Morimoto

Dining options in Harrisburg are limited. There's a decent Thai place, and numerous good sub/sandwich shops, but that's about it, at least that I've found. So my trip to Philadelphia also presented an opportunity to splurge on a good meal. When I heard about Morimoto, run by Iron Chef Morimoto, I figured I'd continue my obsession with Food Network-related restaurants and check it out. Besides, I've been craving some killer sushi.

Having read some positive reviews, I opted for the nine-course Omakase. Here's what I had:

Toro tartare: Fatty tuna chopped with crisped garlic, this was a refreshing starter of high quality toro tuna. A hint of good things to come. Accompanying the dish was an umemomo (Japanese peach), a bit sweet, a bit tart, serving as a palette cleanser.



Octopus carpaccio: Lightly seared, this was unlike octopus I'd had at other sushi restaurants. Less chewy and more flavorful, the octopus was tender and light.



Thai fish soup with matsutake mushroom tofu: I don't like tofu, and I don't like mushrooms, but the tofu was the best part of this soup. The broth was very light, overpowered a bit by the piece of red snapper. Disappointing.



Striped Jack sashimi salad: One of the best things I've ever eaten. The sweetness of the fish was brilliantly complimented by the slight bitterness in the greens and the vinegar sauce.



Basil snow pea sorbet: A palette cleanser to prepare for the hot courses. Next time I'm home I'm going to see if I can recreate this. Very nice, and leaving me wanting more.



Spice rubbed seared lobster: When this course arrived I chuckled. Lobster's tasty, but seemed gratuitous here, and the spice rub added little. The accompanying ponzu butter was terrific as a condiment.



Seared Kobe beef with Japanese sweet potatoes topped with foie gras: A nice dish, the sweet potatoes complimenting the beef, with the luxury of foie gras adding richness. I'm not experienced enough to appreciate the difference between Kobe beef and good cuts of 'non-Kobe' beef, so I wonder if this was a bit of luxury to give me the sense that I'm getting my money's work.



Sushi course: By this point my tongue was a bit tired. Despite my oral fatigue, this was equal to any sushi I've had.



Pistachio cake with Bing cherry sorbet: Nuts about nuts I am not. I didn't particularly enjoy the cake, but the Bing cherry sorbet was powerful. Sweet, tart with vivid flavors, it contrasted well with the cake. Intellectually, I understand how this is a good dish, I just didn't like it very much.

All told, a good meal with great courses. Worth $165? Hard to say. I was hoping for more unique dishes, more playing with food and flavors. Ultimately I'd probably eat twice at Kaz Sushi Bistro for what I paid to eat once at Morimoto.