Morimoto

On October  16^th, my parents took me out for my 19^th birthday. Every year we have a tradition where if it was your birthday, you can pick any restaurant you want. I chose to go to Morimoto. Morimoto is one of the many chefs who won the Iron Chef competition on Television. This is the restaurant that he opened up with the money he won.

For Eastern students, I would recommend saving up your money before going to this restaurant. On the Zagat survey it is listed as “E” for expensive-but it is so worth it. It is extremely easy to get there. All you have to do is get on the train to Center City. You’ll find the address on the website which will assist you in the direction you should go.

Since it was my birthday, my mother let me chose the Omakase chef choice. Basically, it is a multi-course which allows the customer to experience the ’essence of Morimoto’s cuisine’. They even include dishes that are not even on the menu! The following is the dishes of the entrees I tasted:

Chilled potato soup with pickled plum.

 Turo Tuna Sashimi.

Spanish Macroll Fish.

 Salmon with Shittaki Mushrooms.

 Duck Breast with Poached Apple with Foie Gras.

 Tuna, Yellow Tail, Macroll, Fluke, and Clam Sashimi.

 Vanilla Ice Cream on top of a flourless chocolate cake with caramel and chocolate sauce. [The thing to the right is a piece of jell-o with a candle in it-the waiter found out it was a birthday celebration.]

The atmosphere has got to be one of my favorite things about the restaurant. If you notice in the pictures, the colors in the atmosphere change but very subtly; not to mention I love the way the tables are set up.  This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants that I have been to.

The Hard Rock Cafe

The Hard Rock Cafe is a restaurant that is well-known to most people. The restaurant began when they collected an Eric Clapton guitar. Clapton was a frequent visitor of the restaurant in London, and when the owners proposed the Hard Rock Cafe, Eric handed them his guitar to hang on the wall. After that, thousands of guitars from famous musicians started to roll in and now the company has the largest and most valuable collection of guitars in the world. The chain is located in more than fifty-two countries around the world.

My friend Youn's birthday was September 29^th [we met in grade school], and my friends and I all decided to meet at Temple University to go out for her birthday. Originally, we had no clue where we wanted to take Youn since it was pouring rain outside the entire time we were down town. We finally decided to go to the Gallery on Market East Street. Once the Gallery closed, we were all starving so we decided to walk a ways down from the Gallery to find a place to grab something to eat. As we walked further, we saw the gigantic guitar symbol and realized that was the Hard Rock Cafe. Youn had never been to this restaurant, and [neither did any of us] we decided to take her there.

For Eastern students that can drive, if you click here, it will take you to Google Maps. From then, you will add Eastern University in Destination "A" and The Hard Rock Cafe in Destination "B". The destination is about a thirty-minute drive. For those students who do not drive, you will have to take the train. All you have to do is catch the R5 in St. David's to Market East Station-which is below the Gallery. If you exit the train station, just walk down Market Street until a huge guitar is visible-you can't miss it. The address is 1131 Market St. #31. Or for those of you that prefer a ride from the train station to the restaurant, there are plenty of Taxi services there as well.

The Hard Rock Cafe is on the more expensive side and would be listed as ME for Moderately Expensive in the Zagat Survey. Not one entree was under thirteen dollars and none of the prices are listed on the website menu, so that is another price indicator. If money is an issue, [which is understandable considering most college students are tight on money] I learned a few helpful tips:

-Split Everything: The entrees are big enough to be split up for two, so partner up with one of your friends and order something together.

-The fountain sodas are roughly four dollars each. So say ,for example, a group of four all ordered a Coke-that would equal sixteen more dollars on to the bill. So, just stick with water. If you really want soda then go to the dollar store before.

-Skip Appetizers: The appetizers all ranged from five to eight dollars, and if everyone ordered a salad, back to the group of four example, it would cost roughly twenty-four dollars.

I skipped the appetizers and I wasn't really that hungry so I went with a simple Macaroni and Cheese Dish which was really well prepared and I enjoyed it immensely:

The atmosphere did not disappoint. As expected, the entire restaurant was decorated with Rock music, objects, and even clothing. They also had plasma screen TV's playing the newest Rock videos. To top off the fun night, my friend Youn got a free sundae for her birthday!