Uwishunu.com

Sometimes you want sushi”¦ a lot of sushi, and not just any little sushi stand will do. As a vegetarian, sushi isn’t that interesting or varied an experience for me. I usually settle for some Kappamaki rolls over at Genji (1720 Sansom St.) or Hikaru (607 S. 2nd St.). But my boyfriend spent a few months living in Tokyo, and is an avid seafood eater. So when he gets the hankering for some raw fish dabbed in soy sauce and wasabi, we head to Morimoto.

Owned by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and restaurant uber-mogul Stephen Starr, Morimoto offers a fusion-y take on traditional Japanese dishes. The menu is extensive: There’s a bevy of sake-based cocktails and an omakase “chef’s choice” tasting menu, which offers a sampling of dishes from across the menu. And for the vegetarians, there’s vegetable tempura is served with a creamy gorgonzola sauce, a mushroom salad is infused with curry and tofu is freshly made at your table and served with a handful of sauces. Everything is very good, and it all looks good too: Morimoto’s space is also a visual masterwork”"appointed by design wunderkind Karim Rashid and featuring an ultra-modern, color-shifting interior.

All the fusion-y appetizers in the world don’t compare to the real reason d’etre of Morimoto: the sushi. Offered in three serving sizes”"a $35, $55 and $75 portions”"and a la carte, Morimoto’s extensive sushi and sashimi list includes an impressive array of urchins, shellfish and fishes. My boyfriend ordered the $55 menu, and out came no less than a dozen fabulous fishes, including tunas, mackerals, snappers and salmon. Afterwards, as we waddled home, my boyfriend told me it was the “lightest, unfishiest salmon” he’d ever had. Will Morimoto break the bank? Probably. Is it worth it? Oh yeah.

Morimoto
723 Chestnut Street,
Philadelphia PA 19106
215-413-9070