This was our first visit after Wok n Fire moved out and we loved the interior changes that were made. We went for Happy Hour and were seated at the bar because all of the tables were apparently reserved. We were greeted by Adam who was the only server in the bar. For Happy Hour they have a few drink specials and all Small Plates are half off. We asked about GF options and he was not too helpful but we made it work. My wife started with a Ginger Pina Martini with grilled pineapple infused vodka. She loved it ,I thought it was too sour. I tried their Toshi Old Fashion with Iwai 45 which is a Japanese blended whiskey. Very good. For our small plates we had Spicey Tuna Crispy Rice,Chicken Lettuce Wraps,BBQ Lollipops and a Philadelphia Roll. Hands down our favorite were the BBQ lollipops..sliced New York strip wrapped around lemongrass with a delicious sauce. On Tuesdays they offer half price rolls which makes us want to go back as some of their signature rolls sounded amazing. Plenty of parking is available and reservations are suggested..even for Happy Hour. read more

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In the downtown St Charles lies a trendy and busy sushi restaurant, Moto Imoto. A group of 4 of us made a reservation and we started with saki and some apps. The duck bao buns came two per order and had a sauce to melt the flavor of the duck in your mouth. The shishido peppers came with a sauce that was creamy and complimentary. They have sushi boats that come with four rolls, but I opted to eat three. All of our selection of rolls was pretty and filling. Some ordered hot plates and the portions were grand and they were delicious. We went for a birthday and ordered two desserts. The ube cheesecake didn't have the blueberries on there, as the photos suggested it would, but still tasted great. The chocolate peanut butter cake was also good, but wasn't considered a favorite. Our server Ayden was helpful and got our food out quickly. His service was pretty good and he was friendly. This was lively for a night that was -10 Fahrenheit! It was so busy, so that tells you it's a great restaurant, and I agree. read more

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I really enjoyed the happy hour here and we tried several cocktails and small plates. Service at the bar was good even though they could do better with gluten free knowledge since their menu does state that they have gf options. The restaurant is beautifully decorated. Make sure you make reservations even for a table in the bar unless you want to be seated at the bar. There is a public parking lot across the street. I enjoyed the BBQ Drumsticks the most as they were tender and flavorful. All cocktails were expertly crafted and unique. read more

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The restaurant is very modern and chic. The restrooms are very clean. The food was amazing I just wished our server knew the menu. Head the ceviche tacos were served in a warm tortilla which were not actually it was not even a corn tortilla but they were crispy. I also asked the server if they were serving noodles as the sing out side were displaying them. Our server when I asked him for the 4time he said oh ya we do have this on the menu. It was unfortunate that we sat next to a family that had a child with the worst cough I ever heard in my life. I was very worry since he was not covering his mouth and the kid just sitting right behind me. Nevertheless the food was good. My date had the duck which for me was just a little salty. The calamari were cooked to perfection. And my ceviche tacos were very delicious. The sweet potato rolls were very delicious. Our busboy was very helpful and accommodating. read more

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My daughter and I went there on Mother's Day to put in an order to go We went over what we wanted on the menu and we wanted two rolls and two appetizers. We specifically asked the host if there were eight rolls in each and she said yes so we placed our order. She said it would be an hour wait and they would call us when it was ready ( 45 minutes later ) We headed back about 15 minutes early and waited inside about 10 minutes. We saw the host walk out who helped us so I went up to another host asked her if our order was ready. She said she would check. Came back and said she couldn't find our order/our name. She walked around a corner and came back holding her bag said she was sorry. we received NO phone call!!!! We don't even know how long our order was sitting there. We got home and one of the sushi rolls only had five in it and appetizers were cold. Called and spoke with a manager, told her we were missing sushi rolls that there were five in the container, she said oh is it the spider roll ? that will only comes with five. workers should know everything on the menu. Horrible experience placing an order to go, will never EVER do that again!!! read more

Love the food here! The lunch specials are great too! Some nights the service can be slow. But overall it's a great place! Love the fusion entrees! Ambiance is great!! Location is perfect! Heart of Saint Charles ! read more

Was so impressed by the whole experience last time that I went back with my son to celebrate my birthday. Another wonderful experience was all-encompassing from the space, understated and loebeky holiday decorations, to the service - Enrique was fantastic - to the excellent cocktails, to the exquisite flavors of the food. We shared several small plates: pork belly buns, potstickers, and Chilean sea bass, all mouth-watering, vibrant, and flavorful. My son had the spicy shrimp ramen, and it was so good that I ordered the pork belly one even though I was already satisfied. A rich, flavorful broth with a depth of taste, springy and chewy noodles cooked to perfection, and well-balanced toppings like tender slices of chashu (braised pork) for me, spicy shrimp for my son, a seasoned egg (ajitsuke tamago), and fresh vegetables, all coming together to create a satisfying and comforting eating experience. Their signature cocktails are phenomenal, I love to get out of my norm and order different things. Today I tried the Blueberry Harmony - Iwai 45 / House-Made Blueberry Lemongrass & Ginger Shrub / Simple - it was superb and then had my classic old-fashioned. Service was wonderful. A huge shoutout to our amazing server, Enrique, for going above and beyond! read more

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My husband and I have had this restaurant on our list of places to try. We finally went tonight and it did not disappoint. We made a reservation a couple days before, which was easy to do online. We sat in the lounge which I actually preferred over the dining room. Our waitress was very attentive and nice. We ordered drinks and the. Ordered the calamari, which was excellent. Although watch out some of the spicy peppers are battered and I didn't realize it and man, was it spicy LOL. My husband ordered a sushi roll. He ordered the tiger roll which he enjoyed. He said it had a bit of a kick to it. I had the sweet and sour shrimp which was excellent. We enjoyed our dinner and will definitely be back again! read more

Excellent atmosphere, love the bar available. All staff friendly. We had pad thai, orange chicken, lobster bisque and the moto imoto roll. Great chili oil (sambal) read more

This is a review for the first time I came here for dinner with my immediate family. Food was excellent, though service the first time was average. She didn't wow me, basically took our order and wasn't very attentive. Other people served the dishes, but water wasn't refilled. I enjoyed the food enough that I came back. Interestingly, the 2 other times I returned was with a larger party (extended family) and service was so much better, go figure. Location in St Charles is nice, parking is easy. read more

Nothing to complain about at all, the service was very polite and attentive without being overbearing. They interacted very well with our toddler and were patient with the inevitable distraction that our newborn caused while we were trying to order. I always appreciate when people are patient with the kids! The food was delicious, from the sushi to the very fresh orange chicken. Their bento box for kids was a great portion for our toddler, and the adult portions were more than adequate as well. It feels upscale without an upscale price, I think this is our new Asian spot! read more

First time here and it did not disappoint! Great addition to downtown St. Charles! The drinks and food were delicious! And the staff were all very friendly. read more

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The orange chicken bento did not disappoint. This Asian cushion restaurant is delicious and perfectly located in downtown st Charles. Fast service with a quiet chic atmosphere. Perfect light fresh lunch spot. read more

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Cocktail Review Only! Stopped by Moto Imōto on a Sunday for a casual drink at the bar. The inside is beautifully designed with plants, stone and wood accents, and curved features. They have a large wine and sake offering as well as (3) mocktails and (10) specialty cocktails. We got the Lychee Luxe Martini and Yuzu Sake White Sangria. The Lychee Martini is certainly sweet which cuts the alcohol bite. The sangria was offered to pair with white or red wine but I strongly recommend the white as it compliments the bright and light fruity flavors better. They did not have a dedicated bartender on staff but they clearly cross train their staff well as the person who made our drinks did a great job! Very impressed overall! read more

moto imōto - Lychee Luxe Martini & Yuzu Sake Sangria - Pan Asian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

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I had stopped here one day for a late lunch during happy hour and was amazed. The crispy tuna rice and sushi rolls are so good, they taste very fresh. I knew I had to come back another time, so my friend and I came for happy hour. The grilled pineapple martini is amazing, the drinks are strong you don't know when it'll hit because they don't taste like alcohol at all. Definitely recommend this place, and I will be returning more often. read more

moto imōto - Mojito and grilled pineapple martini - Pan Asian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

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My fiance and I stopped here for happy hour on black out Wednesday. Apparently we've started a tradition bc we also were here last year for black out Wednesday happy hour lol. This place is super cute and well decorated. It is cozy and aesthetically pleasing to look at. It's a very relaxing and calming setting. We sat at the bar area which has very comfy seats and a tv which had basketball on. It was pretty empty at the time, but again, we were there at 3pm the day before Thanksgiving. The staff is very friendly and kind. All of them were helpful and had smiles on their faces. they really set the tone of making us feel at home. Service throughout was timed out well. Our server was attentive and didn't hover. He gave us enough space to enjoy our drinks, apps and time together and also checked in the perfect amount. We tried a lychee martini and a dirty martini for cocktails. I'm not sure if we were both hungry or whatever the case was but we were feeling the drinks and after 1 drink each, it was great! I definitely recommend the lychee martini - it is fruity, tasty, easy to drink and overall is solid cocktail. I wasn't a fan of the dirty martini however I don't really love them to begin with. For apps we tried the crab wontons and also got the futo maki signature roll. Both were very delicious and we'd get them again. read more

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Dropped by for an impromptu dinner with my Son & Wife on Friday, December 29th 2023. We had reservations for two @ 5:15 pm and when we showed up with three they quickly accommodated us. We were seated and our waiter Aidan M (Big shout out) quickly showed up to get our drink order. Aidan, recommend a Hibiscus & Raspberry Margarita (a drink my wife would never order) for my wife. My Son & I had Toshi Old Fashioned. My wife enjoyed her drink very much as did my son and I. For appetizers we ordered our favorite pot stickers! Which were delicious and cooked perfectly. For our main entrée we ordered, two pad Thai's and one Mongolian Flank Steak & one Dragon Roll. Everything was cooked to perfection & delicious, which is why moto & imoto has become our go to spot for dinner in St.Charles. read more

moto imōto - Dragon Roll - Pan Asian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

I mean it's just not good at all. Everything's slimey and/or salty. To be fair, I'm not a huge fan of any of these fake Chinese places that serve a bunch of frozen food with soy sauce on them. read more

First time trying their sushi. Used to only get their Mongolian beef and their "KFC" dish. This time I went here for dinner with my wife and we both enjoyed the quality of the dragon roll. Their miso soup is top notch as well. One of my favorite restaurants in the downtown area! The service is great and the ambiance and music volume and selection is ideal. read more

moto imōto - Miso soup - Pan Asian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

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Very nice bar and ambiance. I loved the wood accents and the Japanese cherry blossom mural on the back wall. We both got the Lobster Curry Bisque and shared the Bang Bang Shrimp and the Chicken Lettuce Wraps. The bisque had nice chunks of lobster in it and was very flavorful - it was the perfect fusion of lobster bisque and Thai curry flavors and was by far one of the best soups I've ever had. The Bang Bang Shrimp was tasty and I liked that it wasn't overly fried or drenched in sauce. The chicken lettuce wraps were okay, the sauce that came with them added a decent amount of flavor but the chicken itself was on the blander side. We ended the evening with the Ube Coconut Cheesecake and it was to die for! It had a very light balanced flavor of Ube and coconut and wasn't overly sweet. Our server was friendly and attentive. The food comes out very fast so by the time we finished the bisque and got to the lettuce wraps, the chicken was already lukewarm. Next time, I would only order one or two dishes at a time. Overall, great food, service and ambiance. I haven't stopped thinking about that Lobster Curry Bisque and the Ube Coconut Cheesecake. This will definitely be a go-to place when in the St. Charles area. read more

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First timer at Moto Imoto and the food was delicious! You cannot go wrong the sushi! The restaurant was beautiful and the ambiance was very relaxing with the soft dim lighting and comfortable seating spaces. Service was great and they also gave my friend a complimentary birthday dessert which we enjoyed! The presentation of the food and the taste was excellent! Can't wait to come back! read more

moto imōto - Moto Imoto Roll, Tiger Roll - Pan Asian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

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The design and decor of this place is gorgeous. I was there with a group of 9. Hostess and staff were phenomenal. Super friendly, attentive, always apologizing for stuff coming out late. The walu ceviche was delicious. Very well balanced, the contrasting texture in the wonton crispy. Would definitely get this again. The pork belly in the pork belly bao bun was amazing. Super tender, very week flavored. The pickled veggies were TOO acidic for me. It was so sour that it overpowered the pork belly. We had several different sushi rolls. I can't remember which was which now that I'm reviewing this. Overall, the sushi wasn't too bad. Nothing memorable or stood out. The miso salmon was not my favorite. The veggies in this dish were well flavored and perfectly cooked. The salmon was overly salted. I NEEDED to eat eat the rice and veggies to balance it out. I did love the char on the fish though. If the salmon wasn't that salty, I would have love this dish a little bit more. We also ordered the lobster curry bisque and 8 out of 9 people at our table said it was too salty. My friend said she's been here a number of times and she didn't recall the food being this salty. Might have been an off night for the chef. read more

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We had such a nice dinner on a Monday night. I love the atmosphere in this place. They have nice background music, not too loud and we could have a nice conversation. Our server was attentive and gave us a couple recommendations, which were right on. We started with the pork potstickers. Kind of like a little taco in a steam bun. It had pickled cabbage and was really good. I had the fire dragon roll. Very good, somewhat sweet and a little spicy, very good level of spice for me. My husband had the salmon. It came with white rice and he always mentions how much he loves that rice. They have a nice wine list, but could use a little more variety on the beer list. Definitely a good option for sushi. read more

First of all. Spend a day in St Charles, what a lovely city. Such a beautiful park district Park. Fun happenings on the river. Fun shopping and eateries. So one of my first and future visits is at( Moto Imoto. ) Asian inspired menu. What a beautiful laid back casual restaurant. The staff are warm and friendly. Service was very good, on point and attentive. There are Televisions in the bar area. Sports playing on all. I can't remember if there was music playing. The food was excellent. I would gladly enjoy another cup of Lobster curry bisque soup. I thank a bowl will be next. SO GOOD. We also enjoyed the crab wonton. Two of my family members had the Lunch Bento boxes. Which are trays with 4 apartments. You choose 4 food items from the Bento food lists. You will see what I mean on my photos. I had the pork belly bao buns. Light fluffy bat's juicy pork with all the trimmings. Happy hour from 3-6 Monday-Friday. Menu is on their website. A special on the Binto box is buy 6. Get one Free. Ask the server for a punch card. Like I said earlier. It's worth the drive (over a hour for me) for a second. Third. Fourth visit. read more

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I tried this last week with a friend and it was amazing. The food was delicious, friendly staff, and great ambiance. I got the bento box that came with miso soup, 4 sushi rolls, salmon and rice. I will definitely go again soon. read more

Love the Tuesday roll special for half price. When I was there 6/17/25 I ordered 4 rolls to go. They seemed a little busy. But it took almost 45 minutes to get my order. Early afternoon. I have had a very late order in the past. They made it right then. This time, they did not. I will still come to this great place. Need to figure out the issue. read more

The bang bang shrimp was amazing but everything else was downhill from there. The dynamite sushi roll was rolled so loosely it fell apart on the plate. The lettuce for the chicken wraps was sad, wilty and old. We split the mochi ice cream (which arrived cut into quarters which caused it to melt quickly) and the fried ice cream, which was carrot cake inspired, contained shaved carrot which made the "crust" a very odd texture. Service was great and drinks were good. Never been here before but probably won't be back simply due to the meh food and $$$ pricing. read more

A few visits here and still feeling no change. Are you familiar with the term "It looked good on paper?" Kinda like Moto. It 'looks' good, but in practice, it still has some wrinkles to address. Wrinkle #1: Party process time. Easily for a party of 4 this evening, it took 2+ hours to process us. This is not Europe, it is the US, and it is excessive. We finally were able to pull the plug after I physically walked our tab up to the bar to settle out, where our server was bar tending. Granted we were tipping 20+ percent, but the fact that our server was pulling double duty as bar tender when we were not in the bar is an issue. Don't get me wrong, Jacob was lovely, but time is not a commodity that can be produced. On top of this, the dessert we ordered caused us to wonder if it was being sourced and made from scratch. It took forever with minimal update regarding. Finally we received an update that the dessert in question had to be thawed before serving. Ok. As much as I hate to admit it, it was actually worth the wait. I would never have personally ordered it myself; but was glad that I was able to experience it and would totally order it again. Wrinkle #2: I ordered the vegan ramen and it had no egg in it. I actually had to request an egg. #ramenfail They did finally bring me an egg but it was very late in the game. Granted, depending on your def of vegan; but the menu clearly specifies egg included; and this bloke is looking for all the protein he can muster ;) Wrinkle #3: Fried rice? More like oiled rice, too much oil, mushy, very poor show for fried rice. The Moto website proclaims: "Blend of "East meets West" chef driven, pan Asian culinary experience" Honestly, I have had better fried rice from cheap Chinese pick up or delivery so... I thoroughly enjoyed the vegan ramen, the broth was on point! Given the fact that we come out of our way to come to this venue and that there are so many more venues to explore this way, we will probably take a pass and explore and patronize some other local options next time we are in town. Worth noting, the rice on the sushi is a lighter application than most. I feel this warrants mention, because most places count on you filling up on rice, this venue, seems to stress the opposite. IF...you can afford the sushi prices. read more

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My favorite place for sushi! Great deals on Tuesdays. Very nice staff! They also have nice outdoor seating. Def recommend! (:

Chewy fish. Not great quality at all. We gave this place 3 tries hoping its gonna be our go to for sushi and it was disappointment every single time. I do not know why places that serve raw fish think they can get away with cheap fish. Not good at all. read more

Always amazing food and service! Caleb's new clarified ube Mai Tai is NOT to be missed! Delicious SCIENCE! You won't believe this is your favorite tropical drink! read more

moto imōto - Caleb's clarified Mai Tai - cheers!! - Pan Asian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

This cute place with great ambiance impressed me with some of the best lumpia I've ever tried. The Pad Thai was huge in quantity and tasted fantastic, while the Moto Imoto roll and melt-in-your-mouth pork belly buns were equally delightful. A truly satisfying dining experience! read more

moto imōto - Pad Thai - Pan Asian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

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Moto imoto is a really cool spot! The owners did so much to open and brighten the former Wok 'n Fire space. The decor is clean, bright and inviting. Our trip brought us out for lunch. We both opted for the lunch bento boxes, every combination is $16 at lunch time. You pick your protein, we selected the Miso Salmon with brown rice and the Orange Chicken with jasmine rice. The salmon was cooked perfectly, the portion was appropriate for lunch and the flavor was good. The orange chicken was awesome and so saucy! We shared the extra sauce for the rice and to dip the salmon into. Yummy! We both selected the salad over the soup. It was a spring lettuce mix with carrots, tomatoes and a typical ginger dressing. The last square was for a four piece sushi selection. We chose one California roll and one spicy tuna roll. The CA roll used real crab, so it had a different flavor than you may be used to and the spicy tuna was chunky tuna and jalapeños. We finished almost all of our food, and we left very happy and full. We'll be back! read more

moto imōto - Orange Chicken w/California Roll - Pan Asian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

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Food took about 40 minutes to come out. 5 pieces of sushi cost $16 bucks. Not worth it. Definitely disappointed.

Came here with my family of 15. We made reservations that day. The restaurant ambiance is nice with soft energetic pop music. We ordered a bunch of mocktails for the kids. They really liked the drinks. We had one server waiting on the whole table but multiple people helped bring out the food. We ordered a bunch of apps, bao buns, zucchini fries, lumpia egg rolls, bang bang shrimp and others. My favorite app was zucchini fries...so tasty and light. I got the panang chicken which was good. Some of my family got some of the sushi so I tried them and they tasted fresh and delicious as well. Service was good. We actually meant to order some of their lunch specials but they accidentally thought we wanted their dinner portions. We did end up paying more because of it. I paid the bill of over $500 which wasn't bad since I was expecting to spend around that amount. Overall very good meal and a chance for the family to converse and enjoy each other's company read more

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Though the service was good and the interior was nice, the food was forgetful and uninspiring. The spider roll was mushy with little filling and taste. The two main dishes served (duck hash and Szechuan chicken) were very salty and the sauces (too much) tasted too similar. For the price, I was disappointed by the food but not the service and ambiance. read more

This place has a nice big U shaped bar up front and pretty decor. There's a mixture of high top tables, booths, and floor seating which allows for larger parties. Good spot for a date night or sharing things with friends. Server was friendly and attentive. Enjoyed the lobster bisque, edamame, nigiri/sashimi, crab wontons and the hamachi jalapeño. All was delicious! read more

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Great place. Have been here several times. Great menu and ambiance. ONE POINT TO MAKE. What happened to the traditional lumpia??? The new recipe is definitely no bueno. Bring back the traditional recipe. A great treat that no other restaurants serve. Thanks for listening. read more

Food is consistently great. Servers are polite, available and very well informed about the menu. Particularly like the bartenders recommendations on cocktails. read more

I went here because it was open and I was looking for sushi lunch. When I got there I felt the place was going for a more upscale bar/night out kind of place. Sushi was alright, but I think this place was more of a place to go for a night out than if you were trying to get you sushi fix on. Rolls were a little more expensive than what I would want to normally go for. Not a bad thing but since I was doing carry out I think I missed out on the dining out experience there. There wasn't really enough to make me a repeat customer. If you were looking for a date place this might be ok: if you just want a meal to go you might want to look elsewhere. read more