Omae XEX – Lots of High Notes with a Few Stumbles

I wanted to dine at a teppanyaki restaurant since I had never been to one in Japan. Omae XEX (fka: Morimoto XEX) received a Michelin star so I thought this would be a good place to try. There were a lot of highs and lows during the meal. Overall, I still enjoyed experience but I probably would not go back again unless I could order my favorite items ala carte.

B and I were escorted downstairs to the teppanyaki floor of the restaurant. I was impressed by the sleek, dark feel of the place – smooth steel and black surfaces lit by the dim glow of an enormous etched metal structure over the teppanyaki bar. There was also a fireplace in the corner, although I’m not sure what that was used for.

The waiters were cordial and attentive. Our teppanyaki chef kindly introduced himself before preparing our meal. He was so focused and meticulous – the exact opposite of those flashy cooks at Benihana (what a relief). He put so much care into cooking and cutting our food. It was amazing to see how much he could do with two metal spatulas…all while continuing to keep the surface of the teppanyaki grill perfectly clean.

Steak Tartare in Sweet Sesame Cone and Serrano Ham with Cherry Tomatoes – All I can say is yummmmmmmmm! The salty, savory taste of the tartare was absolute perfection with the sweet crunchiness of the sesame cone. The silky texture of the steak was unbelievable. Like a fraternal twin to French Laundry's salmon tartare cone - completely different taste but just as wonderful. I would have gladly eaten 10 more of these!
Crab Miso Bagna Cauda with Raw Organic Vegetables – I had never heard of ‘bagna cauda’ so I didn’t know what to expect. This dish was delicious! I usually don’t like eating raw veggies with dip, but now realize I just never had the right dip! The bagna cauda was like a fondue (it means ‘hot bath’ in Italian), but uses olive oil, garlic, and anchovies rather than cheese or chocolate. It had a rich seafood taste like crab butter, and was nicely balanced by the clean crisp flavors of the raw vegetables. I could’ve bathed in this stuff!
Trio of Black Pepper Crusted Blue Fin Tuna, Scallop, and Foie Gras with Balsamic Sauce – The anticipation of this dish was much more exciting than its actual consumption. It was lacking salt, and the flavors weren’t cohesive. Our chef suggested eating all the components together, but I actually preferred them separately. The sweet scallop was the lone star of this course.
Blueberry Sorbet – It tasted more like blueberry ice than like a sorbet, but it was a welcome palate cleanser nonetheless.
Our beautifully marbled beef on the teppanyaki grill.
Japanese Beef Fillet with Onion and Lotus Root, Horse Radish Mashed Potatoes – Because I was completely spoiled by last night’s Saga beef at La Table de Joel Robuchon, I probably didn’t enjoy this course as much as I normally would have. I just kept dreaming of that mind-blowingly luscious Saga fillet melting in my mouth (Mmmmm)…I may be ruined from eating steak from anywhere else ever again! After experiencing perfection, everything else seems so much more rough and chewy in comparison. However, I will say the baked onion was really sweet, and the mashed potatoes (not pictured) were creamy with a nice bite from the infused horse radish.
Cold Goto Udon Noodles with Braised Meat and Sesame Seeds – It seems so simple, yet this dish completely knocked my socks off. I fell in love with this dish. The noodles were perfect – firm yet springy, and just glided down my throat with the cool refreshing broth. The salty flavors of the braised meat and the crunchy sesame seeds further enhanced this incredible bowl of goodness. I've never had anything like this before.
Chocolate Mochi with Strawberry Marshmallow, Apple-Ooba and Grapefruit-Wasabi Sorbet – This was probably the strangest part of our meal. We were told that we would be escorted upstairs for our dessert course. We walked into what I can only describe as a dated looking lounge with brown leather couches scattered around the room – a completely different atmosphere than the modern teppanyaki floor. The desserts weren’t bad, but not particularly appetizing either. The mochi was fresh and soft, but I don’t think it went will with the dark chocolate filling. The flavor combinations for the sorbets were interesting (particularly the grapefruit-wasabi), but I wouldn’t say that I liked them.

It’s difficult for me to rate this restaurant because I was really wowed by some dishes and unimpressed by others. However, I do think it was a unique experience and the prices were reasonable for the quality, so I would still recommend that others go to Omae XEX, even if it’s just once.

BITE METER: Omae XEX - 3.5 bites (out of 5)