Natasha Yee | CHOW BELLA | t Café Motomoto First Taste: A new downtown Phoenix Japanese restaurant misses the mark. BY NATASHA YEE When a new spot opens in town, we’re eager to check it out, let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead, a peek inside restaurants that have just opened — an occasion to sample a few items and satisfy curiosities (both yours and ours). D owntown Phoenix’s Hilton Garden Inn, a historic art deco skyscraper built in 1932, has a new tenant. Japanese restaurant Motomoto Sushi & Izakaya moved in on June 3. Motomoto is a sibling to Nanaya Japanese Kitchen, an Arcadia area restau- rant in the charming space behind Gaslight Square at 36th Street and Indian School Road. Both are owned by Eddie Chow and Akira Nakasu of Jin Hospitality. At Nanaya, the Chicken Miso Katsu Sando served on Japanese milk bread and the Tuna Lover Roll are the stuff that dreams are made of. Expecting a similar quality, we went to Motomoto with high expectations. Outside the new restaurant sits a simple patio with high-top tables and black iron chairs. A couple of diners chatted while they noshed on Asian fare and sipped on beer. Inside, a host led the way to our table, passing a hexagon-shaped bar with black marbled tiles and a gold bar footrest.The space, which housed Nook Kitchen for The Sumopolitan and Tokai Margarita at Motomoto. four years before it closed in June 2020 due to the pandemic, looks very much like the hotel restaurant that it is. Our half booth faced a glass-encased wine display separating the bar from a small dining area. In another room, the ceiling was covered with white and red wagasa, traditional Japanese umbrellas made of bamboo and paper. Purple lights illumi- nated the wagasa and a fake cherry blossom tree sat on one side of the space, creating the most festive area of the restaurant. After we took our seats, cocktails were on the brain. They took a minute, since our server was also the bartender. But they arrived fresh and pretty, the Sumopolitan a more citrusy version of the classic cosmo- politan with sumo citrus infused vodka, hibiscus honey, Italicus, a rose petal liqueur, and lemon. The Tokai Margarita with tequila and spicy agave was well- balanced and not too sweet with a blistered shishito pepper garnish. “Our menu is made to encourage sharing across the table in spirit of Japan’s dining culture, where eating ‘family-style’ is standard,” the menu read, and the advice was heeded. There are lots of options at the sushi and izakaya restaurant, from small plates to sushi and sashimi, and main plates of ramen and robatayaki skewers grilled over Japanese charcoal. An izakaya is a Japanese bar where small plates are served to accompany alco- holic drinks. In Japan, people go in groups and share various plates among their party, yelling “sumimasen!” to summon the server amid a noisy dining room. But this dining room was rather quiet and our server probably wouldn’t appre- ciate the same sentiment, so we ordered the standard American way, working through the menu from small to heartier fare. The Daikon Salad came first with curly endive lettuce and shaved daikon tossed in a sesame shoyu dressing placed atop charred okra. The whole thing was topped with bonito flakes, which gave a smoky flavor to the earthy dish. It was one of the highlights of the night, the crisp lettuce blending with the charred okra for >> p 32 29 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES AUG 4TH–AUG 10TH, 2022
