TisF has discovered the fine art of food at Moto.
Chef Homaro Cantu is blazing the way into the new era of postmodern cuisine. Heralded as one of America's most daring chefs, Cantu pushes the limits of known taste, texture and technique in stunningly futuristic fashion at Moto.A scientist at heart, Cantu is driven by insatiable curiosity and endless possibilities. The same childhood enthusiasm that drove Cantu to dismantle his father's lawnmower many times over and chomp on five-, ten- and twenty-dollar bills as a young boy still consumes him. Tagged a "techno chef" and a "real life Willy Wonka", he brushes off these labels and merely refers to himself as a cook when asked. But calling him a cook only scratches the surface - delve a bit deeper and discover an equally talented and inquisitive chef aiming to shatter the traditional rules of the kitchen by introducing new technologies to his chosen craft. Cantu's goal? To entice 21st century diners to embrace unimaginable -- for most -- edible creations.
Make no mistake, Cantu has not lost sight of what entices most to the dinner table - great tasting food. While guests may be stunned by the creativity on display at Moto, rest assured that this young chef can cook. Having grown up in Portland, Oregon, Cantu graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in 1994 and then staged in nearly 50 kitchens on the West Coast before moving to Chicago in 1999. He chose to settle in Chicago having obtained a position as sous chef at the world-renowned culinary mecca that is Charlie Trotter's. Cantu honed his already sharp skills in this demanding kitchen and after four years, ambitious and with a hunger to test the waters, he left Trotter's to open Moto.
Dining at Moto is more than a culinary experience; it also provides a window into the inner workings of Cantu's mind and the future of gastronomy. It both questions and challenges the diner. Offering tasting menus comprised of ten and twenty courses, Cantu stretches the imagination and takes you on a culinary adventure from the very first bite - a bite which may be taken directly from your menu, one that is printed on edible paper. This type of out-of-the-box thinking touches the entire dining experience - sometimes literally. One of his many inventions for which patent applications are pending is his polymer box. A perfectly self-contained oven, the three-inch opaque box made of super-insulating polymer is brought to 350 degrees in the oven before a raw piece of fish is placed inside. The box is then delivered to the table where it cooks right before the guest's eyes.
Although the experience at Moto is designed to expand both one's mind and palette, Cantu is not blazing new culinary trails for shock value, rather to change the way that people perceive and eat food. He views Moto as his laboratory and tests new technologies in the kitchen daily. Scientific elements such as liquid nitrogen and helium and devices such as a centrifuges and a hand-held ion particle gun make regular appearances in the Moto kitchen -- and Cantu was the first chef to zap food with a class IV laser, a cooking technique he unveiled in Spain in January 2006 at Madrid Fusion. With lofty goals and an impressive track record, it's hard to imagine what will be served up next at Moto. As Cantu modestly explains, "Gastronomy has to catch up to the evolution in technology and I'm just helping that process along."
For more information about moto please visit: www.motorestaurant.com
Photography by Grant Kessler.