MOTO, Chicago (1/2)

“Mad scientist” Homaro Cantu, chef-owner of Moto in Chicago is determined to have a good time as he plays with your food. He is an ultra-creative guy. In fact, he does not experiment with the food as to disfigure the ingredients, but he has invented a series of toys to process, prepare and serve it. This minimalist spot in the Fulton Market regularly blows patrons away, along with quite a few of their dollars. Yes, it is a sort of laboratory, but it's a good show that any foodie should experience. The results are what they are but we'll be talking about this cutting edge place for a long time. Because he respects the fresh organic products, they are often served raw or lightly cooked using the sous-vide technique or the specialized polymer oven boxes---sometimes at the table. He likes to entwine herbs in his patented fork handles. He likes to fill a box with Pacific Ocean water and bake fish in it for exactly twelve minutes, a little foam here, a bit of slushy there. As well, you won't forget the wood-poached pork belly with curry. You hope that chef Cantu's theatrics don't get to the point where attraction becomes distraction, and the mad scientist effect kicks in. Now he's playing around with credit card-sized edible menus and is launching his own line of tabletop items, smokers, etc. Beware: Tasting menus elevate to around $160. The black laboratory coats worn by the waits staff are supposed to enhance the culinary lab effect. At least the servers know what they are serving, because unless it is explained, you might not have a clue as it’s difficult to determine from the succinct menu descriptions. Every aspect of the restaurant operation has been carefully planned (Cantu was sous chef at Charlie Trotter’s for three years) and the foundation is there to yield something very special. The Scene Decor is minimal: earth-toned walls and carpeting, crisp white linens and almond-colored banquettes lining both sides of the dining room. Globally flavored electronica plays at conversation-friendly levels, while gourmets and food adventurers marvel at artful dishes. The Food Asian influences surface throughout the four always-changing tasting menus. Fennel presented four ways includes purees painted on the plate, gelled cubes, a savory ice and fennel candy. A delicately flavored sashimi course has bites of salmon, scallops and hamachi alongside a cup of coconut milk and black squid ink. Chef Homaro Cantu's interest in science is evident in many dishes. Whimsical Squeezes--eyedropper-like pipettes filled with purees of ingredients like Swiss chard and bacon--pack a flavorful punch. Pacific bass is baked tableside to melt-in-your-mouth perfection in a futuristic-looking transparent polymer box. For Homaro cooking consists of a mixture of delicate food preparations and mechanical ingenuity with an Asian minimalist view. Homaro maintains a very simple philosophy toward what he calls food engineering --to create is not to copy-- and if creating requires new tools, Homaro has been known to invent those as well. The Wine Moto's wine program is built upon wine progressions custom designed to heighten the guest's experience through the synergy of food and wine. Chef Cantu collaborates with his supporting cast to put forth multiple avant-garde menus. This approach to cuisine brings with it a welcomed challenge to wine paring often moving the progression away from the usual suspects in the world of wine. Interlacing the esoteric with benchmark wines is an attempt to elevate and complement Chef Cantu's ability to push the forward movement in gastronomy. “… we’ll be talking about this cutting-edge place for a long time.”