My day as a Judge on Iron Chef America

Last week, I went on a trip with the Wheatley family to Philadelphia, Martha's Vineyard, and Boston. Being the self-proclaimed Food Network Queen that I am, I was in charge of finding yummy places for us to eat in our travels.
As soon as I found out we would be in Philadelphia, I knew we just had to eat at Masaharu Morimoto's restauarant--morimoto. It was unbelievable! Scott, my father in law, was kind enough to tell me I could get the Chef's Selection (a multi-course tasting tasting menu designed to allow you to experience the essence of Morimotos's cuisine), something that I hadn't even considered. He told me that the reason we went there was to try Morimoto's cuisine and if I wanted to get Omakase, as they call it, I should. With that, how could I refuse?! It was unreal--it was honestly as though I was a judge on Iron Chef America--my dream come true! The first course that I sampled was a yellowtail tartare w/ cruchy shallots sitting in a yummy broth with caviar on top and served with a japanese peach and freshly grates wasabi...ohmigosh. With each course, the server told me what the dish was, what it was served with, and how the chef recommends you each it. For example, with the first course, Morimoto recommends that you mix some of the wasabi into the broth and dip the yellowtail before savoring each morsel. The little japanese peach is about the size of a grape and looks like a fury little redish ball and tastes like a strawberry/peach smoothie. I had a smile from ear to ear!

The next course was red snapper sashimi served with microgreens and a japanese twist on a cesar dressing, with also a carrot reduction sauce (that didn't tast like much, but sure made the plate look pretty!) on the side. The sashimi had been torched on the top, so the skin was a little crunchy (I am only guessing, but I have seen him do this on Iron Chef America...it didn't look like it had been seared, but it had been cooked a little on the top.) So Yummy!

The third course came out with everyone else's main course, and was a chilean sea bass with a black bean paste that was served in a little bit of hot peanut oil with shaved scallions on top. Oh, wow. The fish was steamed perfectly and ever bite seemed to melt instantly in my mouth. The black bean paste was just enough to add a little salt, without being overpowering, and the oil was so like that it just make everything slide down almost too fast.

The fourth course was a platter of nigiri--tuna, AJI--or jackfish, yellowtail, needlefish and salmon. I have seen Alton Brown's episode on sushi, so I knew exactly how to dip the nigiri in soy sause fish side first in a sweeping motion. Apparently, if you dip the rice side in first, it is a complete insult. The fish was so fresh and so colorful and something about the soy sause was so tasty! (definitely not of the kikoman variety)

The fifth and final course was a pistachio dessert with a little scoop of cherry sorbet and a thin piece of peanut brittle on top, served with mascerated cherries and crushed pistachios. I didn't think I was crazy about pistachios, but this was so delicious! I can't remember exactly what it was called--and it wasn't on the menu, so I couldn't look it up--but it was a little bit like a tart with an almost granular texture that melted as soon as it touched my tongue. There was a very thin layer of sliced almonds on top to add a little bit of a crunch and the sorbet was the perfect compliment.

The whole meal took almost two hours--what could be better than enjoying some of the best food you've ever tasted for two whole hours?! Not to mention, it was two hours out of the hot, humid afternoon. It was an experience that I know I will not soon forget.