MOLI VIEW™

When someone asks you where you want to be taken out to dinner in NYC, "my treat," and they have a fat expense account or lots of disposable income, you might choose the pricey French Nouvelle Per Se or the fabulous '80s decadent, mod-Asian Buddakan. I like them too. But for me, the answer is always easy: Iron Chef Masuhara Morimoto's showroom, MorimotoNYC.

Perhaps its the fabulous loft-like industrial space at the back of The Chelsea Market building on 10th Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets (that also houses The Food Network). It's uber-modern and high-concept, with a wall of clear plastic bottles filled with water that reflect the different colors of the clever lighting scheme. A communal table as well as individual tables and booths made of the same Swedish spartan blond wood fade into the background, making the people sitting there the focus. There's a fair amount of clear acrylic and Plexiglas too in the neutral scheme — the stairs, the barstools, some of the walls — which play tricks with your depth perception (hold the handrails when descending the stairs). The waiters glide around dressed all in black (which is the most New York aspect), and the only color in the space comes from the festive, dressed-up dishes.

Of course, what you are paying top dollar for is the quality of raw fish, best sampled with an appetizer of Morimoto sashimi, thin flat strips of seared tuna, toro, eel, and salmon pressed together and served with five sauces that come in little plastic squeeze tubes. The whole experience is terribly aesthetic, so savor it. This is not a meal to rush through.
Next we ordered the spicy king crab with tombanjan aioli and micro cilantro followed by the sea bass in sweet sake kasu with Japanese eggplant and tempura avocado — which I could honestly eat every day of my life and never get tired — and the black braised cod with Japanese ratatouille and ginger soy reduction.
Finally, we added some maki, including a shrimp tempura and asparagus (declassé, but signature), eel and avocado (sublime), spicy tuna (a totally American invention), and gobo (pickled burdock root). There were desserts too, and I'm a firm believer in the theory that dessert has its own empty section in the stomach, no matter what, but we were honestly too full to even consider indulging.

To drink, there's an exhaustive wine list, cloudy sakes, and dazzling cocktails. And this is good to know: You can always just slip into the bar here for a $12 drink and see the space, if you can't afford the $200 per person dinner. Don't be intimidated; it's so fun in here.
Cathay Che is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Travel & Leisure.

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