TGIF at Miku

On a sunny day in October, we decided to head downtown for lunch at Miku. It's been a while since I've been there and was definitely overdue for another visit. We had originally requested a table outside but the weather had taken a turn for the worse and they accommodated us with a table inside. 

Nothing starts a lunch better than a few cocktails. I'm a huge fan of old-fashioneds or negronis, so this Golden Hour Manhattan ($21) made with 
saffron infused toki Japanese whisky, bénédictine, odd society bittersweet vermouth and grapefruit bitters was a perfect option. 

The boy opted for the Cucumber Gimlet ($17) made with beefeater gin, fresh cucumber juice and lime. It was a nice elevation to the usual Gin & Soda and something I can try to make at home. Both drinks were strong and packed a punch. 

We decided to share the Lunch Shokai ($41) which starts off with their miso soup. The miso broth is topped with a touch of enoki mushrooms and wakame. Warm start to lunch!

The lunch special also comes with two starters. One was the beef shank and the other option was a fish fritter. Since we were avoiding beef, they graciously offered to swap that out with their sablefish appetizer instead. 

This Fish Fritter with their homemade tartar sauce reminded both of us of a Filet'o'Fish. This is not a complaint, as we are both fans of the McD's favourite. The fish was tender and juicy with an airy batter. The sauce was creamy and tart and actually made a great dressing for the greens. 

This Sablefish was amazing. Just a hint of crunch on the skin and super buttery texture. It was mildly flavoured with a touch of smokiness. 

Now onto the star of the show...their assorted traditional and Aburi oshi, rolls, and nigiri, 10 pieces in all. Salmon, ebi, tuna, toro and more. Everything was good and we actually managed to share most of the nigiri. My chopstick cutting skills are pretty impressive. Every bite was tasty and I didn't even miss the wasabi.

Now I'm not usually a dessert person but you can add this petit Green Tea Opera (+$7) bite to complete your lunch set. Although I was going to pass on this, when I saw plate after plate of this arrive]ing at nearby tables, I knew we had to get it. As per their website, this is is green tea génoise, matcha butter cream, dark chocolate ganache, azuki bean cream, hazelnut wafer and matcha ice cream. As the description would indicate...this was creamy. It was a great way to end a wonderful lunch.

On a side note, our waitress was amazing...she had lots of stories about the A-listers that swing through Miku on the regular.