MM by Morimoto — Restaurant in Montclair

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Truly Exceptional Dining Experience at Morimoto Montclair

Morimoto in Montclair far exceeded my expectations. From start to finish, every dish was beautifully executed, thoughtfully balanced, and absolutely delicious.

We began with a fantastic selection of appetizers. The toro tartare and A5 wagyu carpaccio were both delicate and refined, with flavors that were clean, balanced, and melt-in-your-mouth perfect. The sticky ribs were without question the best I’ve ever had—spiced just right, with a satisfying crunch, yet so tender that the meat fell effortlessly off the bone.

The sushi rolls were another highlight. We tried the soft shell crab roll, spicy salmon roll, and the surf and turf roll, each one outstanding. The presentation elevated the experience even further, especially with the dramatic tableside torching, which added both flair and flavor.

For our main course, we shared the 12 oz A5 wagyu, which was nothing short of phenomenal—rich, buttery, and perfectly prepared.

The drinks were just as impressive. I particularly loved the house Negroni, topped with a salty foam that was both creative and delicious—the foam’s salinity played beautifully against the cocktail’s bitterness. We also enjoyed a bottle of sake and the Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 2023, which paired perfectly with every dish on the table.

The restaurant design and atmosphere took the experience to another level. The décor is stunning—the walls themselves seemed to shift and move as I walked through, creating a sense of motion and energy. The bar is strikingly beautiful, and the restaurant offers so many different vibes as you move through its sections, from intimate private rooms to lively open spaces. It truly felt like being transported to a chic spot in New York City rather than dining in the suburbs of New Jersey.

And perhaps most importantly, the service was absolutely exceptional. Every member of the staff was warm, friendly, and highly professional. They struck the perfect balance between attentiveness and discretion, anticipating what we needed before we even had to ask. From thoughtful recommendations to making sure every detail was just right, the team went above and beyond to ensure we felt taken care of at every moment. Their hospitality elevated the entire evening, making the dining experience not just delicious, but genuinely memorable.

Overall, Morimoto Montclair is a destination-worthy restaurant that shines in every way—food, drinks, design, and service. The execution, creativity, and attention to detail make it truly special. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates refined Japanese cuisine with a touch of artistry, atmosphere,...

Positives: The atmosphere and interior decor is on point - it’s a beautiful restaurant. The waitress and staff were very friendly and the service was quick. We were seated at 5:15pm and out of there by 6:30pm. The drinks were the best part of the meal by far - I would say 9.2/10 for the drinks.

Negatives: The menu is beyond basic for a high end restaurant. Maki rolls were overpriced for what they were offering. Here is what we had and what I would rate it out of 10:

Appetizers:

A5 Wagu Carpaccio was awful. It had way too much oil and an over powering taste of vinegar (which is not an ingredient in it lol). I would give it an enemy of mine because I’m a petty person. This dish was gross. 1.7/10

Sticky Ribs: was okay but there were a lot of pieces of floating cartilage throughout the meat. The hoisin chili was good but forgettable. 5.9/10

Toro Tartare: was one of the most forgettable dishes I’ve ever had in my life. I’m writing this review two hours after I had the meal and I couldn’t remember the flavor. The portion was small - which was fine - but they attempted to add sauces on the side that reminded me of just colored flavorless paste. I’m gonna go with a 5.1/10

Pork Gyoza: It’s pork gyoza…it taste the same everywhere. There was nothing special about this one. 6.1/10

Prime Rib Morimoto 526 cut: I ordered it medium rare and it came out purple on top and brown on the bottom. It was unevenly cooked and the au jus was just a basic sauce that didn’t add anything to the dish. The barbecue sauce provided was a weird touch as well because it was kind of runny and didn’t add anything to the steak either. 6.2/10

Broccoli was no bueno. It came out on such a large stalk and was covered in a sauce that made no sense for broccoli. 1.8/10

Cream spinach was eh. 5.1/10. It was fine but I felt like I could’ve made it at home.

The sushi offerings were so basic that we decided to just get a spicy tuna roll and a lobster temaki.

I would not recommend paying $17 for a spicy tuna roll. It was decent but not better than a $8 roll you can get at any other Japanese place. 4.6/10 (3 points were deducted because it’s insulting to charge $17 for a spicy tuna roll)

My wife said the lobster temaki was “pretty good”.

They need to change the menu (and perhaps the chef). The sushi offerings are basic and not interesting at all. Just a bunch of tempura pieces and selections that you can get at any other restaurant. We spent north of $400 for a below...

I was so excited to come here but honestly had a pretty disappointing experience :(

We had drinks, dinner, appetizers, and dessert. The drinks were great honestly, no complaints there at all. The appetizers were good, but the servers kept coming over and trying to take our plates away while we were clearly still eating, which was really uncomfortable. We had two wait staff and our main server come over while we were finishing (clearly still had food on our plates) and try and take our dishes away. I understand wanting to be attentive but it made the experience sort of unpleasant.

The quality of dinner was not impressive to any of us. It felt lackluster and overpriced. My eel roll in particular felt under-seasoned not property balanced. The steak we ordered was over-salted in some areas. My friend ordered a sushi/sashimi sampler, much of which came with wasabi under the fish—this wasn't explained on the menu, and our server did not make any effort to explain or educate us on anything that was provided. I feel that for a restaurant where the check was over $400 (!!!) the individual who is serving you should have some level of engagement with making sure you're understanding what you are ordering, asking if you have any questions, highlighting things that may not be obvious, etc. — I felt that the service was no better than going to Chili's, and my friends I was dining with felt the same way.

Dessert was excellent, although again, the service left something to be desired, as the actual dish was not explained to us correctly. Again, it was excellent, but it wasn't entirely what we were expecting.

This place feels trendy more than quality. Really disappointing as I live right in town and would have happily come back even just for a drink at the bar. But there are too many good restaurants in town to eat somewhere that feels like more of a name than an actual...