It had been a couple of years since we went to Moto, Chicago’s temple of molecular gastronomy. We had a very different experience on this visit from our past visits. It began with a table downstairs, in a space we didn’t realize existed. It’s much quieter than upstairs, and you can watch one of the chefs prepping dishes.
We entertained ourselves by identifying the element symbols on the wall
Downstairs dining room. It’s much quieter than upstairs, and you can watch the prep chef
Previously Moto served a ten or twenty course dinner where each course was very playful, and looked like something it wasn’t. For example there was a tiny cuban pork sandwich that looked like a cigar. But now they seem to have reinvented themselves as a more upscale experience (although pricing for a 14 course extravaganza remains a very reasonable $175). So the dishes were less playful, and there was a focus on how they were presented. Some of the presentations were extremely fun and imaginative, and a few we recognized as influenced by 11 Madison or Tru.
Because their dishes are hard to match with wines, we’ve always had the wine pairing in the past, but since these are (by necessity) rather odd wines, we opted to go off the list this time. That was probably a mistake, as indeed few of the courses matched our chardonnay and pinot noir. Dani and I finished by sharing a couple ounces of 1912 D’Oliveiras Verdelho Madeira, which was spectacular and would have matched every course. I photographed some of the more interesting looking courses:
This was the “menu.” A tiny sample of an ingredient from each dish to follow
Fish with assorted accompaniment
Welks and accompaniments on a glass plate over seaweed and seashells. I suspect this was inspired by Tru
Chicken crest and egg custard
This was everyone’s favorite course, an amazing combo of onion and garlic flavors, and one tiny fragment that tasted like an entire smoked rabbit
Pork belly and lamb in a custom box
Three tiers, with wagu on top, broccoli in the middle, and other goodies below the screen
Shredded pork in mole. This was Linda’s and Dani’s second favorite dish
Three delicious cheeses. This was my second favorite course
Toasting marshmallows stuffed with graham crackers and dark chocolate, an inside out smore
Final parting course, a beach ball macaron
Afterwards we toured the kitchen, which was driven by an automated computer system that tracked and voice announced every course for every table. There was also a separate room for growing all the micro greens and herbs used throughout the menu.
We found this new approach at Moto interesting, but because it’s less playful, it requires spectacular food. Admittedly we are spoiled by other great restaurants we’ve been to, but we felt that, despite the creative presentations, there was only one gastronomic home run in the meal: the sampling of various onion and garlic pieces with a tiny fragment of smoked rabbit that was so flavorful it was like having an entire barbecue meal the size of a grain of rice!
I’ll return to Moto, but probably wait a couple of years to see what new things they come up with.
Vacuum and other lab equipment
These poker chips are used to track food allergies
Kitchen
Sophisticated, automated, voice announced course planner for each table
Micro greens
Hydroponic micro greens
In the hydroponics room off the kitchen