Travelscore Magazine: Yuhi Fujinaga & Alex Munkhbilguun of Morimoto Asia Restaurant are best Chefs of the Year 2017

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Yuhi Fujinaga & Alex Munkhbilguun of Morimoto Asia Restaurant are best Chefs of the Year 2017

Yuhi Fujinaga (left), Luca Centoni (center), Alex Munkhbilguun (right)

Here we are at the start of 2018 Travelscore Magazine edition, and after nine years from the first publishing, for the first time we have two "ex aequo winners" for "best chef of the year 2017". We are talking about Executive Chef Yuhi Fujinaga and Executive Sushi Chef Alex Munkhbilguun, both in charge of the "Omakase" dinner at "Morimoto Asia" Restaurant of Orlando, Florida. Omakase means "I will leave it to you" (the chef personally selects any dishes he wants to serve). To be more precise in Japanese language this word means "entrust" or "protect". It is used mainly in Japanese restaurants, where customers might say "omakase onegaishimasu", which you could also translate as "Chef, I am in your hands". So we tested them in the best way possible because they had the choose to serve their creations in a total unpredictable way for us. Moreover it's a menu "Ichi-go ichi-e" (for one time only) so in another omakase experience you will never eat the same things again!

"Morimoto Asia" Restaurant is an elegant modern place, but in order to have the perfect omakase experience you have to sit in front of your "totally dedicated" chef at the sushi bar meanwhile he prepares your meal like a true artist. And they really are! Alex is a highly specialized executive sushi chef an so he is in charge of that part. The rice we have tried that night was the best ever tasted in our experiences worldwide. It literally melted in our mouth and unlike other cold sushi this was slightly warm too. Yuhi took care about all the other eight courses and did an amazing job. His multiple experiences with other famous chefs worldwide, including Alain Ducasse, and several geographic locations such as Spain and France, allowed him to create an unparalleled fusion of styles with a great creativity. Each of the dishes were special and the ingredients of the highest level possible for a city like Orlando. Indeed this restaurant is at the same level of others in famous towns like NYC, San Francisco or L.A. What surprised us more is that they are located in a Disney's area typically known for its average food. They wanted to challenge this fact with a revolutionary quality concept for a place like Disney Springs. After several selections made along 2017 we decided that these two chefs and this restaurant were entitled to earn our maximum score. Quality, creativity, presentation, ambiance and impeccable service determined our final verdict. The nine courses menu was so various and exciting that we got lots of pictures and short video introductions to let you understand how the omakase is managed in this place. Be prepared to invest $150 per person excluding taxes, beverages and tip, but we assure you that it worth every single dollar.

Amuse:

“Crudite Tree”, tomato shiso pesto, Radish Mentai mayo, Turnip nori dressing