367 replies to this topic

[inventolux]

I cant wait to serve all of you. You all breathe hope into tomorrows gastronomers. So welcome to our little corner in the universe.

Edited by inventolux, 21 January 2004 - 01:12 AM.

[Pan]

Mazel Tov, inventolux!

[GordonCooks]

I cant wait to serve all of you. You all breathe hope into tomorrows gastronomers. So welcome to our little corner in the universe.

Is this your joint?

[maggiethecat]

The very best to you (and Hobbes) in your new venture. I know it's been a long road getting there.

[Louisa Chu]

Chef, congratulations. I wish you happiness, wealth, and longevity. I will see you in March.

[GordonCooks]

I cant wait to serve all of you. You all breathe hope into tomorrows gastronomers. So welcome to our little corner in the universe.

Is this your joint?

I guess it is - Gokouun o inorimasu

[Dave the Cook]

Good luck, Homaro.

When you've got some time (hah!), maybe you could explain some of the intersting things on your menu.

[Lady T]

Congratulations, chef. I hope to be in within the next two months or so.

[Schielke]

Good to hear you are open, now I have one more place to eat added to my Chicago list.

Ben

[docsconz]

Yet another great reason to get to Chicago. Good luck and best wishes! It looks like an incredible menu.

[Hobbes]

The very best to you (and Hobbes) in your new venture. I know it's been a long road getting there.

Thanks maggiethecat,

All the credit should go to InventoLux. With his drive, determination and passion he has brought together a small team of cooks that not only work together well but are able to push the envelope of Moto's cuisine. I enjoy every minute at Moto and can not stress enough how mind opening it is to work under InventoLux as my chef.

And as Invento said it would be great to see all of you al Moto.

Hobbes

[ronnie_suburban]

Congrats and Good Luck with your venture.

=R=

[Louisa Chu]

Please someone go and tell me what it's like dining there. I cannot wait.

[NeroW]

Congratulations, Hobbes and Inventolux!

What's forbidden rice?

[slkinsey]

What's forbidden rice?

You can't have any.

[Mayhaw Man]

What's forbidden rice?

You can't have any.

[cbarre02]

The best of luck to you!

[Akiko]

omedeto-gozaimasu!


I can't wait to hear about it, I'm sending my family and friends in Chicago the link so they can try it!

[Jinmyo]

Congratulations and best of luck, invento.

The menu (on the website) looks very interesting.

"herbacious utensils"

[NeroW]

What's forbidden rice?

You can't have any.

I'm going to get some! If it's forbidden, then by God, I wants it!

[Louisa Chu]

Forbidden rice - I've had this brand too - good stuff.

[NeroW]

Forbidden rice - I've had this brand too - good stuff.

Thanks, loufood. I have had black rice but apparently not Forbidden Rice.

I plan to scope out the Moto building this weekend. eG Chicago: shall we save our pennies and try to arrange an evening?

[Lady T]

We haven't set up the specific date yet, but Ronnie and his wife and I are looking at some time in the next two months. You in, Nero?

[NeroW]

You in, Nero?

I'm in. If I can afford it.

[niterider]

I have a reservation tonight at moto, I will post an extensive review of my experience. My wife and I will be ordering the 18 course menu. I called up and they said they are waiting for their liquor liscence and for a short time they will be byob. By the way, its good to meet all of you, I have been anxiously waiting to post and chat - nite rider

[Schielke]

Welcome niterider!

I look forward to your review. :)

Ben

[viaChgo]

Hello fellow Heartlanders!

Just got back from dinner at Moto w/my wife. Truly outstanding! It's kind of late so I'll be somewhat brief in my recap & can expand on it later. I wanted to bring my digicam but I wasn't able to, so I'll try to describe the courses the best I can.

My wife & I are acquaintances of Chef Cantu & his wife. So we have been eagerly anticipating our Moto dining experience.

We had the 18 course tasting.

1) A study in flatware
Chef Omar has patented his own flatware for this course. the shaft of the flatware is coiled to house within a sprig of rosemary. So, when you eat the food that is on the flatware, you get the essence of rosemary without it actually being in the food. There were 2 pieces of flatware. The first had a citrus salad with citrus emulsion. The second had a pear salad with sous vide scallions. It was really neat to experience the essence of the rosemary without it actually being in the food.

2) Sashimiesque plate with blue fin toro
There were 4 parts to this dish. There was a slice of toro with a layer of tuna puree (I believe) and yuzu. The other piece of toro had a citrus emulsion as an accompaniment. There was a slice of salmon with ikura (salmon roe). Lastly, sous vide scallops that were dusted with nori powder & sliced. Everything in this course was really clean and fresh in taste. The toro was outstanding & the scallops had an incredible texture.

3) fennel salad in hot jellied, slushy & natural forms
Here we had a mixed green salad with vinaigrette & sous vide radish. I really liked the radish. It was served with 2 little ramekins. One had fennel slush & the other had cubes of jellied coconut, squash, and spinach. You eat this dish by mixing and matching the items.

4) watermelon soup, frozen mustard powder & virtual smoke
Before they bring this course to your table, they bring a metal box that emits a smoky scent at your table. The frozen mustard powder is on a spoon & eaten first. Then the watermelon soup, which is a combination of sweet, smoky & spicy. There is a mango-olive oil emulsion that rims the bowl of the soup and carrot ice in the soup as well. This was fantastic!

5) caramelized cucumber sorbet
2 little scoops of sorbet on top of marinated cucumbers. Then a cucumber olive oil soup is poured into the bowl.

6) a duck roll pull apart
everything up to this point had been somewhat 'light' & clean in flavor. This was the first 'rich' dish & it did not disappoint. A mound of duck confit & pureed duck (if i'm remembering correctly) is served with a fried wonton cylinder. You break the cylinder to release a sweet/sour soy sauce into the duck & proceed to eat. Really good stuff!

7) citrus & togarashi
this was a nice palate cleanser. Lime sorbet withtogarashi & toasted almond. Then the server sprays a togarashi mist all over the dish.

8) rice injected with our secret sauce
jasmine rice ball surrounded by nishiki rice, surrounded by a jalepeno crust. The server uses a syringe to inject the secret sauce into the rice ball. I love rice, so this dish was right up my alley.

9) more blue fin toro with yuzu & organic soy
At this point they brought out a silicone box with a piece of fish in it. More on this below. On top was a spoon with little cubes of toro coated with the sauce.

10) bass cooked inside a cavity of pacific oceanic products
This is one dish that is better seen than read about. There is a piece of bass that is cooking inside of a silicone box. In the base of the box is water with aromatics (konbu, bonito, lemon zest, etc) & the box has retained enough heat to cook the piece of fish at your table. The server brings a plate that has konbu, oyster emulsion & pureed sunchoke. The fish is taken out of the box & put on your plate. This is an amazing piece of fish. The texture is incredible.

11) wood poached pork belly with curry
Sous vide pork belly served with curry sauce & a pork rind crisp. Amazingly tender pork belly with a subtle, smoky flavor that's enhanced by the curry. I love pork belly & I loved this dish.

12) oregon kobe beef with sapporo head
slices of Kobe beef, cooked using the triple sear method, served with foam made from Sapporo beer. Delicious morsels of beef.

13) Juniper & gin
A soda with foamy head with the flavor of juniper.

14) beets, parsnips & branch water
This is a dessert. Little pieces of cake made with beet, served with roasted parsnip ice cream. It's served with a glass of rosemary branch water. This dish was so good. It's hard to picture this dish from the description, but it's really good...probably one of the best desserts I've ever had.

15) saffron & cardamom
saffron ice cream in cardamom soda. Like a root beer float but so much better.

16) chocolate rice pudding made your way
Crisped rice with homemade marshmallows in a dish that you pour liquid bittersweet chocolate into.

17) white truffled ice cream spaghetti
A spoonfool of ice cream in 'spaghetti' form bursting with the flavor of white truffle.

18) moto to go
haven't tried this yet. we got a little vacuum-packed pouch. one compartment contains a chocolate powder. The other contains a clear liquid. Apparently, when you mix the liquid into the powder, it turns into a foamy drink!

Sorry folks if this recap is a little scattered. I wanted to post this while it's still fresh. I'll try to fill in any holes later.

Bottom line: an amazing dining experience. Way to go Inventolux!

(edited for really poor typing skills & additional details)

Edited by viaChgo, 27 January 2004 - 12:17 PM.

[Louisa Chu]

Please somebody post a picture - anything - Chef, toss us a bone!

OK - language difference maybe - scallions sous-vide in the flatware - what do you mean by that? You mean the scallions were cooked sous-vide and then placed in the flatware?

I just speechless - I can't believe that Chicago - where I grew up - is ready for this kind of cuisine - very cool.

[viaChgo]

OK - language difference maybe - scallions sous-vide in the flatware - what do you mean by that? You mean the scallions were cooked sous-vide and then placed in the flatware?

The shaft or stem or whatever it's called is coiled to hold a sprig of rosemary. Then on the tines of the fork or the bowl part of the spoon is where the pear salad is. The scallions are sous vide, then mixed with the pear. Then you eat in one bite!

[Louisa Chu]

The scallions are sous vide

I'm sorry, I don't understand. The scallions were cooked sous-vide? And if so, how do you know - is it stated on the menu? I ask because some cooking terms and techniques I learned in France so I don't know the American usage. Like at ADPA for example, we cooked a number of items in sous-vide sacs - but it was never evident in the final plating. Thanks - sorry - but this is the kind of restaurant that we're going to ask endless, psychotically-detailed questions about!