by Deane Kahana on I've been a fan of Iron Chef Morimoto for over 10 years. Coming to Philly and eating in his first restaurant owned by him was basically a dream of mine. Don't get me wrong, I'm an LA Girl. We have PLENTY of top eateries in LA. I'm the type of person that can eat something once and reproduce it, no matter what it is, without recipe. This is the first time I've been stumped beyond stumped. This is why he's an Iron Chef --- because his mind takes you into a culinary dreamworld. Everything I had that night was above and beyond my expectations. Unfortunately I spent my whole day in Philadelphia eating, as I was on a foodie tour of the Mid-Atlantic so I didn't really get to experience the entire Morimoto experience like I had wanted. But I am beyond satiated, at least for now, knowing everything was what I had expected and more. Walking in, the restaurant has a very unique decor. It's dim --- But lit enough where you can see everything around you and extremely modern. The walls are white, blue and bamboo wood, with waves like the ocean that make you get in the mood for some seafood. The tables and chairs are all dim colors that change, from red, to purple to blue. You don't even notice it for the most part. Suddenly you're like WHOA, THE TABLE IS PURPLE. Sorta tricks your mind. The only complaint I have about the table are the built in fake-candles. TOTALLY gets in the way. But whatever. No biggie. Oh, and the bathrooms are downstairs and then WAY down the hall. I thought I was lost. The service is impeccable. Our waiter was awesome, who has been with Morimoto since it opened. He was probably the nicest guy I've ever met in a high end restaurant. He went totally out of his way for us, giving us a couple samples here from the kitchen with no charge since he knew we were from Cali and I was a huge fan. He also made buddies with my dad, giving him the recipe to Morimoto's signature cocktail. We later received a handwritten letter from him thanking us for coming and how much he enjoyed our company. SO cool. Can't wait to go back and I'll make sure he's there. The best waiter of the year award surely goes to him. We started with with sashimi and sushi rolls --- toro, spicy tuna, yellowtail... All of them incredible. Kobe beef carpaccio up next --- Uh, hello? Do I REALLY need to describe this? Fighting over this, absolutely. Toro tartare with REAL wasabi was incredible. The toro they have melts in your mouth, unlike any toro I've ever had before and toro is my favorite. 10 hour braised pork belly in that gelatinous sauce that I dont even know what it was... um wow. So creamy in texture, melts in your mouth. I wish I could have ordered 10 of those and called it a night. The Buri Bop was the signature dish from Iron Chef, also amazing. We had it with yellowtail and it was fun to have it prepared at our table. For dessert I had the chocolate pot. It was beautifully plated, creamy ganache, rich and decadent. I never kill off my desserts at restaurants, ever. Usually one bite of someone else's and I'm done For once, I hogged the dessert and virtually licked the plate clean. Granted I've had great desserts before, but this was top 5. I can't wait to go back to Philly. LOVE Morimoto's!
by Linda Snaer on I recently went here after winning some passes for a show couresy of this very site. However, I've been meaning to check out the club for a long time thanks to my New Orleans roots and that this is supposed to be a New Orleans-style club. You'd never know that from the outside of the club. It's in a bad neighborhood, parking is strictly on the street and you wonder if you'll still have your car once you leave the club. Two small Pupuseria's next to it and a big Laundromat across the street. What's this club doing here? This sure ain't New Orleans unless you want the seedier parts of it. Once you go inside, it's a lot different. Place looks great. Lots of red walls with 'SALVATION' in lights on the far side. Club has a great acoustic system and an interesting mix of mainly late 20s and 3@s kids mixed in with some older folk. Bar is small and weak. Most people were order bottles of Heineken, Amstel_ Corona and Pacifico. There was a cooler behind the bar with one tap. Looked like one of those taps you'd find at some big picnic. If you're looking for wine or mixed drinks, this isn't that type of bar. Didn't they used to serve Cajun/Creole food here? Well, you certainly didn't see any here. Overall, a great club in a lousy location. Not a lot of places to find music like this (there's always the Mint) so it's a place I'd come back to. Maybe not to drink and I'd probably be checking my car a lot.
by Ryan H. on As top class as it gets! This beautiful old vaudeville theater has been completely restored. Saw Rodrigo y Gabriella here - Fantasic! I want to buy tickets to something else, just to go back to the Orpheum. They have $8 chicken sandwiches and $3 cokes, $6 beer and wine (with a generous pour). The Broadway bar is right next door, and there is a taco stand nearby.
