Allez Cuisine! Lunching at Morimotos!

I have been a follower and a fan of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto since his Iron Chef Japan days.  His creativity and innovation are incredible and he has such finesse and skill in the kitchen as he delicately prepares and creates culninary masterpieces while kicking a** with the secret ingredients he gets thrown!  His dishes always tell a story and he is a whiz at balancing flavours!

So I was ecstatic when my friend suggested we try Morimotos in NY!  It's in the trendy meat packing district right next to the gorgeous Chelsea Market.  The entrance to the restaurant is a bit tricky as it's hidden behind a curtain but when you step through - you are entered into another world. Serene, tranquil with natural beige walls, stark white ceiling, sparkling glass prisms, clean lines and vast open space.  It's very Japanese with its subtle and clean mannerisms but so modern with the architecture and the sophistication and it's big as it seats enough for 420 people.  Everything seemed like calming and i was ready to be put into a food coma from the creations on the plate and was already so pleased about the atmosphere and ambiance.

As we were given the menu, I was having an anxiety attack over what to order because everything on the menu jumped out at me and I was trying to rationalize
1) what could i afford
2) how much I could eat
3) what would be too much to order
Our server was very good and very patient in explaining everything, and suggesting things.
Our first thing that we order was the sushi and sashimi which was grade A and some of the fish, I had NEVER tried in my life.   So of course we ordered things like the fluke whitefish sashimi, the blueskin shad sashimi, the waygu beef sashimi, an order of the spicy tuna rollls and an order of the eel avocado maki rolls. The freshness and texture of the fish were premium.  They melted in your mouth!  The rolls were outstanding and we were so satisfied with our tastes around us.

I am usually against bento box meals because I feel like they are fake Japanese 'white man's box to get a bit of everything but it's not really an authentic experience.  But I couldn't argue about the price and the variety offered in the little box with many compartments.  Each one contains little individual boxes and/or compartments of standard miso, a fine mixed green salad with a an astringent kabosu vinaigrette, doughy, crispy tempura a few pieces of fresh, sprightly sushi and sashimi, and a small portion of meat or fish. I ordered the Cadillac of Bento boxes which was the Kobe beef box ($27) which was terrific. The little dish of sweet and spicy kobe beef shards exploded with flavor although there wasn't a lot of Kobe in the offering, there didn't need to be, because of all the other food in the box and I was really stuffed after eating this.  My friend chose the roasted black cod box ($24). The cod was soft and satiny and was lacquered with a sweet brown miso glaze that was delicious to every bite!
 The tempura offered in the bento box was different from anything I've ever had.  The batter was less flaky/crumbly and seemed less oily and more dough-like.  It was served with a blue cheese dipping sauce which was interesting - not my favourite but again not something I was expecting either.
One other thing to remark is the miso soup was atypical as well as the tofu was freshly made in the restaurant and was very impressive - it was silky and fresh to taste.
Towards the end of the meal, I was falling into a food coma. I needed to get up and head to the bathroom and WOW! What an incredible experience it was- there are buttons to lock and unlock the door - very futuristic!! And I was back on the ball!!

Needless to say I will be back and will need to try more dishes on the menu!  OISHI!!!
**** 1/2 stars
Morimoto NYC
88 10th Ave, NYC (Meatpacking District, Chelsea)
(212) 989-8883