Morimoto Restaurant
(215) 413-9070
723 Chestnut St
Philadelphia,
PA
19106
39.9496
-75.1528
Neighborhoods: Center City, Center City East
What People Are Saying About Morimoto Restaurant
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short
Just beyond neon-chartreuse glass doors, Chef Morimoto's elongated culinary theater welcomes diners with undulating bamboo ceilings, color-changing booths and the Iron Chef, himself, presiding over a sushi bar in back. Morimoto transforms the simplest sushi, serving eel lightly sweet, salmon subtly buttery, soft-shell crab perfectly crisped. But the specialty here is Japanese fusion: tempura with Gorgonzola sauce and wasabi in green-tea mousse cake. Indulge in a barely grilled whole lobster salad or toro sashimi.
User Reviews
FoodandBeerSnob
January 19, 2009
I have been to Morimoto three times. The first two times I was with my parents and had two excellent meals, including the tasting menu. However, my third trip to Morimoto was with my friend. The waiter all but ignored us for the entire meal, probably because we both look about 25. Instead our waiter lavished all of his attention on a table who was spending more money on Pellegrino water, cocktails, and multiple appetizers. We had only ordered two appetizers and two entrees, which apparently is not enough to warrant any attention. We went for 10 minutes without water, and when our meal was delivered my friend had no fork with which to eat her meal! Our waiter was so inattentive that we had to flag him down to get a utensil. He did not ask how us how our meal was until after we had finished eating. I had ordered the ishi yaki bop rice dish with king yellowtail and, although it was tasty the first time I?d had it, it was dry this time. Overall this place is hit-or-miss, depending on your company (and how much the waiter thinks you will spend and tip). Although I had two good meals, I will not be returning.
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gripdxd
October 21, 2008
I don't eat Sushi, but my boyfriend does and loves the Iron Chef. It's definitely overpriced in some regard. My boyfriend ordered the "Chef's Choice" he loved every single dish, but left there hungry and starving (that stinks when you spend over $100+ for your meal). We had to get room service late night in our hotel (a cheesesteak). I had some mixed fizzy drink, which was very good! The waiter was strange, very theatrical and knowledgeable but served us well. We had a 6P reservation and the place was initially empty, but filled up rather quickly. Don't go this place hungry, you will leave still hungry. I had the steak and it was okay, nothing great, but I didn't expect it to be great, since it's a sushi place. Just have realistic expectatons when you go, oh and the lighting fixtures on the tables look falic.
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NotMorimotoFan
September 30, 2008
On 09/29/2008 we drove from Baltimore to Philadelphia for a 5:30pm reservation on a Monday night. Upon arrival we were the only people there except the staff. We were seated and started out with a Morimoto Soba Ale and a non-alcoholic pineapple cocktail. We decided on three $120.00 Omakase and $85.00/$65.00 drink paring. We recieved a complimentary dish(About the size of a quarter) with a tiny peice of lobster and sauce, which was very tasty. The first course was tuna tartar with caviar/scallions which was very tasty with a glass of wine. The second course was three oysters with jalapeno/lime which were very good with glass of Sake. The third course was red snapper with a citrus type sauce with a glass of wine. The fourth course was yellowtail with sea urchin/grasses/sauce with a glass of Sake. The fifth course was a half lobster(eight spice) containing about four bites of lobster with a glass of wine. The sixth course was Kobe beef(Unk what part) that was just plain bland with glass of red wine. The dessert was some type of cake with some drops of glaze, trully forgettable. Overall for the cost it was certainly not worth the trip from out of town or the $120.00 per person cost for the food. The total cost for our meal was $585.00 plus tip. The best part of the trip was leaving and driving to Geno's Steaks and getting three cheesesteaks to fill us up for $22.50.
read full reviewThe Details on Morimoto Restaurant
Know Before You Go:
The chef's dinners ($80, $100, $120) feature inventive raw fish and vegetable combinations, plus a sampling of staple entrees.
Where to Sit:
Got 15 friends? Reserve the separate room with one glowing, recessed Japanese table for 16.
Save Money:
Test out the Iron Chef at lunch and pay $16 to $28 for an entree, miso, fried rice and salad.
What to Drink:
Sample dry and sweet sakes. Or try "Sakura," a cosmo made with sake.
What to Drink:
Sample dry and sweet sakes.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, Diners Club, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Chef''s Table, Special Occasion Dining, Celeb Hangout, Private Rooms, People Watching, Business Dining, Online Reservations, Group Dining, Dine At The Bar, Prix Fixe Menu
General Info:
Cuisine:
Notable Chef:
Masahuru Morimoto
Smoking Permitted:
In the bar
