We are not that mad about Morimoto. Despite its hype, we feel it’s fairly middle of the road.
JAPANESE, FUSION
Sun-Wed 11:30am-2pm, 6pm-11pm Thu-Sat 11:30am-2pm, 6pm-1am 4/F MahaNakhon CUBE, Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road www.morimotobangkok.com 02-060-9099
THE SETTING
This place needs no introduction. Morimoto is one of the most hyped new restaurants to come to town this year, coinciding its grand opening with that of its equally anticipated vicinity, MahaNakhon. For those not yet familiar with the Morimoto brand, this contemporary dining franchise comes to us from Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, who is known for bridging Japanese culinary traditions with a progressive, international vision. The latest branch of Morimoto’s namesake restaurant echoes the same modern stylishness of its predecessors, but through a warmer, earthier interior. The space comes with a variety of seating and is huge, taking into account the outdoor bar and decks, an inconspicuous private room and the secluded sushi bar in one corner. If you’re picky about vibes, note that Morimoto’s best side is definitely after dark.
THE MENU
The cold appetisers we were invited to begin our meal with put us off to an unfortunately uncomfortable start at Morimoto. Both the Whitefish carpaccio (B380) and the wagyu beef version (B750) were disappointingly greasy and visually uninviting. From a Japanese perspective, dousing high quality sashimi, mitsuba herb and yuzu with pungent oil misses the point of those ingredients. The texture of the wagyu wasn’t magical here either. Wagyu i n the Beef teriyaki lunch set (B990), however, was not bad at all. The set has three components: teriyaki steak over Japanese rice, a low key innovative salad and a playful option of tempura or sushi that seems more of a friendly gesture than serious cuisine. As an additional entrée, hardcore Morimoto fans will recognise the Morimoto chicken noodle soup (B240) as a staple item in any Morimoto restaurant. The dish is one of the Iron Chef’s favourites, a comfort delicacy of rice noodles cooked to infuse with an herby chicken broth. Though the flavours are what they should be — salty with a medicinal quality — as the average customer, we can’t wrap our heads around what is so thrilling about chicken noodle soup, especially when at a place like MahaNakhon. In between courses, we sipped on a few of the cocktails that were specially invented for this branch only. The drinks have simple and straightforward identities — if you know Japanese, that is. Kemuri (B660), for instance, is the name of drink that conveys the taste of smoke, while Sasa (B380) magically imitates bamboo grass with a crystal-clear concoction. Shochu-based Yuzu (B380), however, was our hands down favourite, doing right by the citrus fruit’s cleansing spirit. For Morimoto’s desserts, you may already have in mind something like his signature Monkey Bread (B350), a hearty American tradition disguised in sophisticated construction. It’s definitely on the dense side, the way the author personally likes her desserts. So, if you’re looking for something less anchoring, you might prefer an option such as the White chocolate lime ganache (B350). What the name of this dessert doesn’t reveal are prominent tropical notes of coconut and mango.
INSIDER’S TIP
Morimoto Bangkok’s Japanese-themed cocktail menu was designed by Shingo Gokan, Bacardi Legacy’s 2012 winner and the owner of the world-famous Speak Low bar in Shanghai. Apart from cocktails, Morimoto’s also a place to discover sake. Just ask any of the staff for sake pairing with your meal. But if you’re dining omakase (B6000++) for the night, we recommend getting help from the one and only K. Vibhi, Morimoto Bangkok’s wine and sake ninja.
VALUE & VERDICT
Fusion, or “Japanese with international influence” as Morimoto insists we say, is always a hard call because it isn’t for everyone. But even considering the appeal, we were caught off-guard by the simplicity of the dishes. With a profile like Morimoto’s and the prices, we aren’t quite sure what to make for slightly nicer versions of regular chow. Nevertheless, there definitely remains a few pulling forces. One of which is that you can’t conclude the restaurant in one sitting. The fusion menu itself is so extensive and diverse, it tends to overshadow the fact that Morimoto still has something for old-fashioned sushi connoisseurs. And more likely than anything else, we’ll be back for the great drinks and service.