REVIEW: We Spent Nearly $300 at This Super Expensive Restaurant in Disney Springs

If your goal is to find an impressive meal in Disney World, Disney Springs is a great place to start.

Morimoto Asia

Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ has some of the best southern cooking we’ve ever had and we’ve been singing Wine Bar George’s praises for years — and that just scratches the surface of what you’ll find in Disney Springs. One of our favorite restaurants in the area, Morimoto Asia, is such a force that it was even recognized by the Michelin Guide in 2022. This spot, led by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, serves up elevated pan-Asian cuisine in a stunning 2-story building along the water. We stopped by for dinner recently — read on to see our full review!

Atmosphere

You’ll find Morimoto Asia in The Landing in Disney Springs, right across from Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’.

Morimoto Asia

When you enter the restaurant, the first thing you’ll notice is the space’s grandeur. The dining room is open and bright, and impressive waterfall-like chandeliers hang from the ceiling.

Behind the host stand is a bar and lounge with a sleek, industrial design. Bottles of liquor sit in front of spacious windows and there is a mix of functional and cozy seating options around the room

Lounge

The dining room is massive, with plenty of seating options throughout the two-floor space. One of the things that makes this spot unique, however, is the open kitchen. If you are seated close to it, you can get a glimpse of the action!

Dining room near the open kitchen

The tables are set with water glasses, appetizer plates, and cloth napkins.

Table setting

After checking in, we were taken to a table upstairs. Let’s get started with a look at the menu!

Menu

The restaurant has an extensive drink menu, with various signature cocktails, seasonal cocktails, limited edition Japanese whisky, and beer.

Signature drinks

There’s also a selection of wine, non-alcoholic drinks, and handcrafted libations that can be made with or without alcohol.

Wine

Of course, there is also a large selection of sake and a sake flight if you’d like to sample a few.

Sake

You can also order bourbon, whiskey, and scotch from Asia, America, and Europe in 1-ounce pours, as well as a Makers Mark whiskey flight or one of two Japanese whisky flights with three half-ounce pours each.

Bourbon, whiskey, and scotch

On the food menu, you’ll find some fun sushi rolls, like the Kanikama Roll, as well as some alla carte sushi and sashimi by the piece. For those looking for a sampling, they offer sushi and sashimi combos and two sushi towers. You’ll also be able to order raw oysters and some small plates and soups, like the Blistered Shishito Peppers and Crispy Popcorn Shrimp.

Sushi & small plates

Lastly, dim sum, rice & noodles, meat & poultry, vegetables, and seafood options are offered on the menu. The restaurant’s most iconic dish, the Morimoto Peking Duck, is a carved house-roasted whole duck that is listed as serving two. Of course, we had to try it, so keep reading to see what we thought!

Let’s dive in!

Drinks

We tried a mocktail and a few cocktails — Blushing Dragon, Sake Sangria, Lychee Martini, and The Forgotten Highball. Not only were these beautiful to look at, but spoiler alert — they were all DELICIOUS.

The Blushing Dragon, a mocktail made with grapefruit, Calpico (a Japanese non-carbonated soft drink), and club soda, was garnished with a lemon wedge and a mint sprig and costs $9. This drink was SO refreshing. It is citrusy without being too tart. It is mildly sweet, with a nice bubbly pop from the soda water. If you like simple drinks that aren’t overly sugary, you’ll like this. You also have the option to make this an alcoholic drink.

Blushing Dragon

The Sake Sangria is made with sake, light white wine, plum wine, Asian pears, apple, and tangerine juice and costs $17. This sangria was sweet — between the white wine and the fruit, it’s exactly what you’d hope for from a sangria. It was refreshing and on a hot day, this would be the perfect choice to cool off. If you are a fan of sangria, you’ll enjoy this.

Sake Sangria

The Lychee Martini, which costs $17, is made with Absolute Vodka, lychee liqueur, and lychee berries. This drink had a creamy feel and it is well balanced. You can taste the vodka in it, but it pairs nicely with the lychee which adds a sweetness to the drink. One of our reporters said this is one of their favorite drinks in Disney World.

Lychee Martini

Lastly, The Forgotten Highball is made with Haku Japanese Vodka, strawberry rosé, yuzu, and soda water and costs $15. The soda water here is strong, with sweet and refreshing tastes that follow. There is also a tartness to the drink and it reminded us of strawberry juice.

Forgotten Highball

But of course, that wasn’t all we tried on this visit.

Eats

Starters

To start, we ordered a few shareable items for the table — the Spicy Salmon, Berkshire Pork Lettuce Wrap, A-5 Wagyu Burger Bao, and Shumai.

The Spicy Salmon is a sushi roll made with salmon, spicy mayo, and scallion and costs $17. We thought these were very fresh and all of the textures were amazing. The salmon was almost buttery and the rice was soft and a tad sticky.

Spicy Salmon

We did think that this was pretty mild for being a “spicy” roll and wish there was more spicy mayo. However, if you are averse to spicy foods, that might be a good thing for you!

YUM

The ginger was fresh, slightly sweet, and earthy, and the wasabi was spicy and pungent — a great addition since the roll itself wasn’t so spicy.

Wasabi & ginger

Salmon tends to be on the fishier side, so if you’re not a huge fan of seafood, this one might not be for you, but we really liked it!

The Berkshire Pork Lettuce Wrap, which costs $16, is made with shitake mushrooms, bamboo, water chestnuts, hoisin sauce, and baby iceberg lettuce. The first thing we noticed was just how fresh and crunchy the lettuce was — it made a perfect vessel for this savory starter.

Berkshire Pork Lettuce Wrap

The filling, which is made with Berkshire Pork, was incredibly tender and was packed with flavor. It was quite spicy with a combination of sweet and umami flavors that balanced it really well. The mushroom flavor was there, but the texture wasn’t very noticeable, so if you’re not a fan of the feel of mushrooms, you might still really like this!

Lettuce Wrap

The A-5 Wagyu Burger Bao was $19 and came with two pieces. They were made with a house blend ground a-5 Wagyu and filet, lettuce, cucumber, and a special sauce.

A-5 Wagyu Burger Bao

These were probably our favorite of the starters. The burger patties were extremely tender, juicy, and well-seasoned, and we loved how the buttery and slightly sticky bao bun added a fun fluffy texture and subtle sweetness to the sliders.

A-5 Wagyu Burger Bao

The veggies were fresh and crisp, almost like a bright slaw. The special sauce, which was similar to an aioli, added a bold garlicky flavor that we loved. Overall, these were pricey for two small pieces, but we still really enjoyed them!

So good!

The Shumai, which are purse-shaped dumplings filled with pork, shrimp, mushrooms, and tobiko caviar, are served with a dim sum sauce and cost $16 for four pieces. They arrive at the table in a fun bamboo steamer basket.

Shumai

Our first impression of these was that they were super meaty. It gave this dish a really unique texture. They were a bit chewy from the shrimp yet still tender overall. On top, the tobiko caviar (flying fish roe) added a salty flavor and unique popping texture.

Shumai

These were packed with a savory flavor, and if you are an adventurous eater you might really love these! But these are very unique, particularly when it comes to texture, so keep that in mind if you are a bit of a pickier eater.

Dim Sum sauce

On the side, we really enjoyed the Dim Sum sauce! It was similar to soy sauce but a bit vinegary with a sweeter and tangier flavor.

Entrees

While those starters were filling, there were some entrees we were very excited to try.

These Morimoto Spare Ribs for $18 are very popular here. These are pork ribs with cilantro covered in a hoisin sweet chili glaze. These ribs were saucy and full of flavor. While a few of the ribs were tender and fell off the bone, we did have one that was tougher. But we have a secret, you can also get these ribs at Morimoto Street Food for $10.

Morimoto Spare Ribs

If you have ever walked by Morimoto, you might seen the ducks hanging in the window and we knew this was something we had to try. We ordered the Morimoto Peking Duck. This is a carved house-roasted whole duck with apricot sweet chili, hoisin, and miso. They also come with a choice of either steamed flour tortillas, bao buns, or lettuce cups. 

Peking Duck

We chose the flour tortillas to be our base. The duck was tender and we enjoyed assembling these ourselves. While we enjoyed this dish, we aren’t sure it’s for everyone. It comes with a heavy price tag of $79 and if you aren’t a huge fan of duck, this might be a skip for you.

Peeking Duck

The highlight of the entrees for us was the Morimoto “Buri-Bop”. This is a unique dish that is prepared tableside in a hot clay pot stone that comes out at 450 degrees. It is a Korean-style yellowtail rice bowl with egg yolk for $36. The dish has sweet and citrusy notes and a nice ginger flavor. The fish is made so that one side is cooked and one side is like sushi, which was a fun touch. 

Buri-Bop

You’ll want to eat this dish quickly though because the clay pot is still hot so the fish will keep cooking. By the time we got to dig in, the fish was fully cooked. This dish was used by Chef Morimoto to win his third Iron Chef title. It was packed with flavor and it’s so fun to watch it be prepared in front of you as the server tells the story of the history of the dish. We think this is a great value for only $36 and it’s easily shareable.

Buri-Bop

Dessert

Now, we had to leave room for dessert when we saw these Churro Donuts for $14. These donuts were covered in cinnamon sugar and came with a white miso caramel dipping sauce. With each order, you get 3 donuts. 

Churro Donuts

These donuts had a crunchy outside and a very soft, doughy inside. They came out warm and the miso caramel was the perfect dipping sauce. It was similar to a traditional caramel sauce, but the miso added a slight tanginess and it almost reminded us of a Bananas Foster sauce. These were a great dessert to end a meal and we would highly recommend ordering them if you are a fan of donuts and cinnamon sugar.

So good.

So, what’s the verdict?

Nosh or Not

Check out this Michelin-recognized restaurant if…

  • You are looking to splurge on unique food that tastes great. We tried a lot of dishes here and we enjoyed many of them. While some dishes were pricey, we believe that the quality of the food was worth it.
  • You want an upscale dining experience at Disney Springs. This is a great place to dine with friends or for a date night.
  • You are looking for great service. Our wait staff was excellent in explaining each dish and was very attentive.

Head to another one of Disney World’s restaurants if…

  • You are not a fan of Asian food. While there is a large variety of different Asian options, if you’re not a fan of ginger, miso, or similar flavors that are found in most of these dishes, this might not be the spot for you.
  • You want something quick. Our meal did take a while so if you are on short time, head to Morimoto Street Food for a quick bite.
  • You’re on a budget. This spot is quite pricey! If you’re on a tight budget, you might want to check out some of the quick-service restaurants in Disney Springs.

Overall

Overall, this restaurant is a truly great option if you are looking for good food and an elevated experience. The location is stunning and we were really impressed with the food. Although we enjoyed some things more than others, we weren’t disappointed with anything we ordered here!

Full spread

However, it is pretty pricey, and while the food was good, you really have to love this style of food and have it within your budget for it to be worth it. If you are looking for a unique, likely unforgettable experience, this is a great option, if you can swing it. But, keep in mind that this was a long meal. You might want to make sure you dedicate the time for this, otherwise you could always speed things up by sitting in the bar/lounge or checking out Morimoto Asia Street Food next door.

We’ll continue bringing you all the latest Disney news and food reviews, so stay tuned to DFB for more!

SNEAK PEEK at the FOOD Coming to Disney Springs’ Newest Restaurant — EET by Maneet Chauhan

Have you dined at this spot in Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!

The post REVIEW: We Spent Nearly 0 at This Super Expensive Restaurant in Disney Springs first appeared on the disney food blog.