Having been in Vancouver since 2008, it’s safe to say that Miku has become a staple of the city’s restaurant scene. Heck, they’re the ones who introduced Canada to aburi-style sushi, a dish that can be found on most sushi restaurants’ menus.
But with the many new and exciting eateries opening in the city, it can be hard to make time to revisit a classic. So when you do, you want to make sure you’re doing it right.
Lucky for you, we’ve done the hard investigative journalism and figured out just how to make the most of your meal at Miku. Intrigued? Well, we hope so. Otherwise, why did you click this article?
It may come as no surprise that the best way to enjoy a meal at Miku is to let the team guide your dining experience. More specifically, you need to order its kaiseki menu.
Priced at $150 per person, it’s a little steep for a quick afternoon bite. But for a special dinner out (or to impress the in-laws next time they’re in town, which is how we ended up at the restaurant), this is just the type of meal to sink your teeth into.
First, make sure you get the timing right. Try to secure a table by the window and time your meal a little over an hour before sunset. If you time it right, you’ll be digging into your main course right when the sun goes down.
As of our most recent visit, the kaiseki menu consisted of six impressive courses. We started our foray into Miku’s Japanese cuisine with delicate Lobster Tail served on a bed of gazpacho and topped with flower-shaped yuzu gelée (who doesn’t love starting a meal with lobster).
Lobster (Marco Ovies/Dished)
We then moved on to the chef’s selection of sashimi, with highlights consisting of otoro and scallops that melted like butter in our mouths. These were presented with two different kinds of soy sauce, one of which was more the traditional one you’d find, while the other had more of a smoky taste to it. Our waiter helpfully suggested which pieces of sashimi would go best with each soy sauce.
Following that, we moved from the world of raw fish to raw meat — specifically, an A5 Wagyu Carpaccio consisting of Iwate Wagyu, pickled myoga, yuzu crème fraiche, and aka-miso cured egg yolk on top for a bit of saltiness.
Wagyu Carpaccio (Marco Ovies/Dished)
The only choice you’ll have to make during your entire dining experience is when it comes to your selection of entrée. You really can’t go wrong with either the Shio Koji Filet Mignon (AAASterling Silver, roasted onion jus, and seasonal vegetables) or the Kyoto Saikyo Mis Sablefish (tomato dashi, fregula, spinach basil pesto). Still, if you’re up for spending the extra $30, we’d say upgrading to the A5 Wagyu Striploin is worth the price of admission.
A5 Wagyu Striploin (Marco Ovies/Dished)
The only thing better than the striploin? The sushi, of course. Once again, you’ll find a chef’s selection of sushi, including rolls and nigiri that are perfectly seasoned (meaning you won’t have to dunk these in extra soy sauce or wasabi; we love a perfectly curated bite). Naturally, this is also where you’ll sample some of Miku’s signature aburi sushi, with pieces of its Salmon Oshi Sushi consisting of B.C. wild sockeye salmon topped with Miku sauce that has been gently torched and a slice of jalapeño, and its Ebi Oshi Sushi topped with pressed shrimp, lime zest, and ume sauce.
But after all that savoury and umami goodness, something sweet is in order. That’s where one of our favourite desserts in the city comes into play: the Green Tea Opera.
Green Tea Opera (Marco Ovies/Dished)
This cake features green tea génoise, matcha buttercream, dark chocolate ganache, azuki bean cream, a hazelnut wafer, and a scoop of not-too-sweet matcha ice cream for good measure.
With the sun making its descent into the ocean and our bellies full, we think it’s safe to say we cracked the code of the perfect meal at Miku. But how much credit can we truly take when it was the incredible team who did most of the legwork for us?
Address: 200 Granville St. #70, Vancouver
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Dining and Cooking