About.com Rating
The Bottom Line
Morimoto seems destined to become a Waikiki classic.
Pros
- Delicious, local flavors.
- Excellent service.
- Great design.
Cons
- Vegetarian choices are minimal.
Description
- Morimoto Waikiki
- 1775 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96815
- 808-943-5900
- Open weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on weekends)
Guide Review - Mormimoto Waikiki
The doors to Chef Masaharu Morimoto's new Honolulu restaurant, Morimoto Waikiki, swung open last fall, and dishes like the tuna pizza—with olives, anchovy aioli, and jalapeno—are still creating a buzz around town.
I took a friend to check it out.
The atmosphere is crisp and sleek. The general manager Craig Kahila calls it a “fresh palate.” Striking displays of coral combined with bold floral photography inside transition perfectly onto the lanai which overlooks the Ala Moana Harbor. The concept was designed by Thomas Schoos, a German-born designer now based in Hollywood, whose chic designs earned him a permanent spot on the Morimoto design team.
With acclaimed restaurants in locales as expected as New York and exotic as Mumbai, the star chef continues racking up awards and accolades for his innovative, if not nontraditional, fusion cuisine. The conversation he's had a million times goes something like, “Wow, that was delicious, but was it really Japanese?” To which he responds by educating his patrons on the origins of ingredients like shoyu (thought to be Chinese) and curry (India). His menu, then? Based in Japanese gastronomy with borrowings from and nods to Italy, France and Southeast Asia.
That brings me to settling in to a swanky sage colored booth as our server described the menu favorites.
Despite the tempting and famed choices of “Duck, Duck, Duck” (you guessed it, duck prepared three ways, $32), “Angry Chicken” (organic spicy chicken, $26), and the Waygu 16 ounce steak ($80), we opted for omakase—a multiple course chef's choice ($110/person). Certainly not for a lack of food, but rather out of pure curiosity, we added Morimoto Sashimi to the mix.
The sashimi arrived quickly. Salmon, eel, tuna, hamachi, and seared toro are layered together and presented with five little tubes of sauces to enhance flavor according to taste. The effect is a flavor-rich medley from the sea. Toro and hamachi tartare, the first course in the tasting menu, arrived soon thereafter. Uniquely presented in a petite wooden box, it comes packed with ice and several accompaniments which included traditional wasabi and less traditional crème fraiche. We were instructed on how to us new utensils—little metal paddles—that were served with the tartare in order to mix and eat. Further courses revealed that any of the tartares and carpaccio dishes are deletable and well executed both in preparation as well as presentation.
About this time Morimoto emerged from the open air kitchen sporting khaki shorts and sports-style shoes beneath his chef's coat. Don't let his casual-chic appearance fool you; Morimoto is a man with extreme focus and a wildly ambitious streak. He wowed Iron Chef audiences with his impressive skills and grace in the kitchen stadium, accruing 17 wins with only 6 losses and 1 tie on the show. At his Waikiki establishment he looked on from the center of the kitchen or corner on the floor, observing and sometimes correcting as his kitchen and floor staff expedited his vision.
What, exactly, drew him to Hawaii? The answer is two-fold. First, he holds a special spot for Honolulu. “I got married with my wife in Waikiki in 1979,” he explained. Secondly, when the opportunity was presented to Morimoto a few years ago, he said he couldn't resist the idea of bringing his restaurant to Hawaii, “I knew I could use fine local seafood.”
Morimoto has developed solid relationships with the island fishing industry, but he's also branched out to include local farmers as well. Two more menu tasting highlights during our visit highlighted local ingredients. A mini fondue pot with olive oil and a garlic-anchovy dip was served up with local root vegetables—a playful combination. And the main course featured our state's very own Kona lobster, along with filet mignon cooked to a perfect medium rare. We had not saved room for dessert, despite the warnings from our server, and had to pass on the island-inspired sorbet.
Indeed, Morimoto has delivered to Waikiki a menu that continues to fascinate diners with strong flavor profiles and interesting presentations. Though there are currently no plans to relocate to Hawaii, Morimoto promised, in October during the opening, to visit frequently. In the meantime, he left the operation in the capable hands of Chef Jojo Vasquez, who was also an Iron Chef contender and for the last five years the chef de cuisine at The Banyan Tree restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton on Maui. The final ruling? Morimoto seems destined to become a Waikiki classic.