Morimoto
Years ago, when I first started watching The Iron Chef, Morimoto was always my favorite of the bunch for not only the incredible-looking dishes he served up, but also for his winning personality. He’s a guy who comes off as charming, humble, and altogether likable in whatever he’s in, whether it be the original Iron Chef program, its American remake, or the countless other Food Network shows he’s appeared in. Several months ago, I talked about my trip to Bobby Flay’s restaurant in Las Vegas, the Mesa Grill, and while it was definitely a cool experience and the food was wonderful, in my mind Mr. Flay is no Morimoto and the chance to eat at Morimoto’s restaurant in Philadelphia was far more exciting to me.
My wife and I made reservations a few days prior. Unfortunately, because we were planning on eating Saturday evening, we were only able to nab reservations for 9pm. I don’t mind eating late, but for the meal we were about to be served, dining well into the night was not ideal.
You see, friends of ours had eaten at Morimoto’s and recommended the Chef’s Choice, or “Omakase”. The idea behind the Omakase is that it’s a sampling of different items on the menu with the intent of giving you a feel for Chef Morimoto’s dishes. The Omakase ranges in price from “$80 – $120 and up”, the price apparently increasing with the quality of ingredients, according to our waitress. We decided to “cheap out” and go with the $80 option.
But first things first: the bar.
Look at that guy. So smug. You just want to punch him, don’t you? Holding that spatula like he’s the bambino. What, is he going to bat a cheeseburger out of the park?