At first glance, Miyako was an oasis in the middle of town along Richmond Avenue. I knew that my experience was going to be special. I walked into an environment decorated with Japanese sliding doors, lanterns and dimmed lighting that gives the diner a sense of a modern Japanese sushi bar with and an overwhelming feeling of relaxation. Silverware and menus were already waiting for us when we got to our table.
After I ordered my drink, I was looking for my favorite sushi roll, the dragon roll. To my surprise, Miyako named it the Red Dragon Miki and it was also one of their signature rolls, so I had absolutely no hesitation in ordering it.
After waiting for ten minutes, our waiter came back with the drinks. Finally I asked him about the dragon roll and he said that unlike other restaurant, they try to make a custom kind of sushi so they can be more original, while keeping the basic ingredients of a dragon roll. They use the basic ingredients and recipes but they add roe (red fish eggs) on top. We also ordered crunchy rolls, S & M rolls, tuna tata, caterpillar roll, buffalo roll, and some seaweed.
The crunchy roll really does live up to its name. When I took the first bite, I felt the rich crumbly texture within my mouth. Not only was the roll crunchy, but it also had a pile dry bread crumbs that gave it its extra crunch.
The next was the S & M roll, which had a similar crunch on the top but the rest was soft and slightly chewy. A little sweet and sour was mixed in along with the crunch.
The tuna tata, which is a mountain raw fish commonly refered to as sashimi, had a beautiful presentation. I’m not really one for sashimi, but my friend who had recommended the dish really enjoys it. I gave it a try and basically it was pretty good considering it was raw tuna. It tasted as though someone tenderized the meat until it was turned into a soft and chewy texture.
The caterpillar roll actually resembled a caterpillar, but don’t let the name fool you because it was actually one of my favorite roll of the night! It was full of flavor and so soft that it almost melted in my mouth. I was able to taste a little spice in it, but it was mainly overwhelmed by a more sweet taste mixed with the rice.
The Buffalo roll was a little warm since most sushi dishes are served cold. Non the less it had a mild crunch and was slightly spicy on the outside and on the inside was a very soft center that made for a delicious combination.
The seaweed was very chewy and very sweet. Adding it to any kind of sushi dish enhanced the experience of each bite.
When the Red Dragon Miki roll came I had already worked up an appetite and was ready to try out Miyako’s signature dish. Miyako’s dragon roll was a little different from the usual dragon rolls I’ve eaten, but it was original and the taste was really something that I have never experienced before. When I took my first bite it was really hard to describe, but the ingredients blended together and gave it a really unique taste. The rice usually has a bland flavor but it was hard to tell over the whole ingredients that were put in it.
When my friends and I finished our main course, the waiter came and offered us a dessert menu. Miyako doesn’t have the same variety on its dessert menu as on its main menu, but everything on it looked appealing. I decided to try the liquid God-Vile Cake, which was basically a small warm chocolate cake with gooey chocolate inside, topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This time the food actually arrived promptly. While the ice cream was already melting on top of the cake and altogether the dessert was a bit too sweet for my taste, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has a sweet tooth.
I really enjoyed all the food that I ate at Miyako. Unfortunately, the service was slower than I would have liked. In all I give this restaurant 8.5 out of 10 sushi.
