Morimoto - Chelsea

After several recommendations I decided it was time for my sister and I to try Morimoto - located at 16th and 10 ave.  If the name Morimoto sounds familiar, it should. Chef Masaharu Morimoto can often be seen competing as one of the masters on Iron Chef. And much like his performances on Iron Chef, his restaurant does not disappoint.

We arrived to this swanky restaurant without a reservation (very risky), but we were offered seating at the sushi bar and happily obliged. We quickly ordered two martinis and began perusing the diverse menu.

Lychee Martini (left) and Cucumber Vodka Martini (right)

After we ordered our drinks we placed an order for the pork gyoza with garlic chives, tomato, and creme fraiche. This appetizer was tasty, however I'm not really a fan of a presentation that makes you work for it. You either need a fork and a knife or on-point chopstick skills. 

Pork Gyoza

 Since we both weren't that hungry, we decided to just order two appetizers. The second one we selected was the wagyu beef carpaccio - with quzu soy, ginger, and sweet garlic.

Wagyu Beef Carpaccio

 The beef carpaccio was probably my favorite. The beef was delicious and the flavors were harmonious. I would absolutely order this again if I was grabbing dinner with two - three other people - it's a bit large for just two people.

Sushi Bar

Overall I really enjoyed the food at Morimoto, but next time I would prefer to be seated at a table instead of the sushi bar. I felt like the service was almost too quick with our food being sent out (we were in and out in record time), however our waitress wasn't really on top of us with our drink orders. My sister and I both agreed we would have ordered another drink if she was more attentive.

I wont be adding this restaurant to my favorites just yet, but I am open to giving it another shot!