Sushi is everywhere. From the Pav to the Teeter, the food formerly known as raw fish has gained a foothold in the American diet. And deservedly so: Sushi is convenient, delicious and good for you. But if decent sushi can be found everywhere, why are we raving about Miyako?
Situated in a dimly-lit room with Japanese decorations covering the walls and a calm, muted atmosphere, Miyako's setting on the Downtown Mall is far from the harshly-lit bustle of the Pav. Miyako's subdued environment truly allows sushi, a simple cuisine, to shine.
Simple, however, does not mean simplistic. The sushi at Miyako is hardly ordinary. An array of unusual and tasty ingredients fills their rolls. From cream cheese to asparagus, mayonnaise to fried chicken, Miyako defies the conventional California rolls available at most sushi counters.
Miyako is a great place to bring a sushi or Japanese-cuisine virgin simply because of the broad menu. In addition to sushi and sashimi, Miyako offers tempura (fish and vegetables fried in a light rice flour batter) and teppanyaki (Japanese mixed grill), as well as soups and salads. Its varied menu suits every budget: rolls range from $3 to $9, appetizers from $4 to $7, and grilled entrees around $20.
If anyone in your party is hesitant to try raw fish, start out with one of Miyako's delicious hot or cold appetizers. We recommend the edamame (boiled, salted soybeans) or the wasabi shumai (pork dumplings wrapped in wasabi flavored dough). The dumplings perfectly showcase the wasabi flavor without overwhelming the palate with too much nose-tingling spiciness at the beginning of the meal.
Part of the fun of Miyako is sampling as much sushi as your wallet or appetite permits. Our favorite roll was "The Downtown," a tuna, crab, cream cheese and avocado roll deep fried in tempura, a batter of water, flour and egg yolks. It may sound bizarre, but the combination of cold, creamy cheese and crisp, fragrant tempura is a surprisingly perfect match. We also enjoyed the spicy tuna and salmon skin hand roll, a beautiful cone of black seaweed crowned with bronze salmon eggs. "The Rocket," a tempura-fried squid roll, was delicious, but the tough texture and unwieldy size made it too cumbersome to finish. The tempura is excellent at Miyako, neither soggy nor thick, but rather crisp, light and translucent.
The truly adventurous sushi lover should order from Miyako's extensive sushi bar. Unlike the rolls, the bar offers thick slices of sashimi on simple beds of rice. Try sampling an exotic fish such as sea urchin or smoked eel. The eel is unexpectedly flaky and smoky-tasting and perfectly complemented our smooth, meaty salmon. Miyako's sushi is delicious, but the fish, though high-quality, lacks the almost indescribable richness and tang of only the freshest seafood.
That said, this is the best sushi we've had in Charlottesville. Sushi may be everywhere, but when a serious craving strikes, skip the Pav and head Downtown.
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