Cornell Cafe

The ambiance and food is just perfect! I can’t wait to come back with the rest of my family.

I know they only competition Cornell Café has is some trees and bushes, but it seriously needs to step it up. Service is appalling. The hostess has the manners of a sumo wrestlers diaper — none, but equally as offensive. Firstly she ordered me to stand in front of her or she’ll seat others behind me, then she hands me 2 menus and silverware and orders me to go find the available table with the wave of her hand in my face! I was aghast. I find all the way in the back, a dirty table. I can only assume this is where she was ushering me to. I sit down, and over comes a forlorn waitress. She clears the table and asks me if I’m ready to order, I replied no but I’d like a drink? We went we a beer, iced green tea. Meanwhile a young man sits a table nearby, the angry hostess comes over to him and asks where the rest of his party is, he told her they had gone to the restroom. She starts making a huge deal saying she cannot hold this table if they are not here. I was thinking about how unreasonable she was being, only to see three little old ladies with walkers making their way to the table. The young man was trying to explain that they were heading back but were elderly — she wasn’t listening. Once she saw them, she simply turned and walked off. I couldn’t believe how rude she was accosting the man.
As for food we had the shrimp and vegetable tempora starter which was abysmal, over fried to the point it didn’t resemble food, and the sushi box with teriyaki salmon. The small portion of salmon and sticky rice were the only things worth while, they were flavorful and edible, the rest was a total waste.
Throughout this we were rushed by our waitress. It was frustrating because it really took away from the tranquil idyllic view of the gardens. Needless to say I will never eat here again, that is only a reflection of this establishment and my poor experience here, it has nothing to to with the Morakami Gardens which are simply perfect.

Best Japanese food in the area. Super friendly staff. Reasonable prices. And you couldn’t ask for a lovelier venue.

We had a lovely Valentine’s Day lunch here yesterday. The line is quite long and it’s first come first serve, you also have to be a member or pay admission to the gardens for restaurant access. We were seated after about 15 – 20 minutes in line. We both got the classic bento box lunch. They had run out of eggplant and instead of telling us just substituted it for shumai in the box. The teriyaki salmon was delicious, my favorite part of the box. The sushi was eh, shrimp and fried tofu not very good, dumplings were pretty good. We also had tried green tea and red bean mochi for dessert, those were amazing. The mochi and outside view brought this from a 3 to a 4. I am a member here, so I’m sure I will be back to try more on the menu.

My lunch of a vegetarian bento box (including vegetable dumplings, spring roll and sushi) with iced green tea was delicious. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful visit!

Simple Japanese selections. Their tofu tempura is melt-​in-​your-​mouth delicious… Find it on the vegetarian bento.
The café is situated on the outside corner of the main museum building inside Morikami, and it overlooks the central lake from a high elevation… A beautiful view.
During events such as Hatsume, the Lantern festival, and Oshugatsu, they offer a la carte and bento selections inexpensively.

I discovered this café many years ago when it was featured as one of the best Museum Cafés in the nation. At the time, this was a very small place, with maybe six or eight tables, and with a very limited yet satisfying menu. How things have changed.
The new Cornell Café is pretty massive. It sits many people in the terrace, and many more inside. Of course, if you come here, you want to sit on the terrace and enjoy the Florida weather, keeping in mind that when it rains here, you will get wet and things will fly about. With that said, you most likely will be seated outside.
The food here is pretty straightforward. My favorite would be the Tonkatsu Pork, which is very crispy on the outside while soft on the inside. And it comes with a delicious sauce. It is my favorite for sure, followed by the miso soup. Everything else is pretty standard, nothing to rave about or get out of your way for. The sushi may need a little improvement, but really, it’s fine. If you are at the museum and want to have Japanese food, it is a good option (versus great option).
The service is also good, nothing fantastic, but very on top of things. No complains there.
Maybe the only sticking point for me is that I really liked the old café. It was much more authentic, and the menu rotated as well. And the sushi was good. But some things must change, and sometimes not for the better. Still, this is not a bad restaurant, it is just not the same. If you had been here before, you would know what I mean.
All in all, a good, borderline decent meal, but factoring in the surroundings and the exotic element, I would have no problem sitting down for lunch or dinner again.

3.5 stars. A nice lunch spot in the middle of Morikami park with a beautiful view. The café was small, but it was inviting. The food was not bad, it had traditional sushi dishes and some kids meals. The prices were affordable considering they had no other competition in the middle of the park. I would go there again.

Nice view of the entire garden but that was the only good thing. We were greeted with servers at the front table shredding ginger into a large box, not exactly a nice view. $ 5 for a salad that was a very small portion of lettuce and 3 cucumber slices. The shrimp and crab cake small plate was good but «small plate» is definitely what it was. Previous review someone said service is hit or miss, well they struck out. Food came before our water and server brought 3 tables food after we asked for check. Safe to say this is a One and done experience.

Better sushi than other places in the area at an affordable price! Great place to eat after working up an appetite walking around the gardens.

The first time eating at this place and let me tell you it was good. I had the teriyaki salmon served with sushi rice and steamed veggies. The taste was delicious and the service was quick and really friendly. Definitely would go back soon.

I’m bumping this place up to a 3 star only because it’s on Morikami Gardens, which is beautiful and well worth the price of admission. I could stay there for hours. The café itself, however, is quite skippable.
Service is OK. The service was competent and food arrived in short order. Almost … too short order. My one complaint is they brought out my food substantially ahead of my lunch partner’s. Makes it awkward to start eating when someone else has nothing.
I had the Teriyaki Chicken and it was, frankly, disappointing. The chicken was overdone and almost… mushy. The rice bed was nice, as were the vegetables, but what is a teriyaki dish if the meat isn’t good? The lemonade was not particularly good either. Based on this, I decided to skip dessert so can’t comment on the green tea ice cream. My lunch partner had a slightly better review of the Dragon Roll, but it wasn’t exactly amazing either. For the price, I would expect something better.
If you do go here, don’t miss the chance to actually walk through the museum and the gardens. The best part of this restaurant is that it overlooks the gardens themselves. Be sure to sit outside if at all possible!

The Cornell Café is still one of the best Japanese restaurants in Southeastern Florida. You have to pay the museum admission fee or have an annual membership to enjoy the food, the museum and the garden. The restaurant has a huge back porch which overlooks the tranquil lake and gardens. With new seating and a new orioles awning along with a revised menu it has lost a few more Japanese items like silken tofu and seaweed salad in favor of more tourist friendly fare, but overall the menu is great and prepared well. Service is a bit hit or miss especially when they are busy

Excellent food, excellent service, excellent view. Go for the crispy pork and tender beef then end with bean moschi …
The iced green tea is also refreshing.

What can I say, I’m very impressed. Hidden gem in the museum and definitely worth every penny! Prices are reasonable and service is amazing! I had the Classic Bento Box which had salmon teriyaki, chicken teriyaki with rice, red shrimp, eggplant rolls, tofu, dumplings, and some sushi pieces all for under $ 15.00!!! Let’s not forget the iced green tea on a hot day makes all the difference! Can’t wait to come back.

If you visit Morikami, then eat here when you’ve finished the big circle.
Fast service (sometimes too fast), lovely terrace, excellent food, moderately priced.

I’ve eaten here several times before, and have tried most of menu. The food is affordable, always fresh, and the quality is consistent. However, please be aware that servings are far from copious. (Fortunately though, they always seem to be enough.)

Love the park itself. Now with the restaurant renovation, everything are superb. Try the salmon teriyaki, it is perfect. My boss got the classic bento box which I see there are a lot of variety food in there. Service was beyond great. Overall 5 stars for sure.

Beautiful location overlooking the Morikami Gardens. Open till 3:30 or later depending on crowds Sunday.
Wall through the Morikami Museum entrance doors, pay the entrance fee unless your already a member.
Walk through the doors outside to the right, a Crowded hostess booth is what I saw. So much hustle and many waiters waitresses running around.
Bento Box offers a good variety like a mini sushi roll, an egg roll, 3 yummy dumplings, rice with teriyaki chicken, teriyaki salmon, two pieces of fried eel roll (not our taste), and fried tofu. It was filling.
I ordered the teriyaki salmon. I asked if they make the salmon medium, he replied it’s all cooked the same.
It came out very fried yet still tender. I do prefer my salmon prepared a healthier way because it is smothered with teriyaki glaze and that’s unhealthy enough for me. The salmon came on a bed of rice with fried veggies and I wish they were steamed, still tasty.
Our waiter was okay not friendly or anything, just trying to get the job done it seems.
We also ordered a Drumstick ice cream to split for dessert to take along with us on the stroll.

On my first visit to Morikami Museum & Gardens, I was unaware of the fact that there was a restaurant onsite. On my second visit, I remember hearing there was a sushi place but knew nothing more, but on my third visit, I was determined to finally try their onsite restaurant. The Cornell Café, as it is called, is judged by The Food Network as «one of the top three museum dining experiences in the country.» That sounded pretty impressive, coupled with the fact that there was a large line wrapping through the outside, waiting to eat. The pictures from the menu looked divine, and prices seemed reasonable, as well.
The open-​air café on the terraces (there is also an air-​conditioned area) overlooks the tranquil gardens and serves a Pan-​Asian inspired menu. There are several choices, such as their lunch bowls, bento boxes, sushi, or entrees. My friend chose the Mild Curry Chicken, with a salad entrée, and I chose the Ginger Roasted Duck, with a Wakame salad. His dressing was delicious. He let me try some off his bowl when he had finished his salad. If you enjoy the dressing, do note that they sell bottles within the restaurant if you’d like to purchase some to take home. Also, while you may be used to having ginger or peanut dressing at Japanese restaurants, this dressing is actually a vinaigrette.
My Wakame salad was good, pretty much your standard seaweed salad. To me, it tastes the same anywhere and everywhere. My friend enjoyed his curry, he ate it all and didn’t give me any to sample, so I cannot speak on his behalf but the fact he ate without barely any conversation is a positive sign. My roasted duck was good, but a bit dry. The ginger glaze was put under the side of vegetables, rather than being drizzled all over the duck, like I expected. I didn’t find it to be very filling either, but that was my first meal of the day, so maybe if you had breakfast, you’d be satisfied with the size of the meal. The duck was lukewarm, but maybe it’s meant to be consumed in that manner.
For dessert, I had trouble making a choice, so the waitress recommended the mochi ice cream. Can’t go wrong with that, I guess. Ice cream you can hold in between your fingers without making a mess, what a novel concept. I liked the red bean flavor the most, as it was sweeter. The green tea did taste like green tea, but with a very light sprinkling of sugar, and I like more sugar in my tea. I was also drinking green tea, so it was a bit too much of a green tea overload for me.
Although service was a bit slow at first, as soon as the crowds started dying down, it was pretty fast, getting a refill within minutes. Free refills are not given on soft drinks or lemonade, but they are given on iced tea, which is what we were drinking. The waitress was friendly, and even after we had paid our bill, she refilled our green tea drinks twice. I thought that was very nice of them.
The experience of overlooking the gardens while eating is pretty unique, the food is tasty (maybe not out of this world, but still, tasty), prices are decent, and service is good. Definitely recommended, and in my opinion, worthy of a solid 4 star rating.