Morimoto has added an upscale cheesesteak to its menu in honor of the Phillies being in the World Series. It’s made with wagyu beef and topped with sweet soy sauteed onions, enoki mushrooms and grilled scallions on an Amoroso roll. The sandwich is served with house made made tonkatsu sauce (Japanese ketchup), pommes frites and a seasonal salad for $35.

Also added to the menu is Cracker Jack ice cream for a chilly $10.

Morimoto [Official Site]

Aki Sushi Restaurant & Bar is generating a buzz that we haven’t seen for a sushi spot since Vic Sushi appeared on everyone’s radar. And with quality sushi and good deals, is it any wonder?

Craig LaBan mentioned the soup or salad and two rolls special for $8.50 and the$24.95 all-you-can-eat option.

Now comes word that happy hour features $18 bottles of wine and Center City Sips style pricing of $3 beers, $4 wines, $5 cocktails and half-priced appetizers.

Aki Japanese Fusion Restaurant and Sake Bar [Official Site]

We like the word scrumptious though we don’t hear it nearly enough. So we were excited to see it used by Craig LaBan to describe the sushi at Aki Japanese Fusion on Walnut Street. That the rolls are also a bargain puts it to the top of our must-try list.

Among the options are a $8.50 deal at lunch and an all-you-can-eat sushi bonanza for $24.95.

Scrumptious sushi – and deals, too [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Aki Japanese Fusion Restaurant and Sake Bar [Official Site]

Yesterday we linked Michael Schulson’s name to a Midtown Village liquor license figuring details would quickly emerge. And sure details have materialized. The Asian small-plates restaurant will be called Sampan and will be influenced from the chef’s travels in Japan, China and elsewhere in Asia. Meal Ticket was able to score an interview with the hunky Izakaya chef.

After experiencing success with Izakaya in the Borgata, Schulson had plans to do a 200-seat modern Asian restaurant in Philly about a year and a half back. The faltering economy, however, gave him pause. “I [didn't] want to do a huge restaurant that [was] going to cost $4, $5 or $6 million,” says Schulson. “I wanted to come back to Philly to do food in a cool, intimate setting, with something affordable for everybody. That’s what’s important in this economy.”

Michael Schulson breaks silence on new restaurant, television deal [Meal Ticket]
Michael Schulson [Official Site]

Last June it was reported that Izakaya owner Michael Schulson was looking for a Center City restaurant. Nary a peep has been heard since, in fact we buried the story on our Openings Graveyard as just one more victim of the economy. But investigation into a liquor license posted at 122-124 S 13th Street, the former Genes Baby Boutique, has revealed that Michael J Schulson is listed as one of the officers.

Will the restaurant be the same high-end Japanese concept Schulson told Dan Gross about over a year ago or will the idea have morphed as the economy has tanked? Regardless, on the heels of Ansill closing it is heartening to see the former executive chef at Pod and Buddakan Morimoto New York seemingly on the verge of returning to Philadelphia.

Update: Michael Klein fills in the details, the name is Sampan and the concept is modern Asian.

The inventive sushi served at Umai Umai makes the Fairmount spot a worthy destination for Craig LaBan and you but the cooked food dissapoints.

But the 38-seat Umai Umai is really all about the magic that McCoy methodically spins behind his sushi bar. His creations aren’t all entirely successful. But he displays such individuality in a town replete with maki-copycats that the most important answer, if you’re seeking a distinctive sushi experience, is a resounding yes.

Two Bells – Very Good

Umai Umai [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Adam Erace visits Aki at 1210 Walnut Street and finds it is more than just another anonymous Center City sushi spot, although one with some caveats.

Aki: In the Raw [Philadelphia Weekly]
Aki [Official Site]

Zama will be replacing Loie off of Rittenhouse Square. Chef Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka will be taking the space from Avram Hornik and turning it into an izakaya (Japanese Pub) Japanese restaurant.

Michael Klein reports that Tanaka was the chef who was going to be behind Stephen Starr’s shelved izakaya project at the Lanesboro.

Zama to replace Loie [The Insider]

Today the Kleinsider reports that the empty storefront that was ¡Pasión! is going to become Miga, a Korean barbecue and Japanese restaurant. They’re aiming to open by mid-May. The prospect of Korean barbecue got us thinking we had to make it a point get to Miran, the Korean barbecue on Chestnut Street. 

Japanese/Korean BBQ to replace ¡Pasión! space [The Insider]
Miran [Foobooz]

Despite the bottle service and velvet ropes of Pearl being upstairs, Adam Erace says Akoya is all about the food. 

 

Buttery miso-glazed pork belly kebabs were perfection for only $7. Tender short rib sliders (braised in pho paste) were a $12 trip to Vietnam. Indonesian- style spare ribs cured in-house and tossed in vibrant kecap manis ’cue sauce: not so bad for $10—especially considering the accompanying mound of soulful, sweet soy baked beans mined with scraps of char sui pork. That East/West harmony blended so seamlessly, calling it fusion would be an insult.

With similar Asian flavors and dedicated tempura and yakitori sections, Akoya’s menu comes a little too close for comfort to Michael Schulson’s at Izakaya. But looking past that, Garbacz delivers better food—and the staff better service—than you’d ever expect in such swank surroundings.

 

Akoya [Philadelphia Weekly]
Akoya [Official Site]