Miku - Japanese Fine Dining

Miku Website

There are plenty of fine Japanese restaurants in Vancouver, but only so few deserves to be praised on all levels. It is either too pricey, substandard service or less than satisfactory food.

I probably had like 3 Japanese restaurants I would recommend and I just added Miku on 1055 Hastings St. to my list. On first impression, it was a beauty. An open concept with high ceilings and large surrounding windows. Translating to “beautiful sky”, Miku’s design is inspired by nature: natural, sustainable elements were used to create the restaurant’s most notable features including its glass waterfall, pebble stone pathway, white marble countertops and its distinct floating glass cloud ceiling. The bad: It was also unusually loud with the chefs screaming now and then.

Upon recommendation, I tried the Aburi Mackerel and Aburi Salmon which were both the highlights of the lunch - to quote Stewie Griffin "oh god [it's like] there's an orgy in my mouth!!". Fresh ingredients, global inspiration and artful presentation are the benchmarks of Miku Restaurant’s outstanding, innovative cuisine. We are talking about organic, local ingredients which enhance the flavour of Miku’s innovative menu. Their tea and sake are also worthy of praise (I haven't tried the wines).


Overall, the food was simply fabulous, well worth the price as well as for me to overlook the small imperfections of the experience. I never liked Tojos because it was too pricey and Miku is a nice alternative to fine Japanese dining. They also have Omakase Menu. 8.5/10. Enjoy.

Bug and organs for dinner?

It is really amazing what people will eat nowadays. Is it any wonder that we have all these new strains of viruses and animal transmitted diseases?

GIATN WATER BUG WITH CHILLI PASTE (Above)

Green chilli and the bugs are roasted before being pounded into a chilli paste with a smoky flavour.

GOAT INTESTINES (Above)

FRIED GOAT BRAINS (Above)

Each goat brain is the size of a fist (delicious so I was told)

GOAT BRAIN SOUP (Above)

Tastes like mutton, firm and not as mushy as pig brains.

DEER PENIS WINE (above)

A slightly vinegary and medicinal taste to it,strong and the wine leaves a rather pleasant buzz in the head minutes after consumption.

SCORPIONS (Above)

Scorpions are believed to have detoxifying effects and are rich in protein. Pregnant women, however, should stay away from them.

ANTS (Above)

The ants had no distinctive flavour but were definitely crunchy.

Octopus Garden

OCTOPUS GARDEN

It has been quite some time since I last had Japanese cuisine. Yesterday, by recommendation, we chose the pricey but very authentic Japanese restaurant Octopus Garden on Cornwall for dinner.

The food was delicious though I am doubtful that they are worth the price on the menu or off for that matter. There are barely 5 tables with a few seats on the counter but judging by the speed the dishes are prepared, there can only be one round per night. This should not come as a surprise since the owner is very conscientious about his food quality and every dish needs to go through him, in fact, the restaurant is closed whenever he is not around. As such, it does not feel like a business but a long and slow appreciation of fine dining.

The lighting was dim, though the ambience was not romantic but rather cozy. The service was friendly though rare. It just keeps coming back to how long the whole dinner took even though the engaging conversations helped pass the time. It was a LONG 3 and a-half hours for what added to 5 small and 1 large courses.

There are few restaurants that offer Omakase, even fewer that offer with great quality. For that, Octopus Garden really shows pride in their work and stands out. If you are hungry, pick some place else. If you have a tight wallet, pick some place else. If you are impatient, PLEASE pick some place else. Otherwise, this can be quite a rewarding experience.