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There are a bunch of cool spots that have opened on the Napa river over the last couple years…Morimoto is one of them. Because this was a sushi restaurant run by an Iron Chef I admit I had some high expectations. Morimoto himself was not in town on our visit but that was okay as we’d seen him in-person before.
Our meal started out on a super high note. We decided to order the hot appetizer called kakuni – a ten hour pork belly w/ rice congee and soy-scallion jus. It was melt-in-your-mouth good. Next, we had the tempura calamari salad which had a fantastic white miso dressing. The calamari was a tad over battered for my taste but Mike enjoyed it. We followed this up with some sushi rolls (soft shell crab,eel avocado,spicy tuna) which were…sushi rolls. They were not at all imaginative. They looked and tasted just like the take out I get at the spot down the street from my house – just slightly higher priced. We probably should have gone with one of the menu entrees. Oh well, lesson learned.
We still had a little room in our stomachs so we split the kabocha squash sticky toffee cake w/ buttermilk ice cream and asian pear. This was a pleasantly sweet ending to our night.
Next visit, it’s all about the OMAKASE (the tasting menu). I’m sure it’s as mind blowing as the price.
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Website: http://morimotonapa.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: california, food, iron chef, japanese, morimoto, napa, restaurant, review, sushi | Leave a comment »
My favorite farmers market in the area is in Campbell. There are 2-3 blocks full of art, fruits, veggies, flowers, baked goods, jams, food carts, herbs, pasta, fish, cheese and more. Last Sunday Mike and I strolled through while eating a homemade raspberry cheesecake poppy-seed muffin. Yum! Then we shared a deliciously fresh gigantic savory crepe with spinach, tomato, cheese and lemon. Warning: eat before you go or you will spend all your money on pre-made foods… Finally we purchased some goodies to take home. When it comes to produce I usually buy from the farms that specialize in one or two items instead of 10. First stop, the heirloom tomato booth (you will see what we created with these here soon). Mike and I went crazy at Tomatero, the organic tomato stand and then grabbed some potatoes from Zuckerman’s Farms. If you are in the mood for strawberries check out Rodriguez farms (they’re delicious and organic!). You’ll find plenty of samples so take a walk through before you buy.
We took our seats and were handed the concise menu. Don’t expect more than 6 main entrees to choose from per night. We began with a 5 spice Ahi tuna stack which consisted of fresh spicy tuna, sliced avocado and mixed greens sandwiched in-between circular won ton crisps. When dipped in the accompanying wasabi mayo dressing it was a little party in your mouth. It was simply delectable. Things started off with a bang and only got better. For the main course I chose the double pork chop with red cabbage and maple jus. It came with a side of crisp, buttery spatzle like pasta. Everything was cooked perfectly and had really great flavors. Mike picked the flank steak that came with green beans, mashed potatoes and a chipolte bbq sauce. He practically licked his plate clean. Now onto dessert…you didn’t think we would skip this did you? We chose the cheesecake with blueberries. It was pleasing but nothing special. What impressed us more is that they served french-press coffee. Each of us were given our own individual press…so good! French pressed coffee is sublime. As the evening came to an end Mike said, and I quote “This is my new favorite place in Los Gatos!” Now that’s a huge achievement. I don’t know if I would rank it at the very top of my list but it came close. We will definitely come back.
Bay Area Foodie 