mission: asian food invasion!!!

i have returned to do some blogging, since i have been lacking in this area for a couple of weeks. whenever i am under a lot of stress, and i have the 10 new wrinkles on my forehead to prove it, i tend to have serious writer's block! but now i am stress free and ready to talk about my amazing birthday dinner at morimoto in philly (nyc also has a location as well...check it out new yorkers if you haven't already)!

so last weekend, i went to visit my mom and step-dad, kirk, because they wanted to do something special for patrick's and my birthdays. kirk said he really wanted us to go to morimoto together and thought we would enjoy it. well, anytime a good restaurant is mentioned, there is never a second thought in my mind whether or not we should go...so we did. tori and dylan also joined our foodie ranks and so her birthday was also celebrated that night as well. it was the trifecta of birthday celebrates!

upon entering the restaurant, my excitement began to mount (or was that the 2 vodka shots i had at mom's before we left...maybe both). the place was chic and modern, with funky lighting and a structural architecture that made you feel like you were beneath a wave of bamboo planks with swirly dry walled foam. the booths changed colors from green to blue to purple adding to the marine like ambiance. the staff added to the uber coolness to the atmosphere, having the right amount of pretentiousness and friendliness, giving you that feeling that you, as the consumer, were privileged and yet a pal.

so patrick and i indulged in the omasake, which is their 7 course tasting menu. everyone else got sushi. oh, tori had the kobe beef fried rice, it was melt in your mouth tasty!

first course: i am trying to remember what fish it was...tuna (i think) tartare with a crispy onion, doused in a fish broth and accompanied by wasabi. it was sweet, salty, and spicy. it definitely had the food feng shui going on! to cleanse the palate, the dish had a japanese peach, which is the size of a raspberry. it was very tasty.

second course: black cod, seared and drenched in an olive oil sauce. it had an asian flare to it, of course, and it tasted like fishy heaven.

third course: more fish!!! i can't remember what it was, i guess it wasn't too memorable.

in between our beginning courses and the entree like ones, we had a palate cleanser, which was a fizzy sweet drink that tasted a lot like sprite. i thought it was pretty good, but not very impressive.

fourth course: my favorite of the night, was the chilean sea bass with a black bean puree, shaved ginger, and hot oil. this particular item is found on the regular menu (the rest weren't) and i highly recommend it. it was perfectly cooked and the flavors were very balanced, once again.

fifth course: duck with foi gras and pickled ginger. the duck was very tender and had a lovely asian flavor to it. the foi gras was the most flavorful i have had to this date, but i had a difficult time eating it again due to the too velvety texture (which is a good thing if you love it).

sixth course: 5 pieces of sushi that began with the most mild fish and ended with the most fishy. i was so full at this point that i had a difficult time finishing this plate. i did manage to take a bite out of each piece so that i could covey how wonderful their sushi is to all my readers. i have to say that tuna is my favorite kind to eat.

seventh course: a chocolate cake topped with a strawberry gelled mousse. it had honey and bee pollen on the plate as well, making the dish look very pretty. there was also a spoonful of white chocolate mousse that was simply divine, sweet and smooth that complemented the cake very nicely.

for those of you who go there to order from the menu try these recommended items: ramen noodle soup (a favorite of the restaurant and my mom), any of the sushi or sashimi, and the chocolate pot de creme. that dessert will make you forget every other course and just have that to eat. it is decadent, not overly chocolately, creamy, and unforgettable. oh man is it perfection!

my other asian food invasion experience is the rickshaw dumpling bar food cart that travels around the city for lunch and early dinner. the flagship restaurant is located in flatiron, but you can follow them on twitter, @rickshawbar, to find their whereabouts throughout the week.

patrick and i had the chicken thai basil and the pork dumplings. each type of dumpling comes with its own dipping sauce, and you can get other things like edamame or salad to go with them. they were so freakin yummy that i wish i could them every day! rickshaw also has some vegetarian options for those who don't eat meat, and i am sure those a some pretty tasty dumplings as well. check out their website for menus and locations.

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished.

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