Dinner at Morimoto Restaurant, August 2002
Dinner at Morimoto's, August 2002... This was by far one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I am a huge fan of the show Iron Chef (and a big fan of Morimoto) so it was an honor to have him personally prepare dishes (both original and ones he had previously made on Iron Chef) for me!
Some of what I ate:
Course 1: Morimoto's Sake
Course 2: Kobe Beef Appetizer
Course 3: Lobster Sashimi Tempura
Course 4: Lobster Brain Soup
Course 5: Various Sushi
Course 6: Morimoto 'mama mia' rice cake chocolate ice cream
FULL DETAILS:
OK, so while I was on the east coast in the DC area I drove up to Philly in the S-Type 4.0 and stayed at the Westin in Liberty Place. I had two goals: first, to eat a few philly cheesesteaks at some of the more famous spots in town, and second (and more importantly) to meet, eat, and drink with Iron Chef Japanese III Masaharu Morimoto. I got to do both, and here's how the evening at Morimito's went...
Arrive at Morimoto's to be greeted by very friendly and professional looking folks at the front of the restaurant. They inform me that my seat I reserved over 3 weeks ago for the sushi bar (where Morimoto himself works) was ready and waiting. I walk all the way to the back of the restaurant where the sushi bar is and I see Morimoto wearing his signature black rimmed glasses talking with the other chefs. I sit down at the seat near at the end of the sushi bar against the wall and immediately greet everyone working behind the bar with a friendly hello. I chat with Morimoto briefly and explain that I'm a huge fan. I ask him to please tell me his favorite sake, bring out a large bottle and have a drink with us to start the evening. Out comes a very interesting looking tube (that's the best way to describe it) of sake. I pour some glasses and we take a shot!! Let me tell you, I am 27 years old, but the experience of toasting with Morimoto gave me the grin of a 5-year old kid who just won a shopping spree at Toys-R-Us! hehehe!
FIRST DISH: KOBE BEEF APPETIZER
Our first dish was a specially prepared Kobe Beef appetizer. This is not the one that appears on the menu, but a dish Morimoto prepared personally for me. In fact, as you will see, I was fortunate enough to have EVERY SINGLE morsel of food that night prepared by Morimoto himself. I wanted to be like Kaga and select an ingredient and have Morimoto make custom dishes using the theme ingredient. So, for my first dish, I pick "KOBE BEEF!". Morimoto sliced up VERY thin slices (about 20 slices) and lays the slices on a sheet. He then takes boiling hot oil and ladles the oil over the sheet a few times to just BARELY sear the meat. He then builds a small "nest" of baked/fried noodles and places it in the center of the beef and finishes by garnishing the entire dish with some mild seasoning. The taste was AMAZING and I must say that my kobe beef experience was first class. I saw the standard kobe appetizer and it was chunks of kobe beef. I must say that I have had chunks of Wagyu beef and I much prefer it in thin slices the way Morimoto did it for us. It seems to be quite a bit more labor intensive but the end result is first class.
SECOND DISH: LIVE MAINE LOBSTER SASHIMI (TEMPURA STYLE) W/ SPECIAL MORIMOTO XO SAUCE
So, after the appetizer I ask Morimoto to take care of me and make WHATEVER he wants, but again, I wanted to choose the ingredient (just like Kaga eh???). So what ingredient do I pick??? "HOMARD!!!" And Morimoto has a big smile on his face and let's me know that he has some very nice lobster just flown in that very morning, and it is MAINE lobster. He pulls out a ~ 1.5lb lobster that is alive and kicking and immediately starts his amazing bladework. Before I know it, the claws are cut off and then Morimoto rips the tail off the lobster with his bare hands!!! Just like on Iron Chef, Morimoto was in front of me cutting up a live lobster... It was pretty amazing... He shells the meat out of the claws and tail and dips them in boiling water for no more than a few seconds and then disappears into the back kitchen... He reappears maybe 7-8 minutes later with the second dish, Lobster Sashimi Tempura over Gorgonzola sauce with Morimoto Special XO dipping sauce on the side! The taste was phenomenal. I tried the first bite with no sauce, just plain. AMAZING!!!! It was basically raw lobster with VERY thin crunchy tempura. Next, I dipped the lobster into the gorgonzola sauce and ate it. WOW!!! The creamy texture and taste was so perfect together. Finally, I tried it with Morimoto's special XO sauce. NIRVANA!!! The extra bit of spicyness was just right with the gorgonzola sauce and crunchy tempura. I must say, this was my favorite dish of the night.
THIRD DISH: MAINE LOBSTER BRAIN SOUP
Just like on the Iron Chef television show, Morimoto made a variant of his Crab Brain dip, and made Lobster Brain Soup! He told me he was going to make me a special "smart" soup. He disappears into the kitchen of the restaurant with the body of the lobster and comes back about 15 minutes later with another big smile and presents two bowls of lobster brain soup. The taste was PHENOMENAL and beyond words. It was one of the best soups I have ever eaten. I can describe the first 3 spoonfuls. The first spoonful, I was intrigued, but confused as to the taste (I've never eaten lobster brain before!). The second spoonful I felt so warm and happy inside and didn't even notice why. The third spoonful, and until the end of the soup, I enjoyed every bit because I finally fully appreciated the taste and realized it was one of the best soups I have ever eaten.
FOURTH DISH: VARIOUS SUSHI
Well, what trip to a Japanese restaurant is complete without eating some sushi? My favorites are sake (salmon), hamachi (yellowtail), and spicy maguro maki (spicy tuna roll). So, I order a bunch of sake and hamachi nigiri and a few spicy tuna rolls. For those of you who have been fortunate enough to eat sushi in Boston, perhaps you have been even more fortunate enough to have eaten at Shino Express on Newbury street, or Ginza in Chinatown. As far as I'm concerned, they INVENTED the spicy tuna roll with spicy japanese mayo. I am pleased to say that Morimoto serves the exact same spicy sauce in his spicy tuna rolls and I was in heaven. It was like being transported back to Boston and eating at my favorite sushi restaurants. The salmon and yellowtail were less eventful but excellent nevertheless... They melt in your mouth and have no fishy smell whatsoever. Excellent sushi Morimoto!
FIFTH DISH: MORIMOTO 'MAMA MIA' RICE CAKE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
Yes, this was desert. I must admit though, by this point I was pretty drunk. I didn't even take any pictures. To be even more honest, I had decided to do a "mini" bar crawl before dinner and walk to Morimoto's. So, after hitting about 3 bars on the way there I was already a bit tipsy upon arrival. After doing shot after shot with Morimoto and so forth, by the time desert came I was so full of food and sake I forgot to take pics and barely remember eating this desert. But I will say that it was similar to the mochi ice cream deserts most of you have probably eaten, except it was larger and a bit more fancy.
The evening ends with us thanking Morimoto for an excellent dinner and taking one last drunk photo at the end. :-)
Well, I hope this review has been informative for you other Iron Chef fanatics out there. If you ever have the chance, you have to eat at Morimoto's in Philly. But hurry, I think once he opens up his new place in NYC he'll rarely be seen in Philly... Also, make sure and check out Craig Paul's review of ALL of the Iron Chef's restaurants! (I'm jealous Craig Paul, take me next time! hehe! ;)
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