Because we had out-of-town visitors who really wanted to go out to eat, we risked dining indoors (we wore masks, except while sipping or putting food in our mouths). Our friends were staying at the Royal York and wanted to eat Japanese, so we suggested Miku. We hadn’t dined there since pre-pandemic, but remembered enjoying it last time and particularly liking the sake selection. At the time, it emphasized Ocean Wise seafood choices, which unfortunately is no longer a feature.
The service was friendly and attentive, if not particularly well-informed about the sourcing of the seafood (they did go and find out for us though). The food itself was mainly very good - fresh, tasty, well-presented. The drinks were again a highlight.
Oishii cocktail - sake (Masumi shochu), Hayman’s sloe gin, strawberry, raspberry, saffron, strawberry basil foam - fun, like a strawberry jam cocktail
We also enjoyed a sake flight:
- Kamoizumi JDG - junmai daiginjo, Kamoizumi Hiroshima (almost herby)
- Sanzen Omachi - junmai daiginjo, Kikuchi, Okayama (straightforward and a bit nutty)
- Yukimegami 48 - junmai daiginjo, Dewazakura, Yamagata (light, a bit fruity)
Tsukemono (house pickled vegetables) - very sweet shallots, good cabbage, OK cucumbers, OK carrots, OK turnip. Disappointing overall, given how good Japanese pickles can be. At least they are making the effort to create their own pickles.
Kyoto saikyo miso baked sablefish, butter poached lobster, sauce américaine, ao nori pomme puree, roasted purple carrots, dashi rutabaga, tomato-red pepper gastrique. One of the best dishes - gently cooked seafood with a multitude of flavours.
Chicken nanban: chicken thigh, nanban-zu, lettuce, Asian slaw, and lemon - a bit of a mess in appearance, but the chicken was moist and tasty.
Teriyaki octopus, confit potato, roast cauliflower florets, black garlic miso, yukari cabbage chips (very fun). Overcooked octopus, without obvious teriyaki flavour. A miss.
Hotate aburi style - luscious scallops, lightly torched and accented with sesame and lemon. Good shari.
Miku roll: BC sockeye salmon, uni, crab, cucumber, rolled in tobiko, Miku sauce. Lightly torched and delicious.
Salmon oshizushi - BC sockeye (double layer) with maple and black pepper and a little jalapeno on top - fresh, lovely.
Saba oshizushi - miso on top, tangy and lemony.
Ichigo Mochi Dome: brown sugar cookie, strawberry cream inside the mochi, mashed strawberry, jasmine tea ice cream, walnut toffee (brittle in little pieces around it), and lovely strawberry powder over. A very nice mochi riff on strawberry shortcake.
Rose and plum wine on ice - pink and fragrant.
So far, haven’t come down with COVID…
