ORLANDO, Fla. – Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs brings Iron Chef flair — and serious cooking — to one of Central Florida’s busiest dining districts.
The soaring, industrial-inspired dining room is designed to feel like, as general manager Paul Snyder describes it, “a repurposed bottle factory, turned into a beautiful restaurant.” Kanji on the walls and dramatic chandeliers. Kids often see those chandeliers as jellyfish floating overhead, adding a bit of whimsy to the polished setting.
On my Florida Foodie visit, the experience started with one of Morimoto Asia’s signature items: Peking duck, done Chef Morimoto’s way. Here, the kitchen swaps the traditional pancake for soft, freshly made tortillas sourced from local vendors in Orlando — a reflection of Morimoto’s approach. Snyder says the chef is always asking, “What can I do to take Asian traditional dishes, but kind of make it my own and make it something that the community will enjoy?” The result is an interactive, build-your-own duck wrap with crisp skin, juicy meat, apricot chili sauce, scallions, cucumber and those local tortillas…