Our accolades, press, and media features.

Thank you, Yoshi no Gawa! Sake Seminar at Miku

On Wednesday, we had the privilege of welcoming Yoshi no Gawa President Minemasa Yuki for an afternoon Sake Seminar about Yoshi no Gawa brewery. Minemasa was joined by Patrick Ellis and Sam Kayo of Blue Note, and Sake Specialist and Consultant Miki Ellis led the introductions.

The Miku team was treated to a two-hour session of presentation and tasting, as these esteemed guests delved deep into the rich, culturally significant history of the Niigata-based Yoshi no Gawa, explored the brewery’s current and innovative projects that are shaking up the modern-day sake industry, and even shared hidden gems about each of the Yoshi no Gawa sake available on our menu.

President Minemasa talks to the team about the rich history of Yoshi no Gawa, from its founding father, Kawakami Mondo (who held a fascinating career as former samurai to Echigo province daimyō Kenshin Uesugi), to the brewery’s official incorporation in 1548, all the way to their newly-opened Joh-Gura project in 2020.

The fantastic presentation was followed by a tasting session, where the team was able to taste the wide variety of Yoshi no Gawa sake that is served on the Miku beverage menu

The four Yoshi no Gawa sake tasted during the seminar: Toji no Banshaku, Aburi Ginjo, Gokujo Ginjo (pictured), Yoshi no Gawa Daiginjo

This was a rare opportunity for the team to ask Minemasa san directly about any burning questions they had about Yoshi no Gawa brewery and their signature Niigata-style sake

Thank you Blue Note, Jacqueline, and Minemasa-san for organizing and hosting this fantastic seminar at Miku! Sake, from left to right: Toji no Banshaku, Gokujo Ginjo, Yoshi no Gawa Daiginjo

 

Celebrating 10 Years of Miku

We’re celebrating a decade of serving our signature Aburi cuisine.

When owner and CEO Seigo Nakamura first opened the doors of the original Miku flagship on Thurlow in 2008, he already knew that he was creating an exciting new trend in the Vancouver Japanese restaurant scene.

Fast forward to 2018, Miku has since moved, expanded, opened in Toronto, and thanks to everyone’s support we have established a prominent presence on both coasts of the country. Though many seasons have passed, we at the original Vancouver flagship have not forgotten our passion, continuing our commitment towards providing amazing service and innovative cuisine to our most important guest – you.

Now reaching our 10th year, we are excited to host a very special anniversary event at Miku. Throughout the month of October, we will be celebrating this decennial milestone with a limited-time 10 Year Anniversary Kaiseki.

We are excited to show a sneak peek of this upcoming exclusive dining experience.

View the course previews below, and the full menu here. Don’t forget to book early for best availability.

 

AMUSE BOUCHE

An excellent starter to this six-course dining experience, our Wagyu Beef Carpaccio is lightly seared, drizzled with jalapeño ponzu, and finished with our crisp asian pear, asian greens, and lotus root chips.

ABURI SASHIMI & TARTARE

Our Aburi Sashimi & Tartare course features our chef’s three fresh selections for the season: Local BC Botan Ebi (spot prawn) topped with our yuzu orange salsa and dried olive, Hamachi (yellowtail) with avocado coulis and golden tobiko, and our Chū-Toro Tartare served with our signature togarashi masatake sauce and housemade parsnip crisps.

SEA

Back exclusively for this decennial celebration, our Lobster Bouillabaisse features a fragrant tomato saffron broth with half lobster tail, scallop, mussel, and clam, and is served with a crisp iwanori butter baguette.

LAND

Always a guest favourite, our AAA Sterling Silver Filet Mignon Steak is grilled to perfection and served with our roasted market vegetables, veal jus, and wasabi pickles.

SUSHI

Our 10th Anniversary Sushi Selection features our chef’s selection of Miku’s signature Aburi Oshi, roll, and nigiri sushi. This delectable plate includes our world-famous Salmon and Ebi Oshi Sushi, Miku Roll, Red Wave Roll, as well as our Aburi Ō-Toro, Kanpachi (amberjack), and Hotate (scallop) nigiri.

DESSERT

Last but certainly not least, our dessert to end this celebratory evening is the light and creamy Matcha Grand Marnier Tiramisu. Created by Head Pastry Chef Chris Janik, who has been with Miku since the very beginning, this special tiramisu features layers of crunchy vanilla sablé, grand mariner infused matcha almond sponge, mascarpone mousse dusted with matcha, and is served with cinnamon and cardamom infused figs, Valrhona white chocolate tuile, and white coffee ice cream.

 

This Kaiseki menu is available for dinner only, up to one hour before closing.

Voted one of 100 Best Restaurants in Canada – Thank You!

The polls are in! Earlier this month, OpenTable revealed their list of 100 Best Restaurants in Canada for 2017, and we are so grateful that both Miku Vancouver and Miku Toronto have been voted to be among the best restaurants in the nation!

This list was submitted by verified OpenTable diners, so thank you for all your support this past year — we could not have achieved this without you.

We look forward to serving you in 2018!

The New York Times Visits Miku

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Photo credits: The New York Times

 

The New York Times writer Suzanne MacNeille took a trip to Vancouver in early November, and visited Miku Restaurant as a part of her food adventure tour.

Praising the diversity of cuisine here in the rainy city, Suzanne came by Miku one lunch hour to enjoy our contemporary Japanese menu with a unique French twist.

Among Suzanne’s favourites were our crispy Calamari, spicy Soba Peperoncino, and our fiery Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi. Here’s how she described our famous dish:

 

“Salmon oshi sushi lived up to expectations. A thin layer of pressed local wild salmon atop rectangles of rice had been torched just enough to coax a caramelized flavor from a sweet sauce (I asked a waitress what was in it; “It’s a secret,” she said, sotto voce) that augmented but didn’t overwhelm the pure flavor of the salmon.” 

-Suzanne MacNeille, The New York Times

Last but not least, Suzanne concluded her lunch with our signature Green Tea Opera cake, the delectable treat with contrasting layers of green tea génoise, dark chocolate ganache, hazelnut wafer, azuki bean cream, and matcha buttercream that takes three days to make.

 

Read more about Suzanne’s Miku visit here