Fancy Pants Fat Kid Dinner

Some people splurge on expensive clothes, cars, or concert tickets.  My splurge is nice restaurants, obviously.  Although Fat Kids enjoy a good deal, I am willing to spent a little more to get the experience.  For the last few bithdays, instead of gifts, M and I have taken each other out for fancy pants dinners.

This weekend wasn't for any special celebration- just a spur of the moment trip.  As part of our hotel deal, we got a $100 gift certificate to use at one of three restaurants nearby.  We selected Morimoto, the solo restaurant venture by Iron Chef star Masaharu Morimoto.  

We decided to splurge and go for the tasting menu.  So worth it- we got to sample dishes that we otherwise wouldn't have thought to order.  It was an incredible experience. 

First course: toro tartare.

The dish came in a wooden bowl packed with ice.  The tuna was packed into a dish similar to a cutting board.  At the bottom, there was three sets of toppings- wasabi & (something I can't remember), sour cream & chives, and guacamole & rice crackers.  Morimoto is famous for coming up with interesting combos and this dish definitely lived up to his reputation.  They also included teriyaki dipping sauce and a little pitted fruit (name I can't remember) to eat as a palate cleanser.  You scoop up the tuna with this utensil that looks like a paddle- can't really see it in the picture (sorry).

A closer shot.  So tasty.  Never had anything like this before.  Incredible presentation.

Second course: I can't remember the name, but it was a thin slice of fish, seared and stuffed with mushrooms and topped with micro-cilantro.

It was tasty, but not memorable.  Given that the first dish was so amazing, I think it was hard to follow up. (Sorry for the terrible pictures- I was trying to be polite by not using flash.)

Third dish: bagna cauda.

Apparently this is an Italian dish that Morimoto adapted.  In the white dish, there is olive oil with a garlic paste and this combo is heated by a tea candle underneath.  It comes with an assortment of items to dip in the oil, including bread, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, brussel sprouts, onions, and tempura, among others.

So the garlic mix doesn't look appetizing, but I swear it was amazing.  Very simple dish, but so tasty.  Beautiful presentation.

Fourth course: soup

Again, I can't remember the name and it's not on the menu.  I think it was a miso base with foie gras.  The green fleck on the left was wasabi.  We scooped up a bit of the wasabi and then got a spoonful of soup.  It gave it a great kick.  With or without the wasabi, it was very tasty.  We scraped the bowl as dry as we could get it and would have licked it clean if were weren't in public.

Fifth course: sushi!

From left to right: oh-toro (fatty tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), saba (japanese mackerel) and tako (octopus).  At the bottom right, pickled ginger.  Our favorite was the tuna, yellowtail and salmon.  Some of the best fish I have ever tasted.

Sixth course: porkbelly, wagyu beef and lobster with lemon creme fraiche.

Maybe this only happens to me, but when food is super, super tasty, I impulsively slap the table.  It is an involuntary response.  It happened when I ate this dish.  A bit embarrassing, but couldn't help it.

 This was the pork belly.  It was set on a base of polenta and topped with micro greens.  It was so tender, it literally melted onto my fork.

The wagyu beef.  I'm not the biggest beef fan, but this was delicious.

Finally, the lobster tail.  It was a tad spicy- surprising.  It sat on a bed of fava beans, kale and pomegranate
seeds.  Yum, yum, yum.

Last course: dessert!!!

Carrot cake with vanilla bean ice cream, candied carrot and fruit slices.  Not what I expected from this place, but then again, I don't think I could have predicted anything we were served.  Fresh tasting and a nice blend of flavors.

Could not say enough good things about this place.  It was one of the all time best meals I have ever eaten.  Wonderful experience.