Morimoto

As a little pre-Christmas treat my sister and I went to Morimoto restaurant in New York City (meatpacking district) for lunch. The food and ambiance were both incredible.

We made reservations a few days ahead of time for 1pm - though, the restaurant was hardly busy when we arrived. We waited 1 minute for the hostess to seat us (because she was seating another party). The space was really beautiful and impressive.

Everything was really modern, pristine, and beautiful.

We started off with the toro tartare. Duff (from Ace of Cakes) raved about this on Food Network's Best Thing I Ever Ate. It was really decadent and unique and delicious.

We wiped it clean.

For the main course, we asked for a wagyu beef bento box, a braised black cod bento box, and a spicy salmon roll.

The bento boxes were huge! They were $24, which I thought was really good value for the food. There was a spring mix salad with crispy fried orange blossom petals and a bright orange-y dressing. Next was tempura-fried vegetables with a parmesan cheese sauce (I speculate). The miso soup was really yummy (made with silken tofu). The wagyu beef and braised black cod were both cooked perfectly. Our only criticism was that it was a bit too salty for our tastes. But like I've said countless times, my family has a low tolerance for salt. The sushi plate was really unexpected. When I've had bento boxes previously, they usually came with a pathetic california roll. However, Morimoto gave us some divine sushi.

The salmon skin roll was fresh, crispy, and delicious. I also loved the wasabi. It seemed like it was the real deal fresh stuff (actual grated wasabi horseradish) and had a real kick.

See? We cleaned house. Even the waitress was impressed.

The bento box also comes with dessert - panna cotta with an apricot sauce. It was vibrant and delicious.

But we also decided to splurge and get another dessert. The waitress recommended the flourless chocolate cake (she said it was the most popular). It was SO GOOD. The cake was sitting on top of a sesame caramel sauce, topped with caramel popcorn, and came with a cute little quenelle of green tea pear ice cream.

The cake was really rich and dense and crazy delicious.

And I have to say something about the bathrooms. They were spectacular. The toilet seat was super high tech (heated for your comfort) and the decor was really impressive.

It was an awesome pre-Christmas treat and I highly recommend the restaurant.