Miku, Aburi style sushi
Miku has one the best location and views in the city of Vancouver. Located right at the Waterfront pier, it offers sweeping views of the inlet and the North Vancouver snow capped mountains. The interior is hand painted by a japanese artist and has modern clean looking furniture.
Miku Vancouver view
Miku Vancouver hand painted walls
Miku Vancouver interior
Miku first introduced Aburi-style cuisine to Vancouver in 2008
Miku Vancouver Aburi
Aburi style sushi is using a bamboo based charcoal to deflect the flames from a blowtorch onto the sushi to give it a unique burnt taste. The signature dish is the salmon oshi sushi. It is a battera style sushi which is rice firmly pressed using a plastic press. Battera sushi is different in a sense that nigiri sushi usually has some room for the rice to melt in your mouth. With the pressure inside the battera mould, battera sushi is usually harder and has a very uniform shape.
Below, the line cook takes pieces of battera sushi and place pieces of salmon on top and with a mixture of mirin, miso and mayonnaise sauce. Then the torch is lit and the flames are deflected onto the bamboo charcoal and then onto the sauce to caramelize the sushi. The maillard reaction causes the caramelization of food and intensifies the taste. Similar to how sugar turns into caramel under heat, the maillard reaction plus the bamboo charcoal adds layers of aroma and texture to the salmon oshi dish. At last, a very thin slice of jalpeno is added on top of each piece of sushi.
Miku Vancouver Aburi & charcoal
I came here for a business lunch and we got the Zen lunch box which is a set lunch. First is a miso soup to start the meal.
Miku Vancouver miso soup
Food then comes in a traditional japanese bento box and here is the braised beef shank, very flavorful and tender.
Miku Vancouver braised beef shank
The shrimp tempura is fried well and drizzled with mayonnaise and japanese seven spice( togarashi ) powder
Miku Vancouver shrimp tempura
Below is the pickled tuna with sauteed onion
Miku Vancouver pickled tuna
The highlight is the salmon Oshi sushi. It has many layers of taste and the salmon sashimi's flavor is intensified with the charcoal burning exercise. Very innovative dish and it is delicious.
Miku Vancouver salmon oshi sushi signature
The green tea matcha cake is also a highlight. I was told by my friend who works there that the pastry chef was poached and the seven layers are made over a course of two days. It takes hours for each layer to set and the beautiful mesh of dark chocolate, matcha and chocolate crisp gives your tastebuds a dance. The cake is also very dense, although the serving portion is small, it leaves you completely satisfied.
Miku Vancouver matcha cake