30876787
For me, a perfect restaurant meal is in lovely surroundings with adequate lighting, soft music, a caring staff and a chef and assistant chefs who create clear, clean-tasting dishes with the finest in-season ingredients.
This description sums up my recent trip to Morimoto. I never reviewed this restaurant, but my meal at Zama, the month-old Japanese restaurant off Rittenhouse Square, prompted me to visit.
Fans of the Food Network’s “Iron Chef” are familiar with Masaharu Morimoto. He’s a brilliant technician in the kitchen, known for his Japanese creations, but he can put ingredients together resulting in dishes from the world’s cuisines.
The dining space is ultra-contemporary. The tables are made from Lucite and the colors change from green to blue to pink. Dainty wooden chopsticks sat on a smooth metal stone alongside a white linen napkin and silverware. My server brought me the menu and mentioned the recent lunch additions, such as noodle bowls and pub-style sandwiches. She poured me some Schuylkill punch and, about five minutes later, asked if I would like something to drink.
I rarely drink wine or beer during the day, but an article on Oregon pinot gris in The New York Times revealed the fine taste of these wines, especially with spicy foods. I ordered a glass of King Estate Pinot Gris ($12) because I wanted to see if it paired well with duck curry udon ($16).
The big, hot bowl that was placed before me was brimming with broth made with duck stock, curry, lime juice and cilantro. Shreds of silky duck confit, grilled pink in the center slices of the breast, chunks of fingerling potatoes, udon noodles and bits of Napa cabbage made this a hearty meal.
It immediately won me over. I never tasted a stock like this. The balance of lime and curry, along with the distinct flavor of cilantro, was unique. Udon noodles are a little thick and can be slippery when enjoying them with chopsticks, but I had fun slurping them up.
The use of duck confit was inspiring. It added a little fatty flavor, which gave body to the soup. This was nothing short of a masterpiece in a bowl. The pinot gris was a fine choice, indeed.
I’ve eaten sushi all over town. It has become so popular supermarkets and hospital cafeterias offer it. Although the duck curry udon was more than satisfying, I felt compelled to sample the sushi.
It was the finest I’ve ever had in the city.
The $30 sampler consisted of 15 pieces of roll and sushi. I told my server I like eel and she assured me it would be included.
She placed the eye-appealing, long rectangular wooden plank in front of me and described each in-season piece. I poured some soy sauce into a small bowl and looked forward to this course.
Six rolls were filled with eel and avocado. Black-and-tan sesame seeds peeked through the finest sushi rice I have ever tasted. The chefs formed them into small quenelles before topping them with the immaculately fresh fish.
In-season fish included fatty toro, sweet shrimp, needle fish, eel, two types of salmon, including fatty salmon, a white fish and yellowtail. I never tasted sweet shrimp and needle fish, but both burst with flavor and texture. I particularly liked the texture of the shrimp. It simply melted in my mouth. The seafood was so fresh, it rarely needed the requisite soy sauce, ginger and wasabi.
Half of the sushi was packed up for me to take home. A pair of chopsticks and small container of soy sauce were tucked inside the pretty tote bag.
Morimoto is the finest Japanese restaurant in the city. If you crave a meal in a serene place with a background of jazz and tunes reminiscent of a ’40s supper club, a staff in tune to its guests needs and inspiring dishes, book a table now.
Three extraordinary tips of the toque to Morimoto.
Morimoto
723 Chestnut St.
215-413-9070
www.morimotorestaurant.com
30876837
30876762
