Morimoto - Napa

Ricardo and Alessandra

While I was in Napa, I had the extreme pleasure of dining at Iron Chef Morimoto's new restaurant called (unsurprisingly) Morimoto Napa. It's the new hot spot on the Riverfront in downtown Napa and I was very excited to be able to go there with my friend Alessandra (actually, she's a friend of my son and daughter-in-law but I claim her as a friend too)  and her handsome boyfriend Ricardo.

An interesting chandelier at Morimoto's

 The ambiance and decor were spectacular in a "Napa meets Japan" kind of way and the place was bustling with activity, even though it was a Wednesday night. Ale (spelled this way but pronounced Ally) and Ricardo had been there before so I had the benefit of their knowledge and experience when it came to deciding what to order from the menu. For appetizers, Ale said we definitely had to try the spicy king crab, the rock shrimp tempura and the tuna pizza. The king crab legs were huge and served with  sliced Meyer lemon to squeeze over the crab meat in case the heat was too much. The fresh tuna pizza had a crispy flatbread crust and the rock shrimp tempura had a spicy kochujan sauce with a wasabi aoli. We made short work of the appetizers while we waited for our entrees to arrive. I chose a a tuna Caesar salad, Ale went with the pork belly (which actually tasted like my New England pot roast) and Ricardo had a combination of sushi. When the table next to us received their food, I couldn't help but stare. The woman's lobster dish was so beautifully presented, she actually pulled out her camera and took a picture of it. Our appetizers were equally as beautiful, as were our entrees when they arrived, but I fought the urge to photograph them (although if I'd been by myself I probably would have. I didn't want to embarrass Ale and Ricardo - after all, they live in Napa. Me, I was a tourist and would never be seen again). The service was absolutely fantastic too and the wait staff was very attentive to our every need.

Chef Morimoto is the one wearing the white shoes.

Just to cap off a totally wonderful dining experience, I actually got a chance to see Chef Morimoto seated at one of the tables talking to his guests. I tried to surreptitiously take a picture but I guess I've lost my touch at covert photography because I ended up with nothing but a blur.