[Tokyo] Miyaha 宮葉 - Sushi Lunch
On day 4, we went to Miyaha in Hamamatsucho for a sushi lunch. With a 4.28 rating on Tabelog, it is ranked #12 out of all sushi restaurants in Tokyo so we were quite looking forward to this meal. The entrance was very traditional looking while the interior looked a bit run down like it had been preserved in time. The price for lunch was very reasonable starting from ¥5000 for 10 courses so we ended up getting just that.
We started off with the Chutoro, a medium fatty tuna which had a great balance in texture and flavor. I think I'd almost prefer the chutoro sometimes more than otoro for its lighter taste and more apparent flavor of tuna.
The Otoro was simply irresistible though with a gorgeous marbled appearance and a buttery taste that just melts in your mouth.
The Katsuo is a skipjack tuna which used to be the most popular type of maguro before bluefin tuna came along. I love its bright red colors while the flavor was superb too.
The Karei is a Japanese flounder with an almost translucent flesh. The flavors were simple, delicate and sweet.
The Iwashi is a sardine which was oily yet rich in flavor while the texture was firm. Grated giner and scallions were sprinkled on top to bring out the sweet aromas of the fish.
The Suzuki is a Japanese seabass which makes for an elegant paper-thin sushi with its thin and soft texture.
The Murasaki Uni was wondrous here as it was so soft and creamy with an exquisitely sweet flavor.
The Tairagai is a pen-shell clam which had been seared before it was served to us. We saw its living counterpart wiggling in its shell right in front of the counter space where we were sitting. I found the texture a tad chewy and tough for my taste though.
The Anago is a sea eel with a very soft and fragile texture. The tsume sauce with sea eel broth, soy sauce, rice wine and sugar complimented the anago perfectly.
The last course of Tekkamaki was surprisingly wonderful as even the chopped tuna was very tasty.
I thought our desserts looked more suited in a cafe with a watermelon jelly and coffee. The jelly was refreshing to eat with its light flavors for the summer heat while the coffee was aromatic and strong in flavor.
I was very impressed with the quality of the sushi here especially given the very reasonable price for lunch. Like its decor, the style of sushi here is very traditional - more so than Zoroku Sushi that we visited on Day 1, and I found the balance of vinegar in the rice much more preferable as well. I would highly recommend paying Miyaha a visit the next time you are in Tokyo!
Miyaha 宮葉
2-11-8 Hamamatsucho, Minato, Tokyo, Japan
It looks really delicious. Are walk-ins allowed? or are reservations required? Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, do you mean the sushi place or Jige? I had reservations for both which is recommended. For the sushi place, definitely because it is quite small and for Jige, I think you can walk in depending on if they have room as it looked quite spacious with 2 floors. But if you want to try the Maguro naka-ochi, you would have to reserve in advance. Hope that helps!
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