Morimoto Asia (dinner)
We drove and arrived at the World around 11, but the first place we went was the RunDisney Expo at WWoS. As this isn't a TR, I'll be brief--it was highly disorganized and dysfunctional, a real train wreck. From there, we went to MK, rode a couple of rides, and headed back to the room to ready ourselves to head to Disney Springs. We'd eaten at
Morimoto Asia just six weeks earlier, and while we enjoyed the experience, we left feeling the food was rather pedestrian. There were four of us then, and our dishes varied from the duck nasi-goreng (a version of fried rice), to both veggie and beef lo mein, to the Morimoto lunch set (which included miso soup, California roll, shu mai, and orange chicken), and even a spicy tuna roll. None stood out. The lo meins were a bit oily, the sushi a tad dry, and the nasi-goreng was bland with minute pieces of duck. However, the service was quite good, and the restaurant itself was lovely.
For this visit, since we love sushi, we wanted to give them a do-over on that dish, and we wished to sample a couple of other items we hadn't before. To that end, we started with the spyder roll as an appetizer along with kung pao chicken and Morimoto buri-bop as our entrees. The spyder roll looked tasty, but as was the case a few weeks ago, the execution wasn't there. Two primary things stood out. First, the soft shell crab had obviously been sitting for awhile so tasted primarily of grease. Second, the roll was loosely wrapped and tended to fall apart when being transferred from plate to dipping sauce to my gaping maw. Given Chef Morimoto puts his name to the restaurant, it's a bit disappointing to get mediocre sushi twice in a row (though it's a fair criticism to say we've only tried three variations).
The kung pao chicken was much better. The spicy Szechuan sauce had a slow, rolling heat. After
Luv's initial bite or two, she commented that the heat was lacking. Not long after that, she amended her statement and said the latent heat was kicking in. It's still not a blazingly hot sauce, but the heat is quite apparent given a few minutes. Beyond the heat, there was an underlying, sweetly piquant profile that paired quite well with the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc my wife had selected. The chicken was moist and not overcooked--which is easy to do when chopped into bite-sized pieces--with just enough of the sauce sticking to the meat. As you find in a burgeoning number of restaurants, the entree came with no accompaniment other than a sliver or three of carrots, mushroom, and bell pepper, so
Luv asked for a side of rice for $2. She had wanted lo mein noodles (she might love them); however, those aren't available as a side dish, only as an entree. Though cashews are mentioned as part of the dish, those nuggets were few and far between. Overall, though, the dish was a success due to the chicken and sauce.
As for the buri-bop, I hereby declare it to be one of my favorite dishes in all of the World. Succulent, unctuous, and downright delicious, much like the famous bread service at
Sanaa, this offering alone is worth going to
Morimoto Asia. Your server brings the large, stone bowl to the table, and you can hear the mound of rice sizzling within. It's a gorgeous dish to boot. The rice is dotted with jullienned bits of vegetables and full of fragrance from onion, ginger, and garlic (along with a few pan Asian spices). Atop the rice is a golden yolk of an egg surrounded by five or six slices of yellowtail tuna. The server asks how you wish the fish to be cooked, and I make sure it's only kissed by the heat. See, he takes each sliver of fish and places them on the side of the bowl where they, too, begin to sizzle. Meanwhile, he thoroughly mixes the egg yolk into the sticky, aromatic rice while the fish cooks. To end, the fish slices go back on top of the rice, and you're ready to attack the dish with your chop sticks. Every mouthful was superb, from the warmth of the rice and the richness of the yolk, to the bite of the herbs, all the way to the buttery, melt-in-your mouth yellowtail. I didn't want to share with my wife, but I'm kinda special that way so I relented. She agreed that the buri-bop was one outstanding entree.
Additionally, we were seated upstairs which offered a fun view of the main dining area which didn't hurt the service at all. While our server was a bit reserved, I can't fault him for his service nor those who brought water often and served the buri-bop. I'm not a sake expert, but the list seems dotted with fine selections, and the wine list is equally solid. In fact, I paired my meal with the Almeria Torrontes which was appropriately fragrant with notes of peach blossom and highlighted the spice notes in the buri-bop. There was mixture of people in the restaurant which was quite full on a Thursday evening--the wait was 20-30 minutes without an ADR--and the predominant feel was upscale casual. On the lower level in the bar area, they have a few low tables which my 6'1" frame would find uncomfortable, but the 20-somethings were having no issues. They also have regular tables and a long, sleek bar with stools. As everyone in the bar aea was not only drinking but eating, I assume you can order off the menu. The prices are on par with most other nice Disney eateries.
Overall, I energetically recommend
Morimoto Asia, despite a few missteps such as the sushi and the lack of accompaniments for some meals.
At $10, it's a relative bargain at Disney (yes, I know it's a salad), more especially at a Signature. The avocado was plentiful, as was the bleu cheese which are two of the more expensive ingredients. If there was one criticism of note, it's that the salad was a bit overdressed. All in all, it was a crisp, refreshing, and filling salad. 
