Chicago Sun Times September 10, 2008

At The Chef’s Table

September 10, 2008
By Ben Roche

As a child, I followed the exploits of Jacques Cousteau via his encyclopedic series chronicling undersea worlds. It was my favorite. I also was fascinated with craft books explaining step by step how to create things, like a snow globe made from household items. It was probably natural that someday these two interests would come together. So there I was at moto one morning, contemplating a new dish and experiencing a chef’s version of “writers block.” Wondering which ingredients sounded good to me, I realized we had recently taken a dish off the menu that used mung bean noodles and those were fair game for me to use. When fried at high temperatures, the noodles puff and flail out like the arms of a Dali-esque octopus. Too cool to pass up, this “octopus” inspired me to imagine an undersea world, not unlike the Little Mermaid’s bright colors and lots of strange-looking things.

The recipe had come together but then I laughed to myself, “How are we ever gonna describe this to our guests?” Well, for anyone who’s ever wondered what an undersea or aquarium scene would taste like if it were a dessert, moto has the answer. If guests are still confused by this description, no matter. Guests expect the unexpected at moto. Make your own edamame ice cream and you can try part of moto’s “Fruits of the Sea” right in your own kitchen.