Japanese style restaurant with a friendly and inviting atmosphere from the moment I walked in. The color scheme is one of comfort: think gold and maroon. Surrounds you with warmth, even though you’re still inside the casino.
Place setting upon arrival
In walking up, they asked if I had any dietary restrictions right at check-in and took note of my name. So, when my server (Taylor) came over, he greeted me by name (which was fun) and offered some suggestions based on what I provided to the host.
Throughout the lunch, Taylor was so nice, fun to chat with and engaging! As a solo diner he really made the experience a delight.
A clip of the Vegan Menu
The veggie/vegan menu is well rounded; drunken noodles came with a very high recommendation! But, I was warned it is a little bit larger of a portion, so since I was not too hungry, I opted for Seaweed Salad to start and I got a few rolls.
Seaweed salad
The seaweed salad was nice. Perfectly crunchy with sesame seeds. It had a nice texture and sauce, and was not heavy.
Rainbow Roll and Vegan Eel Roll
I ordered two rolls, the Rainbow Roll and the Vegan Eel Roll.
Rainbow Roll
The Rainbow Roll was very fresh, almost like a salad in sushi form. Crunchy veggie top, refreshing! I’d say if you got a salad, you likely don’t need another fresh entree, so this one could be one to skip.
Vegan Eel roll
Now, the Vegan Eel Roll is one of the best vegan rolls I’ve ever had! Texture was so fun. Crispy top and onion inside. The sauce on top is sweet and tangy, so by itself you have almost a sweet roll, but once dipped in the soy sauce, it becomes a sweet and tangy roll. It’s a really nice balance, specifically with the braised tofu on the top. It’s not often you have restaurants push their limits with vegan rolls, so I was thoroughly impressed. Definitely would suggest.
Overall, with the pleasant service, tasty foods, and willingness to accommodate any patron, I’ll say this was a wonderful meal and service experience. Definite recommendation from me!
The front of Morimoto (located in the MGM Grand Hotel)
In full honesty, the very first time I went to Morimoto 5/8/2022, I was not impressed. In my initial review, I remarked ‘disappointed, definitely not the iron chef experience’. After my review, the General Manager reached out, apologized for the experience and asked to give them another try. I’ll preface my updated-review below by saying that I received no bill discount, free entree, or incentives to revisit or re-review. I visited again simply out of curiosity. Spoiler alert, this time it was a delightful experience!
When we arrived on 8/1, we were met by Jenna (the GM) and walked to our table. The servers we passed said ‘welcome in’ as we passed them and as our table was in the back of the restaurant, it really made us feel welcome.
The decor in Morimoto is like a cool ‘chic’ vibe. While it’s in the MGM grand, unless you focus on the windows to watch the folks walk by, you’re pulled into the classy interior and experience around you. In the back of the restaurant there is a hibachi kitchen, where you can sit and the chefs will cook meals for the group. Otherwise all tables are placed throughout. There is a restroom in the back, so no need to leave the restaurant to use the facilities if you need to freshen up quick.
The vegetarian options at Morimoto (in case they don’t offer you a menu as well)
In looking at the menu, there are excellent options for fish and sushi, but the vegetarian options at Morimoto definitely are lacking, which was one of my main frustrations with the restaurant during my previous visit. This time, they curated a physical vegetarian menu for us, showing what could be altered or ordered. This was appreciated, as the previous visit the server was unaware and it made ordering difficult.
After seating, we met our server Katie, who was just phenomenal. Not only was she kind, but she also had fun banter with us through the evening. In terms of service, she has a full 5-star rating from me. Super attentive, thoughtful, and engaging. She checked-in just the right amount and made sure we felt taken care of!
For example, of course she knew I was vegetarian, but she brought out a special soy sauce for me, which I appreciated. Because Morimoto’s uses fish in all their sauces, if you don’t eat fish, you have to have someone attentive to make sure you are taken care of, which Katie sure did! Also, it was my friend’s birthday and I whispered to her this in passing and she made a candle appear with sorbet when dessert was served. This was a very different service experience than the previous time.
The vegetarian sushi combo
For my main entree, I ordered the Vegetarian Sushi Combo, which apparently the chef created just for my visit. I really hope this becomes a staple, because without it, there is no main entree for a vegetarian. Plus, the veggie sushi combo was phenomenal! There were flavors and textures I never had on a roll before.
Fresh carrot roll very crunchy and fresh
Marinated carrot roll, umami slight crunch and tasty (this one was my favorite)
Mixed veggie roll is nicely complimented with avocado
There was an endive roll that was fun – never had something like that before
Edamame roll that was something creative – a fun texture in the mouth
Mushroom Roll was a fun chewy texture with the marinated mushrooms
Avocado sliced roll was creamy and perfectly ripe
So good!
The other folks in my party had the non-vegetarian items:
Duck Fried Rice – flavor packed! To quote exactly ‘#flavorbomb’
Sashimi for two chefs combo:
Sashimi for two combo
All cuts of the fish were really fresh. Waitress let us know what to try first and between cuts of fish before other dishes (like the appetizers).
Paired the sake well with the sashimi
Very positive experience
Sushi combo plate:
Sushi combo plate
Very tasty! Every cut of fish was a delight, no complaints!
Sake:
The Sommelier was very knowledgeable (and fun to be around). He gave us a detailed run through of the sakes, including region, ownership, land, and terroir! Here’s what we ordered:
Unfiltered: Nigori Genshu Sake by Murai Family. Thick, almost like milk – nice and heavy. We liked it for the texture and with our appetizers.
Filtered: Konteki Pearls of Simplicity Junmai Daiginjo. Bright and fun, hints of melon. Paired wonderfully with the sushi combo and the vegetarian sushi combo.
For dessert:
Jasmine Panacotta with blueberry compote, almond streusel, blueberry ice cream and lemon sorbet
Jasmine Panacotta with blueberry compote, almond streusel, blueberry ice cream and lemon sorbet :
Delightful. Lemon and blueberry, light and slightly tangy. I ate quite a few bites 🙂
Chilled cheesecake souffle with blood orange sorbet
Chilled cheesecake souffle with blood orange sorbet :
Perfectly light and fluffy- it basically danced across the palate! So nice when paired with the blood orange sorbet
Cheers from Morimotos!
Overall the experience was so much fun. We had a great time conversing with the staff and had a full and fun time. Super five star experience. I really hope they make the veggie menu and the vegetarian sushi combo permanent. I asked Jenna about it when we were closing out and she mentioned that it was made just for my visit, but it may not be on the menu in the long-term. So, if you’re headed to Morimotos and interested in the vegetarian sushi combo, I suggest asking if they can make it for you! Compliments to the chef for stepping out of the norm and creating the dish for me. In the long-term, Chef Morimoto should really consider adding this permanently to the menu, it will be inclusive and also an amazing add for vegetarians or folks who can’t eat fish.
Previous experience: 2-star, most recent experience 5-star. Overall, I’d give a 4.5 as I think they learned well from the feedback provided and that shows a lot in a restaurant! It isn’t often you can say a place takes feedback and shows up as well as Morimotos did! Nicely done and thank you Morimotos!
As I think you’ve probably noticed by now, I’m not usually one to write a review of a casual fast-food spot, but this was an interesting meal that I felt like I needed to share (and now will open up a whole new section for the blog). My friend John & I were in Las Vegas and wanted to have an un-fancy dinner. Read: we were headed to a show and then to do some gambling and wanted a quick, but substantial / relatively healthy meal.
Since we were already out on the strip, we walked past a few spots and saw JaBurritos, located near the Flamingo. It said Sushi Burritos, and since we both love sushi, we couldn’t resist a peek inside.
Walking in- it’s essentially a fast-food style sushi burrito place. It’s a standard fast food industrial look, similar to what you see at Chipotle. You walk up to the counter, select from the menu and they make it there for you right away. Unlike Chipotle though, you don’t get to customize each ingredient, but rather just order from the set menu and get things a-la carte.
The menu is interesting, with quite a few different choices, including a-la carte options for miso soup, edamame, and chips and cheese (that’s a curious one for the menu).
I chose the Venice burrito, which is their sole tofu option and ordered a side of edamame with a hot jasmine tea. Everything comes in to-go packaging, even if you’re eating in (I think for convenience)
The edamame was nicely cooked and had a lot of salt sprinkled on the top (as you can see). I would’ve preferred a bit less salt, but honestly because it’s Vegas and I was drinking during the weekend, my body was likely thankful for the electrolytes. I ate them all
The burrito itself was Delicious (notice the capital ‘D’)?! I was surprised, as my expectations were low. The tofu was nice and fresh, there was corn, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, black beans, and pico de gallo. There was a tiny piece of avocado as well, which was the only thing I wished there was a bit more of. It was wrapped in nigiri seaweed and held together while I ate it.
I have found myself thinking of this little sushi burrito from time to time and will definitely stop back in to get it if I find myself in need of a fast food while in Las Vegas again!
