Morimoto - Philadephia

Morimoto

7th and Chestnut St

I think I just died and went to sushi heaven. Was the thought that entered my head when I took my seat at the sushi bar at Morimoto last night. I had to wiki Morimoto to determine the establishment date for this restaurant - 2001. I can not believe it's been around for 10 years. It feels like just yesterday that I watched the Food Network special featuring the challanges Starr and Morimoto faced when designing and openning this sushi mecca in Philadelphia.

I've dined here maybe 4 times since 2001 and never once at the sushi bar. I've had the omakase, I've had dinner a la carte and I've even been here for Happy Hour in the tiny bar that floats above the dining room. But never once for just sushi.

Sitting at the bar facing the small sushi station made the restaurant feel intimate. Or maybe it was the company. My dining companion knew the staff well and that (maybe) made all the difference. We were treated not like regular dinner guests but like family. It was great to see Yoshi (our sushi chef for the night) in action carefully selecting the fish and prepping and cutting with precision. The selection of fish for our nigiri, maki and sashimi was varied and unique. It wasn't the usual trio of salmon, tuna and yellowtail that is usually served at ho hum sushi joints around this city. Instead we had abalone, rockfish, fluke, sockeye salmon and a number of other fishes that I cannot even recall. Every piece had it's own distinct flavor and was as fresh as possible.

We were also given an amuse bouche that I greedily gobbled up (it consisted of a slice of whitefish with micro greens and an orange based vinaigrette), there was an oyster course that included beautiful and sweet kumamoto oysters, a whitefish dish with hot oil and soy, a scallop dish with similar preparation and a dish from the hot kitchen of striped bass (i think) and tomatoes. Overall, it was one of the best sushi dinners that I've ever had. I would rank it above the omakase meal I've had at Morimotos a few years back and I'd say my omakase sushi dinner at Jewelbako in NYC would be the only other sushi meal that even comes close.

Since Morimoto opened in Philadelphia, it elevated the sushi offerings in Philadelphia tremendously. Over the last 10 years there has been a virtual explosion of sushi restaurants all over the city and surrounding suburbs..(often run by ex sushi chefs from Morimotos). Coming back here again, 10 years after my first exposure to the greatness that is Morimotos, I was afraid that the meal would not live up to expectations. But instead the meal far exceeded my expectations and I could truly see how this one little restaurant in Philadelphia helped inspire the entire genre of nouveau japanese cuisine and helped to solidify Morimotos reputation as an innovative and great chef.

La Veracruzana

La Veracruzana

Free Chips and Salsa - YUMS

I don't know about you but I love Mexican food. I think perhaps it started with my sister and her frequent trips to head house square's farmers market that started me down this path of salsa, and tacos. The taco stand there is awesome however since the market does not start again until May I have to get my Mexican fix at less transient locations.


Here are a few pics from my most recent meal at La Veracruzana on Washington Ave. This place is one of the first taquerias that I can remember in Philly. It's bright cheery and the servers are always friendly. The tacos are good and cheap. I think the platter is $6 for 3 tacos and you can mix it up. My sister ordered the enchiladas mole. Tasty and very very filling

Tacos platter - 2 al pastors and one chili rellenos

Enchiladas Mole

Le Viet

Le Viet


I am a big fan of Vietnamese food. Although I am ethnically Chinese, I grew up mainly on Vietnamese cuisine unbeknownst to me. It wasn't until I attended college and met my best friend (who is also Chinese but his parents are from Hong Kong) did I realize that a lot of my mother's dishes were in fact not Chinese as I had always assumed but instead Vietnamese in origin.

Bun Bo Hue

The food at Le Viet does not disappoint. Walking into the modern space I feared that the cool decor would somehow lessen the quality and the authenticity of the cuisine. However, this was not the case. The owners somehow managed to build a beautiful restaurant showcasing a large open kitchen that actually delivers good food at a great price point.




I had lunch with my family at Le Viet on a cold post snow storm Saturday afternoon after grocery shopping at 16th and Washington. My father who is ultra traditional when it comes to his food ordered the Bun Bo Hue noodle soup, I got the Banh Xeo, my mother ordered the house chicken and rice platter and my sister got the Bun Rieu.

Chicken Rice Platter

Overall every thing was tasty but the dish that stood out was the humble Chicken and Rice platter. The chicken was poached and served with the house special rice and a traditional fish sauce based chili vinaigrette.  The chicken had an excellent texture. It was moist and not too mushy as chicken sometimes gets when prepared in this manner. My mom (who is hyper critical of all viet cuisine) was very satisfied with her meal.

Banh Xeo

My Banh Xeo which is a viet version of a savory crepe was good but a little bit on the greasy side. And my sister said that her Bun Rieu was the best she's ever had outside of my mother's kitchen. Since we were dining during the lunch hour many of the traditional dishes were offered for a mere $5. I think I've paid more for a side dish in Center City. The regular price of most of the dishes hovered around $6-7. If you love ethnic food but sometimes skeeve the diveness factor of the decor then I think Le Viet is a great choice for you.