Even though Morimoto Asia has only been open for just over a year, in that time it has already debuted a few new offerings.
Since we first took in dinner at this signature restaurant located in The Landing of Disney Springs it has added Morimoto Asia Street Food, a Counter Service spot for casual and quick dining featuring more of Chef Morimoto’s Pan-Asian cuisine. And over the summer we tried the new Late Night menu, which is available starting at 10PM Sundays through Thursdays, and 11PM Fridays and Saturdays.
Now we’re back to check out yet another Morimoto Asia dining opportunity: the new Dim Sum Brunch! Dim Sum is a type of meal very popular in Asian cuisine featuring smaller plates so everyone can enjoy various items in one seating.
Before we dive into what’s on the menu, let’s go over some logistics: the Dim Sum Brunch is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30AM to 3:00PM, and the cost is $27.00 per guest. All brunch seating is upstairs at Morimoto Asia (including the 2nd floor outdoor area).
Guests ordering Brunch may also order off the regular menu. Also, guests dining at tables downstairs can order off the Brunch menu (though in an a la carte fashion).
Included in the price of the Dim Sum Brunch is one item from the First Course offerings on the menu, and three items from the Second Course. Beverages are a separate cost.
For the First Course, you receive your choice of the Soup of the Day or House Greens. We were able to try the Hot & Sour Soup, which is basically the House Soup of Morimoto Asia. It’s chock full of lots of egg and tofu along with vegetables including tomatoes, scallions and mushrooms in a spicy broth.
It’s simply delicious, with intense flavor — and it does not shy away from the spice. A really nice option for a cooler Florida morning on the outdoor seating area!
Again, the Second Course includes your choice of three items (though you are welcome to add any additional choices for $6.00). You’ll notice in the pictures to come that we were primarily served pork options at the Brunch preview that we attended, but the menu also includes variations on several items to include shrimp, chicken, and vegetable options.
Let’s start with the Pork Ribs! They are steamed in a black bean sauce and topped off with scallions and red pepper strings.
The steamed ribs were tender without being too heavy.
The bean flavor was definitely prominent in the black bean sauce, and there were pieces of bean mixed in with the pork, too.
The Chasu Pork is strips of roasted pork with a light soy glaze.
It carried a really nice, slight hint of smokiness, and this pork was also incredibly tender. The soy glaze added some sweetness to the pork.
Xiaolong Boa is a dish of four pork soup dumplings served in a steaming basket with a side of red chili sauce for dipping.
Each small bun was soft and doughy, and filled with minced pork.
While I really enjoyed the texture, I would’ve preferred more meat inside the actual bun. Personally, I’d choose one of the other pork options over this one.
And speaking of more pork options 🙂 , the Fried Spicy Pork Dumplings also included four dumplings, this time served with a side of spicy soy sauce.
The dumplings are filled with minced pork, red peppers, and chiles.
Again, the texture was spot on. The outer layer of the dumplings was crunchy while the inside maintained its chewy dumpling texture, giving it a good crunchy-soft texture. These are definitely on the spicy side, and the accompanying soy sauce also had plenty of hot red pepper.
You’ll find the Morimoto Spicy Chow Fun Noodles listed on the menu as a suggested add-on course for an additional $8.00.
It’s a plate of wide rice noodles with egg, spicy basil sauce, and vegetables including tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms.
This may have been my favorite dish of the morning (with the Fried Spicy Pork Dumplings being a close second). The sauce on these terrific noodles had just the right amount of flavor and spice. I’d definitely suggest this as a shareable plate for the table.
We’re back to the regular second course options for our final Brunch item: the Sesame Balls.
These four sesame balls are filled with a sweet azuki bean sauce that make this the closest item on the menu to a dessert; so if you prefer to end your brunch with something sweet, then these are the best choice to end your meal.
Again, beverages are available at an additional cost. But we did have a chance to enjoy a few cocktails while we were there. And since these seasonal drinks are available all day — as opposed to being exclusive to the Brunch — we want to show you these, too! Seasonal cocktails are part of the regular rotation at Morimoto Asia, so while these particular drinks may not be available on your visit, they’ll give you an idea of some of the fun and creativity behind the seasonal concoctions.
The Autumn Pumpkin Martini is made of Tito’s Vodka, pumpkin spice syrup, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and almond milk. It is dusted with some cinnamon to give it some spice and has a crushed graham cracker-like rim.
If you’re a fan of pumpkin (like me!), you will totally dig this! It’s on the sweet side but the pumpkin flavor is subtle, so it’s not overly so.
It’s definitely more of a dessert drink with the heavy creaminess of the Bailey’s, but the smooth Tito’s Vodka helps it go down easily.
The Nashi Pear Margarita is a unique choice made of Maestro Dobel Tequila, pear puree, lime juice and Cointreau. I really enjoy pear flavors in the winter time so I loved how this drink was a Winter-meets-Florida beverage!
The Nashi pear puree was fresh and tasted fantastic with the orange flavor of the Cointreau and orange garnish. It’s very refreshing, and REALLY delicious.
The Lychee Lemon Soda is a non-alcoholic drink with fresh mint leaves, lemon juice, lychee puree and soda water.
This drink was nice and light with its pleasant lychee flavor, along with the cool combo of lemon and mint. Admittedly, it wasn’t the most autumnal of drinks we tried 😉 , but still a keeper!
It’s fun to have a new brunch option in Disney Springs (after all, we lost one when Fulton’s Crab House closed; perhaps we will gain it back when Paddlefish opens?). And the fact that it’s a unique choice featuring Chef Morimoto’s Pan-Asian cuisine makes it even more welcome. For $27.00 per person, Dim Sum offers a fun chance to taste some new items that range from meat and vegetables to steamed and fried options to customize your meal, along with an opportunity to enjoy the uniquely beautiful setting of Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs.
Would you like to try Dim Sum Bunch at Morimoto Asia? Please let us know with a comment!
Thanks to Morimoto Asia for inviting us to sample this new Brunch option. We were not obligated to write about, or offer a favorable opinion on, this meal. See our disclosure policy for more information.
Kathy C says
I forgot how much I love hot and sour soup! This is a neat review! At $27 a person it is not a bad price at all. We get the egg rolls at the Street Food location and they are $9 for two so the price seems really good. Thank you for sharing!
Mark says
Well I wasn’the crazy about lunch for 4 with no alcohol for $200, but this looks very reasonable. Food is great here so good to see something at a good price.
Jasmine Becket-Griffith says
Yay! Am definitely going to this =) So good to see many veggie options included!!!
Lisa P says
Would definitely try this – I like the variety and the price. And this restaurant is the prettiest place in the Springs.
Tracy says
I was hooked on Xiaolong Boa when I lived up north but now that I live in Florida they can’t be found anywhere (although Trader Joe’s has them in the freezer section now). I was excited it to see it on the menu here but sad to hear you didn’t care for them. They are usually half empty when eaten because the gelatin taking space when made melts into broth but when they aren’t made properly they leak. Was there any broth in the dumpling? or do you think they leaked out when cooked?
Natalie says
I absolutely loved the Lychee Lemon Soda when we visited. Our waitress said it contains Calpico, lemon juice, lychee purée and mint leaves. I wish there was a recipe for me to recreate it at home!
Laura says
Does anyone know if, as a party of 2, we could order just one official brunch with a couple of the add-ons? Would both people have to order the complete ‘brunch’? As vegetarians, we’d be able to try many more different items this way without have way too much food. Thank you for anyone who knows or could find out.
Liz says
Definitely on our wish list! As a party of two, do we each choose one from the first section, 3 from the second section or do we both have to have soup and both have to have the same 3 options to follow? Thanks in advance!