Sushi in the middle of Napa Valley?! Seems like an unlikely place to be able to get fresh fish flown in regularly from Japan, but if anyone has the connections and financial backing to make it happen, it’s celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto (known best for his culinary skills and creativity on Iron Chef). And he definitely delivers at his newest restaurant Morimoto Napa…the seafood was excellent.
Uni (sea urchin), Chu-toro (medium fatty tuna), Hotate (scallop), Tamago (egg cake) – Nothing makes me more happy than *really* good sushi. The uni was creamy goodness, the chu-toro melted in my mouth like soft butter, and the scallop was crisp and sweet. I was tempted to order more, but also wanted to try the cooked items. Only the tamago was average; I was hoping it’d be light and fluffy like Urasawa’s.
Foie Gras Chawan Mushi – Intoxicating!! The silky foie gras custard was topped with a sweet soy broth and thin slivers of duck breast…so rich and luscious. I also appreciated the dollop of fresh grated wasabi to give it a bite on the finish. This dish was seriously addicting…I couldn’t stop until I had scraped every single bit from the bowl. Our waitress rightfully called this dish “Morimoto’s crack”…I’m hooked and coming back for more!
Spicy King Crab – I was delighted to see the huge portion of crab. It was sweet, succulent, and elevated by the spicy tobanjan aioli and crunchy tobiko toppings…finger lickin’ good! This dish was even better than I had remembered it from my dinner at Morimoto NY several years ago. My only request for next time would be to use a little less aioli.
Sea Urchin Carbonara – I had been wanting to try this ever since I first visited the restaurant’s website. I was thrilled how the distinct uni flavor and creaminess came through in the sauce as it coated the perfectly al dente noodles (even more so than my uni pasta at Le Bernardin), but unfortunately the dish was a tad too salty. It would’ve been phenomenal without the smoked bacon (did I really just say that?!)
Seafood Toban Yaki – a claypot of lobster, king crab, shrimp, scallop, mussels and clams in a spicy red miso sake broth. To my surprise, the broth lacked depth and a developed seafood flavor…all I got was spice. My least favorite dish of the evening.
Chocolate Banana Dessert – a tasty trio comprised of a banana shake (cold and refreshing), chocolate pot de crème (sweet decadence), and ginger-banana bread with miso caramel (wonderfully light, while the miso rounded out the caramel’s sweetness and gave it an extra dimension)
I really enjoyed my dinner at Morimoto Napa. The food is anchored by Japanese cuisine while also successfully infusing Western flavors and fun. The restaurant’s décor is a little too modern and flashy for Napa, but at least it tries to incorporate the wine country with vine branches along the slate gray walls and using an exposed trunk for the sushi bar.
BITE METER: Morimoto Napa – 4.2 bites (out of 5.0)
Uni (sea urchin), Chu-toro (medium fatty tuna), Hotate (scallop), Tamago (egg cake) – Nothing makes me more happy than *really* good sushi. The uni was creamy goodness, the chu-toro melted in my mouth like soft butter, and the scallop was crisp and sweet. I was tempted to order more, but also wanted to try the cooked items. Only the tamago was average; I was hoping it’d be light and fluffy like Urasawa’s.
Foie Gras Chawan Mushi – Intoxicating!! The silky foie gras custard was topped with a sweet soy broth and thin slivers of duck breast…so rich and luscious. I also appreciated the dollop of fresh grated wasabi to give it a bite on the finish. This dish was seriously addicting…I couldn’t stop until I had scraped every single bit from the bowl. Our waitress rightfully called this dish “Morimoto’s crack”…I’m hooked and coming back for more!
Spicy King Crab – I was delighted to see the huge portion of crab. It was sweet, succulent, and elevated by the spicy tobanjan aioli and crunchy tobiko toppings…finger lickin’ good! This dish was even better than I had remembered it from my dinner at Morimoto NY several years ago. My only request for next time would be to use a little less aioli.
Sea Urchin Carbonara – I had been wanting to try this ever since I first visited the restaurant’s website. I was thrilled how the distinct uni flavor and creaminess came through in the sauce as it coated the perfectly al dente noodles (even more so than my uni pasta at Le Bernardin), but unfortunately the dish was a tad too salty. It would’ve been phenomenal without the smoked bacon (did I really just say that?!)
Seafood Toban Yaki – a claypot of lobster, king crab, shrimp, scallop, mussels and clams in a spicy red miso sake broth. To my surprise, the broth lacked depth and a developed seafood flavor…all I got was spice. My least favorite dish of the evening.
Chocolate Banana Dessert – a tasty trio comprised of a banana shake (cold and refreshing), chocolate pot de crème (sweet decadence), and ginger-banana bread with miso caramel (wonderfully light, while the miso rounded out the caramel’s sweetness and gave it an extra dimension)
I really enjoyed my dinner at Morimoto Napa. The food is anchored by Japanese cuisine while also successfully infusing Western flavors and fun. The restaurant’s décor is a little too modern and flashy for Napa, but at least it tries to incorporate the wine country with vine branches along the slate gray walls and using an exposed trunk for the sushi bar.
BITE METER: Morimoto Napa – 4.2 bites (out of 5.0)
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