Morimoto Asia -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Disney Springs
*This dining experience took place in November 2016.
Morimoto Asia, a table service restaurant at Disney Springs, offers Asian food inspired by Iron Chef Morimo. I've been here on several occasions -- all of which have resulted in progressively worse experiences.On this particular occasion, I joined my family for a last minute lunch at Morimoto Asia (they really enjoy it). Initially, I was going to grab lunch at Cooke's of Dublin or Blaze Pizza while my family dined at Morimoto Asia, but at their insistence I ended up going there for lunch with them.
I enjoyed seeing the holiday decorations here, which were really lovely, but that was basically the best of my experience.In previous visits, Morimoto Asia has had a gluten free menu. On this visit, I learned that they recently removed the menu and now only have limited gluten free offerings. The hostess said that she thought some of the rice dishes were now gluten free, but then came back to our table after a few minutes (and before our server came to the table) and said she was mistaken.Sadly, our server did not give me any more good news. I was told my only gluten free option was the pad thai. I asked about speaking to a manager, but the server indicated that they would tell me the same thing -- that the only gluten free option was pad thai.What a huge bummer and such a sad situation that I couldn't get a manager or that there were any other options beyond pad thai. I told my family that I was going to leave and get food elsewhere, as I both felt unwelcome and frustrated by the experience, but they really wanted me to stay. I'm not a big fan of their pad thai, but ended up ordering it.
On a previous visit, I found the pad thai woefully oversauced and very sweet. This time, there was barely any sauce. I found the noodles and even the chicken to be super bland and tasteless. I can get much better versions of pad thai in Orlando, so it was nothing special for me.While the dish itself was perfectly passable, I can't in good conscious either recommend or support Morimoto Asia. I'm fine with a restaurant not offering gluten free options; it's their choice. What I can't get behind is a restaurant at Disney, where the special dietary accommodations are second to none, not even making an effort. Of course, Morimoto Asia is non-Disney owned, so it's certainly their prerogative to remove menus and/or options and restaurants at Disney not owned or operated by Disney are not required to follow Disney's accommodations for special dietary needs...but most do.Look at Raglan Road. Chef Kevin Dundon has done an incredible job at not only making amazing and delicious food but also creating outstanding and safe gluten free and special dietary needs counterparts so that everyone can enjoy. In fact, he talked about this recently at a culinary demo I went to at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival and he took the extra effort and time to make me a gluten free version of the lamb pie he made for the demo. That, to me, is true commitment and compassion for guests with special dietary needs. There's a reason Chef Kevin Dundon's restaurant Raglan Road has won "best gluten free restaurant" in Orlando.I can only assume that Chef Morimoto and the Pantina Group, which owns Morimoto Asia, find that accommodating special dietary needs is too time-consuming and/or difficult. And that's fine. That is their choice. But, it's disheartening to see a restaurant like this at Disney, where many guests might not know that there's a difference between Disney owned and non-Disney owned restaurants and might expect that they can be accommodated for at Morimoto Asia.Thankfully, there are so many Disney owned and non-Disney owned restaurants that can accommodate. And, if I'm craving Asian food, I will just head to Skipper Canteen and other Disney locations. Sadly, this was one of the most disappointing meal experiences I've ever had at Disney, and I will not be going back to Morimoto Asia.I truly hope that they will take feedback from the special diets community to heart and work to provide safe and delicious options for guests and not just make them feel like a burden or give them "a" single choice (because that's not really a choice or option. It's just what you have to order). Until then, you'll find me at Raglan Road next door with a platter of gluten free and dairy free fried fish and chips and a pint of Magners Pear Cider.Have you been to Morimoto Asia? What has your experience been?
Morimoto Asia -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Disney Springs
*This dining experience took place in November 2016.Morimoto Asia, a table service restaurant at Disney Springs, offers Asian food inspired by Iron Chef Morimo. I've been here on several occasions -- all of which have resulted in progressively worse experiences.On this particular occasion, I joined my family for a last minute lunch at Morimoto Asia (they really enjoy it). Initially, I was going to grab lunch at Cooke's of Dublin or Blaze Pizza while my family dined at Morimoto Asia, but at their insistence I ended up going there for lunch with them.I enjoyed seeing the holiday decorations here, which were really lovely, but that was basically the best of my experience.In previous visits, Morimoto Asia has had a gluten free menu. On this visit, I learned that they recently removed the menu and now only have limited gluten free offerings. The hostess said that she thought some of the rice dishes were now gluten free, but then came back to our table after a few minutes (and before our server came to the table) and said she was mistaken.Sadly, our server did not give me any more good news. I was told my only gluten free option was the pad thai. I asked about speaking to a manager, but the server indicated that they would tell me the same thing -- that the only gluten free option was pad thai.What a huge bummer and such a sad situation that I couldn't get a manager or that there were any other options beyond pad thai. I told my family that I was going to leave and get food elsewhere, as I both felt unwelcome and frustrated by the experience, but they really wanted me to stay. I'm not a big fan of their pad thai, but ended up ordering it.On a previous visit, I found the pad thai woefully oversauced and very sweet. This time, there was barely any sauce. I found the noodles and even the chicken to be super bland and tasteless. I can get much better versions of pad thai in Orlando, so it was nothing special for me.While the dish itself was perfectly passable, I can't in good conscious either recommend or support Morimoto Asia. I'm fine with a restaurant not offering gluten free options; it's their choice. What I can't get behind is a restaurant at Disney, where the special dietary accommodations are second to none, not even making an effort. Of course, Morimoto Asia is non-Disney owned, so it's certainly their prerogative to remove menus and/or options and restaurants at Disney not owned or operated by Disney are not required to follow Disney's accommodations for special dietary needs...but most do.Look at Raglan Road. Chef Kevin Dundon has done an incredible job at not only making amazing and delicious food but also creating outstanding and safe gluten free and special dietary needs counterparts so that everyone can enjoy. In fact, he talked about this recently at a culinary demo I went to at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival and he took the extra effort and time to make me a gluten free version of the lamb pie he made for the demo. That, to me, is true commitment and compassion for guests with special dietary needs. There's a reason Chef Kevin Dundon's restaurant Raglan Road has won "best gluten free restaurant" in Orlando.I can only assume that Chef Morimoto and the Pantina Group, which owns Morimoto Asia, find that accommodating special dietary needs is too time-consuming and/or difficult. And that's fine. That is their choice. But, it's disheartening to see a restaurant like this at Disney, where many guests might not know that there's a difference between Disney owned and non-Disney owned restaurants and might expect that they can be accommodated for at Morimoto Asia.Thankfully, there are so many Disney owned and non-Disney owned restaurants that can accommodate. And, if I'm craving Asian food, I will just head to Skipper Canteen and other Disney locations. Sadly, this was one of the most disappointing meal experiences I've ever had at Disney, and I will not be going back to Morimoto Asia.I truly hope that they will take feedback from the special diets community to heart and work to provide safe and delicious options for guests and not just make them feel like a burden or give them "a" single choice (because that's not really a choice or option. It's just what you have to order). Until then, you'll find me at Raglan Road next door with a platter of gluten free and dairy free fried fish and chips and a pint of Magners Pear Cider.Have you been to Morimoto Asia? What has your experience been?
Morimoto Asia -- Lunch/Dinner -- Table Service -- Disney Springs
*This is a series of dining experiences that took place in October and November 2015.Morimoto Asia, located in Disney Springs, is Disney's latest collaboration with a celebrity chef -- this time, Chef Morimoto of Iron Chef fame. While I wasn't super excited about the opening of this new location (certainly not like I am for Chef Rick Bayless' restaurant to open in Disney Springs), I was very hopeful we'd have a new option for gluten free options while at Disney Springs.This review combines multiple experiences showing the evolution of the restaurant's handling of gluten free diners, from the opening where they seemed to be much more flexible to my last visit in mid-November where I got very sick and had very few options on their new gluten free menu to choose from (and no ability to have any other dishes off those menus modified). You can also read Gluten Free in Orlando's reviews on Morimoto Asia, as she has been several times, as well.
To begin with, I will say that the restaurant decor is gorgeous. When I entered the restaurant the first time, I felt like I was dining in a location more suited to a large city like New York or Los Angeles. It's clean and modern decor is lovely, and they even have some very subtle Disney references (like hidden Mickey's) too. The large chandelier is impressive; the entire restaurant looks remarkable at night. Very beautiful.
I like the tables and table-ware -- all of which reflect the clean, modern Japanese theme.
On my first visit, Morimoto Asia did not have a gluten free dinner menu and a manager came over to discuss the options with me and my friend (who was gluten free and vegan). While waiting, I ordered a drink from the bar. It's been a while, but I believe I ordered the Lemongrass Mojito or at least a version of this, as it was during the restaurant's first few weeks of opening. The drink itself was a bit sweet for my taste but something different to try. I liked the fresh sugar cane and kafir lime leaves.After speaking with the manager at length, I was told that I could have the spicy tuna without the spicy mayo or the California roll -- both of which could only be served on brown rice due to gluten in the white rice (as an aside, I get deeply disappointed when any restaurant says their sushi rice might contain gluten, as traditional sushi rice is both not remotely glutenous and also very easy to make). Since then, I've been able to get white rice (which was changed to be gluten free). Note that currently, the California roll is no longer listed as gluten free on their gluten free menus. (I'm told they've had some distributor changes in products and product preparation).
Morimoto Asia does carry gluten free soy sauce, and it is made available to guests upon request. This was great for the sushi, though I will say it couldn't really save these rolls from being anything more than just pedestrian versions of California Roll. I found them to be fairly average, and to be honest, I would order sushi at Splitsville, Kona Cafe Sushi Bar, or California Grill over Morimoto Asia. The California Luau Roll at Kona Cafe is bananas good.
Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDWDuring my first visit, we also ordered the sesame balls, which are a bit savory and, at the time, could be ordered as a starter or for dessert. If you are a mochi person, this is a winner. Sadly, these are no longer gluten free due to a distributor change, as of December 2015 (see Gluten Free in Orlando's review for more info).
On my first visit, the manager recommended the Singapore Laksa Noodles, as this was both gluten free and dairy free without the soy marinated egg. This was a delicious, warm, and filling entree. I liked that the meatballs didn't contain filler or were too heavy. The coconut milk broth was spicy but flavorful. It was a dish I would definitely order again. Unfortunately, after that first visit, I was told this was no longer a modifiable option.
On my second visit, I dined during lunch and tried the chicken pad thai which also contained tofu. Pad that is a dish that I love but often find that it's a bit too sweet for my tastes, if made to be more appealing to the Western palate. Sadly, this was very sweet. The tamarind sauce was unique and added some depth to the dish, but in my opinion the dish was woefully over-sauced and sweetened. The crispy tofu was a nice addition, but overall, I wasn't that keen on my pad thai and would not order it again.
On my third and final visit, I dined for dinner and ordered the wok fry shrimp, which sounded good. It did not come with rice, and though I requested it and asked for it several times, I was never brought any. During this meal, I had both the California Roll gluten free and this dish and became very sick afterwards. I am still not sure if I was glutened or if my stomach with Crohn's had a hard time with all of the vegetables. Either way, this experience, along with the restaurant's inability to modify dishes in any way shape or form now (a statement that they were very adamant in reiterating to me) pretty much solidified that I won't be dining here for a long time.It's unfortunate, as I believe the restaurant has a lot of potential to be a great restaurant for gluten free and special diets diners. Restaurants like the newly opened Skipper Canteen (which is owned and operated by Disney and therefore does adhere to very strict special dietary standards and accommodations), have a plethora of gluten free options with Asian flavors. Because of this, I will be sticking to those locations over Morimoto Asia. And, of course, there are always amazing locations at Disney Springs, like Raglan Road Irish Pub that are fantastic with gluten free options.Have you been to Morimoto Asia? How was your dining experience there?