Categories
Disney Food Disney Parks Other

REVIEW! We Found BEER CHEESE…at Morimoto Asia in Disney World?!

Disney Springs began its phased reopening on May 20th to welcome guests back to its third-party restaurants and stores.

Morimoto Asia

Since there are plenty of new health and safety procedures in place across Disney Springs, restaurants are limiting capacity and implementing social distancing measures. And, while we gave you ALL the details on dining in Disney Springs, we’re back again for more food! But, this time, we’re heading to Morimoto Asia for some Japanese cuisine.

Check In

When you first arrive at the restaurant, there are is a line for guests with reservations to the left, with distancing stickers on the ground.

Morimoto Asia Line

And, there’s a separate line for drop-in guests to the right of the restaurant.

Morimoto Asia Distancing Signs

Atmosphere

Every time we walk into Morimoto Asia, we can’t get over how BEAUTIFUL the atmosphere is! It feels like you’re walking into a magical fantasy with its string light chandeliers (which fit right into Disney World!).

Morimoto Asia

Although we noticed that the cocktail bar and sushi bar were both closed, you can still order both of them at your table! So, don’t worry — you can get that Sake with your meal!

Morimoto Asia Sign

Annnd, you’re going to want to pull out your phone to check the menu since Morimoto Asia is only using a QR menu for the time being.

Morimoto Sign

If you don’t have a compatible device, notify your servers and they will be able to assist you! But know that Morimoto Asia is operating with a limited menu, so your favorite meal might not be available at this time.

Drinks

As we were deciding what to get, our server told us that two new drinks were debuting at the restaurant!

Forbidden Highball and Sparkling Belvedere

The Sparkling Belvedere is Morimoto’s twist on a Cosmo made with belvedere vodka, yuzu, cranberry, and topped with sparkling rosé for $18. Just like a regular Cosmo, the Sparkling Belvedere was delicious and SUPER refreshing. But, the most unique part of the cocktail was the citrusy yuzu — which added some tartness to the otherwise sweeter flavors!

Sparkling Belvedere

The Forbidden Highball is a simple combination of Toki Japanese whiskey and soda water, but don’t be fooled — it packs a lot of flavor! We were actually surprised that the drink was made with whiskey since it is so light. Our server told us that Morimoto is actually one of the few restaurants in the United States that sells Toki. So, in order to make the Forbidden Highball, Morimoto had to get a special machine called the Toki Highball to mix the drink properly.

Forbidden Highball

You can grab the Forbidden Highball for $16!

Eats

After we ordered, we were given disposable plastic silverware and chopsticks to use. We started our meal off with the Cauliflower and Cheese Spring Rolls for $16, which actually surprised us by how much of a treat they are!

Cauliflower Spring Rolls

While most restaurants with Asian cuisine might leans towards a more traditional Spring Roll, Morimoto’s unique twist was extremely good with plenty of cheese packed into the flaky rolls.

Inside the Cauliflower Spring Rolls

The Cauliflower and Cheese Spring Rolls also came with a side of Buffalo Beer Cheese Sauce, which is SO GOOD. We won’t pass up an opportunity for some extra cheese with a spicy kick! ?

Buffalo Beer Cheese Sauce

After all that cheesy goodness, we decided to try the Buri Bop and Beef Lo Mein for our main courses. And, if you have never had Buri Bop, it’s basically a little show as it’s prepared in front of you for $36 ! Iron Chef Morimoto actually won Japan’s Iron Chef Competition with this recipe, so it’s one of the restaurant’s favorite things to serve up. (We stan an iconic dish!)

Buri Bop Being Made!

The chef started with raw Japanese yellowtail and a raw egg with rice and veggies (including chili curls that look BOMB). It was presented in a 550 degree hot bowl (!!!) and the chef seared the fish on it while he stirred the other ingredients and cooked the egg.

Anybody Else Super Hungry Now??

If the show doesn’t sound interesting enough, the flavors of the dish were AH-MAZING. Even if you aren’t normally a fan of fish this Buri Bop might just change your mind!

Yellowtail Fish

The bowl was packed with flavors of ginger and soy in every bite of the yellowtail and rice. Since the Buri Bop sat in the hot dish, the rice at the bottom got all crispy, which was a great texture contrast to the other soft ingredients.

Buri Bop

And, believe it or not, our meal got even better since the Beef Lo Mein was also incredible! The dish was made with stir-fried noodles, beef tenderloin, napa cabbage, carrots, bean sprout, mushroom, and scallions for $25.

Beef Lo Mein

Although it may seem like a more typical meal to find at a restaurant like this, it was a stand-out against other lo meins that we’ve had! The beef tasted like very good quality and was cooked well. The flavors of the mushrooms and scallions added to the tender beef. Plus, that beef and veggie to noodle ratio was ON POINT, so you get enough of each part when you take each bite!

Beef Lo Mein Noodles

The only thing that could have made our meal better was dessert. BUT, Morimoto Asia isn’t serving dessert right now since the company that makes their ice cream hasn’t opened yet.

Overall

Morimoto Asia is one of those spots in Disney Springs that consistently serves up amazing food, even if you’re just trying the Street Food quick-stop outside!

Morimoto Asia

If you’re looking for a place to have traditional Japanese cuisine or try something new, check out Morimoto Asia the next time you’re in Disney Springs. Plus, that Buri Bop turned our dinner into dinner with a show!

Have you eaten at Morimoto Asia before? Let us know your experience in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney restaurant review, Disney Springs, Featured, Table-Service, Walt Disney World, Disney, disney restaurant, disney springs, disney springs crowd levels, disney springs dining, disney springs re-opening, disney springs reopening, Disney World, health and safety measures, highball, lo mein, Morimoto, Morimoto Asia, reservation, Tori

Categories
Disney Food Disney Parks Other

Photos and Review: How Do Morimoto Street Food’s Bao Buns Compare to Pandora’s Cheeseburger Pods??

Morimoto Asia Street Food is now reopened in Disney Springs!

Morimoto Asia Street Food

Select third-party shops and restaurants began reopening at Disney Springs on May 20th. We were there on reopening day to share our experience, and we’re continuing to drop in to check out locations as they reopen. Today, Morimoto Asia Street Food joined the list of reopened locations at Disney Springs, so we stopped in to grab some lunch!

Ordering Process

Similar to other locations around Disney Springs, Morimoto Asia Street Food has social distancing markers set up to show guests proper spacing as they stand in line to order their food.

Social Distancing Markers

We noticed that the large overhead menu which used to be placed above the counter was missing. Instead, there was a copy of the temporary menu, with reduced offerings, displayed in front of the register.

Morimoto Asia Street Food

It wasn’t yet set up when we ordered, but by the time we left, a plexiglass guard was installed in front of the register.

Plexiglass Guard

They were accepting cash payments, although the Cast Member informed us that they are encouraging contactless credit card payments if possible. The self-serve condiment station has been removed, so the Cast Member handed us sauces, napkins, and silverware after we placed our order.

Morimoto Asia Street Food Cast Member

They informed us that they’ve placed an order for packaged silverware and napkin kits, but they hadn’t arrived yet.

Seating

The restaurant removed some tables and spaced out the seating to allow for social distancing while dining.

Seating at Morimoto Asia Street Food

There was also a hand sanitizer station set up by the seating area.

Hand Sanitizer Station

As we were eating, another party finished their meal and left, and a Cast Member immediately wiped down the table at which they were sitting. So, in our experience, the team was on top of sanitation procedures!

Eats

Okay, now for the fun part — FOOD! The restaurant was offering a temporary menu with reduced options.

Morimoto Asia Street Food Menu

First, we tried the BBQ Pork Bun. We were curious to see how it compared to the Cheeseburger Pods from Satu’li Canteen in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!  This was a soft bao bun filled with a creamy pork mixture for $7.

BBQ Pork Bun

We really enjoyed this BBQ Pork Bun! The texture was nice and fluffy, and the flavor was a bit sweet. So this might be a good choice if you’re trying to avoid excess spice! The bun by itself wasn’t super filling, but it would be great as a snack or a light lunch. It’s safe to say, in our opinion, this bao and Satu’li Canteen’s don’t disappoint! Both are filled with rich, meaty mixtures — it may just be a matter of whether you’re craving pork or beef!

BBQ Pork Bun

We also tried the Spicy Chashu Ramen, which had Soy Flavored Pork Broth, Roasted Pork, Scallions, and a Soy Marinated Egg. And as much as we enjoyed the bun, the ramen was the real winner for us! Fair warning, it was pretty spicy, so it’s probably best to avoid this one if you’re not a fan of heat.

Spicy Chashu Ramen

But, in addition to the spice, there was a ton of great flavors in the ramen. We really enjoyed the pork which was sliced super thin and cooked perfectly. The noodles did help balance the spice a bit, and we liked that we could taste the soy in both the egg and the broth. So, the ramen gets two big thumbs up from us!

Overall Experience

We really enjoyed our time at Morimoto Asia Street Food. Both of the menu items we tried were awesome (especially the ramen!) and we took notice of the many precautions the restaurant and its Cast Members were taking. As usual, it was an absolute delight dining at Morimoto Asia Street Food! We’ll definitely be back again soon — we’re still dreaming about that ramen! You can check out our pre-closure review of Morimoto Asia Street Food here!

Have you eaten at Morimoto Asia Street Food? Share your experience in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, disney restaurant review, Disney Springs, Featured, Walt Disney World, bbq pork, bbq pork bun, disney springs, disney springs dining, disney springs reopen, disney springs reopening, Morimoto, Morimoto Asia Street Food, pork buns, Ramen, spicy chashu ramen