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The last time I was in Vancouver, I had Miku (@MikuRestaurant) on my long list of restaurants to try but never had the chance to check it out. Having heard such great things about this Japanese restaurant, I made sure Miku was at the top of my list this time around.

The interior

The restaurant, which recently moved, is now located next to Canada Place. It’s situated in a bright, open and airy space with large windows overlooking the harbour. There’s also seating on the balcony which wraps around the restaurant if you’d prefer to eat outside.

The balcony

Miku isn’t your typical Japanese restaurant. Their food is quite modern and fusion-y, so if you’re looking for something more traditional, I wouldn’t recommend Miku.

The open kitchen

To drink, I went with the Katana – shochu, sweet vermouth, lemon, raspberry puree, egg white and shiso ($12) which I recommend if you’re in the mood for something light and girly.

The Katana

Mike went with the Wind 24 – windwaterman junmai sake, cantaloupe infused gin & peach bitters ($12). Not as girly but just as delicious!

Wind 24

Food-wise, we started off with the Kale Goma-ae – with sweet sesame soy ($6) which was a nice take on the usual spinach version. I’m a big fan of kale so I really enjoyed this dish.

Kale Goma-ae

Next up was the Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi – pressed BC wild sockeye salmon, jalapeno & Miku sauce ($15). Miku’s specialty is aburi which means that the sushi has been seared with a torch. I’m a huge fan of this type of sushi since searing the fish really enhances its flavours.

Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi

The Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi is their signature roll which came highly recommended from our server. The salmon was lightly torched giving it a nice smokiness and the jalapeno gave it a bit of a kick at the end. It was definitely enjoyable but not as mind-blowing as everyone had made it out to be.

Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi

I thought the Aburi Saba Oshi Sushi – pressed house cured mackerel & miso sauce ($15) was actually better. Mackerel has such a nice natural oiliness to it and this fish just lends itself so nicely to the searing. With a bit of saltiness from the miso sauce, this was perfection. A must-order for mackerel fans!

Aburi Saba Oshi Sushi

Since Miku specializes in aburi, we decided not to stray too far away from their specialty and ordered the Premium Aburi – chef’s selection feature seafood, each paired with a unique house made sauce, lightly flame seared aburi style ($26)

Premium Aburi

The selection consisted of yellowtail, salmon, albacore tuna, tiger prawn, red tuna, scallops and mackerel.

Premium Aburi

These delicious bites each had their own unique topping like Dijon and basil pesto which you wouldn’t typically see at a Japanese restaurant.

Premium Aburi

We also wanted to try a roll and quickly decided on the MIKU Roll – salmon, crab, cucumber, sea urchin, rolled in flying fish roe & Miku sauce ($18). It’s named after the restaurant, after all.

The MIKU Roll

The price tag on this is pretty steep like the rest of the menu but it was well worth it. The ingredients were fresh and the combination of it all worked together so nicely. Each bite was packed full of flavour. Loved it!

Overall, we had a great date night at Miku. Like I said, if you’re looking for something traditional, this probably isn’t the place for you. But if you don’t mind a bit of fusion, Miku is definitely worth a visit!

At a glance:
• Recently moved – now located next to Canada Place
• Open and airy space with large windows and balcony seating which overlooks the harbor
• Modern take on Japanese food; famous for their aburi (seared sushi)
• If you’re looking for traditional sushi, I wouldn’t recommend coming to Miku
• Prices are on the high side
• Recommended dishes: Aburi Saba Oshi Sushi (if you’re a mackerel fan) and the Miku roll

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 4 stars
• Service: 3 stars
• Atmosphere: 3 stars

Miku Restaurant on Urbanspoon



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