The new Morimoto by Sea restaurant just opened on Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam ship with pop-ups on all the other ships. We were able to experience this wonderful restaurant recently on our Caribbean cruise and tried a variety of appetizers, entrees, sushi, and desserts. You can view our full review with delicious photos of our experience below.
Who is Chef Morimoto
Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto is a famous Japanese chef who rose to fame in the US after the debut of the TV show Iron Chef, which is originally a Japanese cooking show. He has restaurants around the world including his restaurant which we covered in Napa Valley. In 2024 Chef Morimoto was named as the “Fresh Fish Ambassador” for Holland America Line bringing his unique culinary dishes to every cruise ship.
Global Fresh Fish Program by Holland America
Holland America Line is taking its cuisine beyond the plate and further innovating its award-winning dining experience by launching a new, global fresh fish program. The pioneering initiative engages a global network of 60 ports to source and serve 80 types of fresh fish on board in all restaurants, going from port to plate in less than 48 hours.
Under the new program, the cruise line will offer guests fresh fish and ingredients native to various regions, yielding destination-inspired menus and local specialties that tell the story of each itinerary through cuisine.
Our Caribbean cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam offered fresh fish selections including Sea Bass (Branzino), Grouper, Cod, Mahi-Mahi, Salmon, Ocean Hake, and Sole.
How to Experience Morimoto by Sea
Beginning in January 2024, all cruisers can now experience Iron Chef Morimotos cuisine which is available on each ship.
Nieuw Amsterdam
The Nieuw Amsterdam ship will have its very own Morimoto by Sea restaurant located on the 11th floor, directly across from Tamarind Restaurants.
Pop-Up Dinner
All other cruise ships will have a Morimoto by Sea Pop-Up restaurant which will be held inside Tamarind restaurant.
Main Dining Room
There will also be several available dishes for an additional charge in the main dining room. Guests can choose from:
- Morimoto Epice Spiced Lobster Tails with lemon foam and seasonal vegetables for $25
- Yzu fresh Black Cod with yogurt miso pickled vegetables, kimchi eggplant, fried rice, and garlic soy for $25
- Fresh Halibut XO with Asian vegetables, dried shrimp, and scallop xo sauce for $25
What is the Price of Morimoto by Sea
The new Morimoto by Sea restaurant on Holland America will be an additional $55 per guest. This includes one entree per person with as many appetizers, side dishes, and desserts as you’d like to try.
Morimoto by Sea Restaurant Menu
Here is the full menu during our visit in January on the Nieuw Amsterdam Holland America Line ship. You’ll find a variety of appetizers, side dishes, main courses, and desserts. There is also an a la carte sushi menu which incurs additional fees as shown above on the menu. If you’re a lover of sushi, it is worth it to enjoy a selection of fresh Nigiri or Sashimi.
Sushi
We eat sushi about 2-3x per week so I love that both Morimoto by Sea and The Tamarind offer an a la carte sushi menu. The Nigiri Tuna and Yellowtail are my favorites. Our server also brought us over the spicy tuna rolls to enjoy which were fantastic. The variety of choices is impressive and the new global fish program is such a welcome addition to the food options on Holland America.
Appetizers
During our visit, we tried 4 different appetizers which were all delicious. Below you’ll find each appetizer we enjoyed with pictures.
Tacos 2 Ways
I noticed that instead of the sushi sampler, they had Tacos 2 ways with a yellowtail yuzu and spicy tuna with guacamole. On each taco, the fish was cut into chunks with generous servings of fresh fish. After a few bites of the fried crispy wonton taco shell, I decided to just eat the fresh fish. Both of us enjoyed this appetizer and I would absolutely recommend it if you see them on the menu.
Pork Gyoza Dumplings
We both love gyoza and order it at every restaurant we eat at in California. The gyoza was flavorful and included a vibrant green scallion ginger sauce which was poured over the top of the gyoza tableside. They were seared in a small cast iron and served still sizzling hot.
Tuna Pizza
The tuna pizza was a large display of thinly sliced sashimi tuna served over a flat crispy round indian style chip similar to a padamum. Over the tuna was a healthy portion of red onions, greens, kalamata olives, anchovy aioli, and jalepeños. The toppings were a bit too generous so we just moved some onto the plate. The flavors were wonderful and made for a flavorful crispy bite with plenty of tuna sashimi.
Tori Ramen
The star of our appetizer selections was hands down the Tori Ramen Noodle Soup. The flavors in the broth were fantastic and I was pleasantly surprised that the ramen was very authentic. It featured tender thinly sliced pieces of pork belly with a seasoned egg, bamboo shoots, and scallions. The serving was quite large and could easily be a meal within itself.
Entrees
There are a wide variety of entrees available including lobster, whole market fish, and beef tenderloin. Below are all the selections we tried. One option we did not try, but that I highly recommend is the Broiled Beef Tenderloin. It was ordered by the table across from us and had I seen this dish earlier, I definitely would have ordered it. It arrives on a sizzling cast iron plate and would pair wonderfully with the wasabi mashed potatoes. I will be trying this on our next Holland America cruise!
One of my favorite features of Morimoto by Sea is all the dishes with special preparations that are served tableside.
Angry Lobster Pad Thai
My favorite dish was the Angry Lobster Pad Thai which featured two Maine lobster tails. It was prepared with a flavorful, slightly spicy, red curry sauce with rice noodles. This would be my top recommendation along with the Broiled Beef Tenderloin.
Crispy Fried Whole Market Fresh Fish
My second favorite dish was the Crispy Fried Whole Market Fresh Fish which was a fried branzino served head-on. I’m a big fan of being served the whole fish and this dish was spectacular. It had a sweet and spicy chili sauce drizzled over the top with crushed peanuts. Underneath were pickled vegetables and Bok Choy. The outside of the fish offered a nice crisp while the branzino remained moist, tender, and flaky.
I paired the Branzino with a side of Steamed Vegetables with Tofu which was a generous portion and perfect for sharing.
Ishiyaki Buri Bop
At home, I really enjoy Buri Bops which are rice dishes prepared in a sizzling hot clay pot. All of the ingredients are mixed tableside. As you let the dish sit, it continues to cook and the rice gets nice and crispy at the bottom. I normally enjoy Buri Bops with chicken or thinly sliced beef. One thing I noticed about this dish was that the Yellowtail cooked too much, even when we tried to avoid this by only lightly searing the fish and placing it at the top.
By the time we tried to enjoy the Ishiyaki Buri Bop, the yellowtail had already been completely cooked and it tasted more like canned tuna. The rice also did not get crispy at the bottom. I would order the Beef tenderloin instead on my next visit. However, if you are not a fan of raw fish, this could be the perfect dish for you to try.
Desserts
I am such a fan of desserts, I decided to order three. My fiance is less adventurous and prefers to order sorbets so I ventured out and also ordered the Dark Chocolate Sphere and White Chocolate Lime Ganache. The sorbets were actually outstanding and came with mango, blueberry, and watermelon.
White Chocolate Lime Ganache
This unique dessert consists of layers of dense rice pudding, mango sorbet, and coconut foam. What you might not expect are the pop rocks that are hidden in the middle. It was recommended by our server to make sure we got our spoon all the way to the bottom of the glass so we could get each flavor on our spoon. The pop rocks were a nice surprise and added an extra crunch that made the dessert even more enjoyable.
Dark Chocolate Sphere
My favorite dessert was the Dark Chocolate Sphere which reminded me of the types of desserts you’d find at a trendy Vegas restaurant. I absolutely love chocolate sphere desserts and the presentation never gets old. You’ll watch as your server pours warm white chocolate sauce over the sphere so it melts, revealing a delicious dessert underneath. Each bite offers a warm decadent chocolate ganache with soft gooey marshmallows. It was both fantastic to eat and fun to watch.
If you’re looking for a unique and authentic Japanese dining experience at sea, I highly recommend dining at Holland America Line’s latest specialty restaurant. Morimoto by Sea offers an opportunity to enjoy dishes by one of the most celebrated Iron Chefs and his new partnership as the Fresh Fish Ambassador is an enormous and welcome addition to the Holland America cruising experience.
Discover More Holland America Tips
Sondra Barker
