Birthdays are for Eating, Part 2

So the birthday week continued on Friday, with a trip to my all-time favorite restaurant, Morimoto in downtown Philadelphia. It's actually the 5th year in a row I've gone there for the big day, so yes I realize this makes me spoiled, but also hopefully qualifies me as a foodie. It is the signature restaurant of chef Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame.

While there, I always make a point to get the "omakase," or chef's tasting menu. Eight courses, I'll try to do them justice here...

1st course: Yellowtail Tartare, with caviar and fresh wasabi

No matter how many times I go back to Morimoto, it never ceases to amaze me how fresh the fish tastes. The tartare is so soft it practically melts in your mouth, a point which was further hammered home by my roommate's kobe beef carpaccio appetizer that had us salivating.

2nd course: Steamed Japanese Bass w/ garlic and chives and a drizzled miso/soy sauce

Again, perfectly steamed fish, that flakes off onto your fork. The garlic softened the sauce, and gave just a little kick to the dish.

3rd course: Seared Japanese Kingfish Salad, with micro greens and a soy vinagrette

It doesn't matter who I bring with me to Morimoto, it is a virtual certainty that one of their favorite things about the meal is their house salad dressing. The soy vinagrette is light, yet it packs so much flavor and highlights things that traditionally don't taste like much of anything (ex. microgreens).

4th course: Salted Plum Sorbet

The palate cleanser... this one is hard to describe, the sorbet was so salty, it was a bit of a shock to the tongue, yet by the time you managed to swallow it, the flavor of the plum came through. Neither pleasant, or unpleasant, definitely just a new experience.

5th course: Soba Carbonara- Japanese soba noodles, with bacon, diver scallops, and edamame

My roommate's girlfriend had planned on ordering this dish, but didn't, so it worked out when it came to me. I don't often order Carbonara as a pasta, but this version was lighter on the cream, and the addition of the scallops was inspired. Like every other seafood on the menu, the scallops were butter-soft.

6th course: Chilean Sea Bass w/ black bean paste, shaved ginger, and hot oil

The "entree"... I'm not usually big on the black beans and the fish was slathered in the paste, so I admit I scraped most of it off. That being said, it was just another example of how Morimoto's chefs should give us all a lesson on the proper ways to cook fish. They could host their own half-hour show, and I'd Tivo it every time.

7th course: Chef's choice, Sushi Platter - Ahi Tuna, Jackfish, Snapper, White Jack, Giant Mussel

Well c'mon now... who doesn't love sushi? If I hadn't already had six courses by this time, I probably would have asked for seconds and thirds.

8th course: Japanese Sakura Cake - chocolate cake w/ cherry blossom jam

Morimoto's version of the famous Sachertorte from Vienna, replaces apricot jam with cherry blossom jam in the middle layer. Yes, it came with the candle, and yes, I ate the whole thing... it was divine.


So that's the rundown. Hopefully I did it justice. Obviously it doesn't include such delicacies as the Ishi Yaki Kobe Bop, Kobe beef prepared tableside in a hot stone bowl with rice and japanese vegetables (amazing), or the bamboo carafe of sake that my roommate and his girlfriend drank down, but I think I've done enough here to successfully recommend this restaurant to you all.

Go... eat... rejoice.