Mighty Fine Sushi at Miyako

Miyako’s shopping plaza exterior

My friend Tom has raved about a little sushi place located off of Thomasville Road, and this afternoon we made our way up to Miyako for lunch. Tom offered to drive and as we headed up Meridian I was looking forward to trying a new restaurant.

Miyako sits in a new shopping plaza that faces Bannerman Road, and occupies one bay of the plaza. Rice paper windows and a neon sushi sign letting you know Japanese fare lies within. I opened the front door and followed Tom into the narrow restaurant. The interior is decorated in light colored wood, Japanese art, and stone colored tile floors. The ceiling is vaulted and makes the area feel larger than it is. A number of tables are to the left of the entrance while the sushi bar runs along the wall to the right.

There was one other person eating at the restaurant when we arrived. The hostess/waitress immediately took our drink order and provided two menus to look over. I flipped over to the back where their lunch specials were listed. I decided to get the three roll combo. It came with a salad and was priced at $12.95. I order the tuna, spicy salmon and shrimp tempura rolls.

The salad came out very quickly and consisted of iceberg lettuce, a tomato, shredded carrots and ginger dressing. The salad was ice cold, the vegetables were fresh and the ginger dressing (my favorite) had a nice spiciness to it.

Spicy salmon, shrimp tempura and tuna rolls (from left to right)

Our salad bowls were cleared and the waitress brought over our sushi. Each roll was nicely laid out on a black and white plate with some pickled ginger and wasabi paste. I also liked that each roll was neatly cut to be the same height as the other in the same roll. The person who prepared the dish obviously cared what it looked like when it was sent to our table.

The fish in the tuna roll was a deep red and very fresh. It had a good amount of tuna and was larger than the rolls at some restaurants in town. The shrimp tempura roll contained pieces of avocado with the shrimp being perfectly cooked. It was still warm as I took my first bite and the creaminess of the avocado with the crunch of the shrimp made for a nice texture combination. The shrimp tempura roll was my favorite. The spicy salmon roll consisted of salmon that was chopped and mixed with some kind of spicy sauce. It was my least favorite of the three.

Overall, I enjoyed my lunch at Miyako. The restaurant was spotless, the service was attentive and the sushi was some of the best in the city.

Sweet Tea & Bourbon’s Rating:
Atmosphere: A-
Taste: A
Presentation: A-
Service: A
Cleanliness: A
Price: $$