of waiters and the fact that there's a large group at the garden). They have a garden where you can sit outside on a clear summer night, which is definitely a plus for me.

May be a 4.5 stars...

Don't think my review matters in the mist of other 250+ (and growing) reviews on Yelp, but since I already wrote the review for OpenTable, why not just copy & paste :D

First of all, you really have to make reservation a month ahead of time. PERIOD.

We had the 3-course dinner with cocktails. The Rose Royal cocktail was very very nice. Both the scallop and duck terrine (foi gras) appetizers were to die for (personally I love mango, so the mango sides that came with the foi gras just fit my appetite perfectly).

I had the duo of beef for $16 supplement. The wagyu beef is just tender and cooked to perfection (@ medium-rare). The duo of squab is also very very good, especially the breast meat, so tender and juicy (with oil, yum!).

The desserts were very nice too, and the mini Madeleine (cake) that came after the dessert(s) were delicious.

The petite fours were less impressive compared to the main dishes. We've had better ones elsewhere.

We went there for the 3-course prix fixe lunch for $27.

The portion size was just about right (a little on the smaller side). With bread and some drinks, it made a pretty decent meal.

The restaurant was surprisingly not too crowded for Saturday lunch, so we had a very chilled and relaxing time there. Overall it was a very nice experience, and I definitely recommend it.

We went there for the BlackBoardEats 5-course dinner special. The restaurant was pretty quiet at first when there weren't too many people, but then it got energetic really quickly as people filled the space.

1. Strawberry & Cherry Tomato: Very interesting combination. The mix of sweetness and sourness of balsamic vinaigrette was nicely done.

2. Grilled Prawn: We liked this dish a lot. The prawn was huge and was seasoned well.

3. Gnocchi with Truffles & Fresh Corn: It's a little salty for us at first, but produced very nice balance when mixed with gnocchi and sweet corn.

4. Grilled Filet Mignon with Blueberry Sauce: My medium-rare was cooked to order, and the blueberry sauce was definitely a nice touch.

5. Sweet Corn & Rhubarb Sundae: Very generous portion! The mix of vanilla ice cream and caramel sesame sauce was great. Not sure what were the foam on the top of the ice cream, but it blended really well with the ice cream and caramel.

The food were very nice, and the service was great. Overall a very nice 5-course dinner, and we were absolutely full at the end.

The food was definitely one of the most delicious we've had. The ambiance was quiet, romantic, and classy.

We went there during the 2010 NYC Winter restaurant week for $35/3 course meal. Even though it's restaurant week special, the size and quality were still top-notch, and it was definitely a good place for a date.

We went there for the 2010 NYC Summer Restaurant Week. They have $26 3-course prix fixe menu year-round; however, the $24.07 RW lunch still sounded pretty tempting.

The food was terrific! We especially loved the tuna tartare and the chicken main dish. In addition to the restaurant week menu, we also ordered foie gras brulee appetizer, and...IT WAS D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S! We absolutely loved it!

The location of the restaurant is great (Columbus Circle / Upper West Side, you know what I meant) and when it's sunny, the natural light really enhances the ambiance during day-time.

We went to Club A Steakhouse for 2010 NYC Summer Restaurant Week. We were craving for some steaks and this seemed like the best bang for the bucks based on their RW menu.

The appetizers were really nice, we liked the beef tartare. I ordered 10oz filet mignon for main course, and the meat was tender and nicely cooked (medium-rare). I wished the meat could be a little juicier but it was still not bad. Personally I think 10oz for filet mignon is enough to taste the meat and not too much that actually makes you sick.

The desserts were really good too. Both the home-made creamy puff and tiramisu were rich and delicious. If you don't like creamy and richness dessert, they are probably not for you. But we really enjoyed the rich sweetness.

Sitting on the second-floor there were also live piano / singing performance, which really added to the entertainment value!

Recommended by friends from Boston and wanted to try their Lobsters. For 2 of us we ordered the "East vs. West" special which consists of a 2-2.25 lb lobster and 2 lb snow crab, plus 2 sides. We also had a bow of clam chowder and a mojito to share.

The Clam Chowdar is just great, probably the best we have had. The broth is rich and lots of ingredients.

The Lobster is the real deal. This gigantic lobster has tender and rich meat. Combined with the butter provided it is just irresistible.

The snow crab is OK, but we feel it's a little bit too salty. The mojito is great too, the level of alcohol is just about right.

With 2 lbs of lobster and 2 lb of crab plus clam chowder, it didn't leave us much room for sides. Tried the onion strings and polenta. I'm a fan of onion rings so I like the onion strings too. The polenta is interesting, but not really my type.

The service is nice here, and the fact that it located by the waterfront provides a nice view and places to walk around while waiting.

Came here for Valentine's day dinner. The ambiance is nice. It's quite and on the dark side. The food here is great, with some exotic touch. The duck is to die for. It's tender, juicy, and very well prepared.

The filet mignon is also great, and the sides are also very delicious (not your normal mashed potato sides). We also ordered an tuna tartar appetizer and mojito.

We feel the mojito had too much Rum in it and not enough of lime and sweetness. Overall it was a great experience with well-prepared food.