Miyagi's - Revisit

So the other day I tried to meet my friend Suzanne at a new restaurant I had heard about but that apparently was already out of business (that was fast) so we were scrambling to figure out somewhere else to go quickly on 96^th Street and decided to try Miyagi’s. I had been a little jaded about the last time I went there when we could not get waited on, and hadn’t been back since. But I have always enjoyed the food, so it seemed like a good time to give it another chance.

We started with a couple of rolls—the caterpillar roll ($12) and the samba crab roll ($14). First of all, I think they were beautifully presented—and taste-wise I liked them too.  The caterpillar roll was spicy tuna inside and was topped with avocado and masago. It was pretty simple, but had nice taste and texture. The spicy tuna mix here is better quality than a lot and I liked the ample avocado (one of my favorite foods). The masago (fish eggs) gave it just a tiny amount of crunch.

The samba crab roll had a bit more going on. It had fried soft shell crab and avocado inside and then salmon and a shallot sauce on top.  There was a lot of texture variation with this one. The crab was crunchy and warm inside with the smooth avocado and then there were a lot of sliced shallots in the sauce on top. This one was more complicated flavors and I enjoyed them. It bordered on being a little big as far as individual pieces go, so I can’t say I preferred one strongly over the other. I would eat either one again.

When we placed our order, we also ordered a lunch special of spicy ramen to split. I have been reading about a bunch of noodle places for an upcoming trip to New York, and was tempted. I think our server forgot about them though, because we had to remind her to bring them after we had pretty much finished the sushi.  The noodles were very tasty and yes, even spicy. And I was excited to find an egg down underneath them after we had eaten some of the noodles. Sadly, by this time (and I have a feeling after the time it spent waiting to be delivered), the egg was cooked pretty hard, but I enjoyed having some protein in the dish. It would be even better if it had been a bit runnier. There were some veggies in there too—mainly onions and carrots. I liked it and it would be a nice lunch dish to get by itself as well, although I was glad to have the variety with the sushi.

It was a very enjoyable lunch—all of the food was done well. I like that Miyagi’s has a fair amount of non-sushi dishes besides the typical teriyaki (which they also have). There are a lot of intriguing things on the menu. The rolls were very fresh and totally worth ordering as well. Sometimes I worry about a place doing so much, but based on the experiences I have had on this visit and in the past, they do it all fairly successfully and generally fairly consistently. I like the modern décor (my one pet peeve though is the chairs don't fit under the table so you're left to sitting far away from the table unless you're on the booth side), and other than the delay with the noodles, our service was very friendly. I am glad I got over my grudge—it’s worth going to.

Miyagi's
3625 E. 96th Street
Indy, 46240
317/846-7077
http://www.indymiyagi.com/

Miyagi's-the next visit

I am starting to worry that maybe my standards are lowering after too long in this town or something---we had another great meal, unbelievable! I am loving it, but still, I worry. Anyway, this was a relief really because the last time we went to Miyagi’s, it wasn’t very good. But they have gotten the quality back up to my first visit, (and raised a few of the prices) and several things were damn good. And we had a really sweet, unobtrusive server.

As usual, we were really attracted to the appetizers at this place. There are so many yummy sounding things, how could you possibly get a big dish when you could get lots of little things and taste so many different flavors?

Although we ordered everything at once, it was nice that they didn’t bring it all out at once. The first thing they brought was the hot rock steak which was outstanding. In fact, it was so good, after we ate everything; we ended up getting another order. Basically, it is thin slices of raw New York strip that was marinated in a teriyaki type marinade with lots of little chives on top. They bring you a really hot rock (literally) and you cook it yourself on top. Interestingly, we ordered the same thing last time, but we were given a little iron skillet to cook it on—this was really a hot rock. Pretty cool. Anyway, it is really thin steak and it cooks in like a second—I just put it on for like 2 seconds, flip it for about 1 more second and eat it. (My tip—cook the chive side down first, and the chives stick to the meat and add a little extra flavor.) Delicious. Like I said, we liked it so much we ordered another one after we finished everything else. (And it isn’t really that filling since it is just meat after all.)

We also ordered the citrus tuna salad with mango salsa and topped with avocado spread. It was pretty good, but there really wasn’t a lot of tuna there—it was nice with the mango though. The tuna was raw and cut into dices, like a tartare. It was in about the same sized pieces as the mango, but there was about twice as much mango as there was tuna. And there were some greens as well. Like I said, it wasn’t that exciting, but very fresh and light. I probably would order something else next time.

We ordered the King Kani as well, which was two pieces of a large roll of sushi full of king crab marinated in Japanese mayo and topped with chives. Hubby liked this one more than I did (it’s that seaweed thing), but the crab was quite tasty. It sort of wasn’t what I was expecting based on the description, but still tasty.

We also ordered the softshell crab again (of course) with ponzu sauce on the side. I am happy to say, it is way back up to the quality level it was at when we ordered it the first time. The second time, the quality had fallen way off, but these were great. They were meaty enough and the crust was nice and light and crisp. Now, the price has risen from $4 to $6 to I think it was $10 on this visit. But the portion is not bad (I think it was 2 whole crabs cut in half) and it was enough for us with everything else we had. Of course, after eating all this, we ordered the second order of the steak, so maybe it wasn’t really, but I think it was more that we just really really liked that hot rock steak!

We also had our favorite dessert item at Miyagi’s (ok, the only thing we have ever tried because we like it so much)—the honey toast. Basically, just a great big piece of toasted bread drizzled with a honey sauce as well as a little bit of chocolate and raspberry sauce and served with vanilla ice cream. Doesn’t sound that exciting, but a nice simple flavor combo that ends the meal nicely.

I also like this place because it has a very modern interior and is usually at least half full of people. More like a place you might see in San Francisco---I mean, so many of the traditional Japanese restaurants look exactly the same inside and just don’t provide the ambiance for a night out if you know what I mean. Miyagi’s delivers on this point too. The food is also quite artfully presented and I like that the menu actually changes somewhat. We will certainly be back to Miyagi’s—and it won’t be quite as long this time!

Miyagi's

3625 E. 96th Street

Indy, 46240

317/846-7077

http://www.indymiyagi.com/

Miyagi's-Reprise

****THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED****
.....heavy sigh..... I am just not having good luck right now with food. We went back to Miyagi's after our first really great meal. We were sort of anxious to go back because we enjoyed it so much last time. Sadly, the quality had dropped a bit. The soft shell crab...what happened? Last time it was so good and this time it was so mediocre...has the crab changed? We didn't even finish it. And I also noticed, after thinking it was the deal of the century last time ($4 for 2 entire crabs), they have apparently raised the price and lowered the quality. It is now $6 and not nearly as good. What happened?? I guess I should have been prepared. My parents went after reading my first rather glowing entry about this place and did not seem nearly as impressed.

Again, we did a bunch of appetizers and one large roll. We did a couple of the same apps and a couple different just to see. The two things that we got the same as last time (because we liked them so much last time) weren't as good. As mentioned, the crab really fell off. We also had the lobster spring rolls again. They were still quite good. Just not as good--where was that really fresh mango salsa from the last time? Where was the orange vinaigrette? Not too much flavor except the rolls, which could have stood to be a little more crunchy. But all in all, still good and still worth ordering.

The bright spot was the hot rock steak--they brought several very thin slices of beef (you can also get it with tuna--maybe next time) that are raw but marinated in a tasty sort of soy teriyaki sauce with a lot of chives on top. You then sear it to your desired temperature (for us about 3 second per side--that is how thin they are) on a hot iron skillet thing at the table. I actually really enjoyed this--it was much better and more tender than the beef dish we had last time which was actually made with filet (gyu no tataky). Also better than the hamachi that we had that was cooked at the table last time (by the waiter though). It was overcooked. Cooking it yourself ensures that doesn't happen. I would certainly get this again.

We had the same roll that we had last time--the diablo roll with the tempura king crab and shrimp rolled in rice with salmon, roe as well as a spicy sauce on top. There was also some sort of strange cole slaw type stuff on top that wasn't that great. The roll, much like other things, fell off on this visit. Will definitely inspire us to try something different next time.

We also did the chef's special ceviche which was shrimp with an orange marinade. Needed some tartness--which is what makes ceviches so good, if you ask me. It was not bad, but didn't stand out. We were talked out of the ahi ceviche which sounded quite good because the waiter said it was small. I saw it come out and it looked decent to me (of course, I do not require massive portions like some around here). I would like to try it next time.

Speaking of our waiter, we had the same waiter on both visits. He needs to mellow out a little--his style is a little too brash--he strangely carded us when we ordered our drinks (which he didn't do last time) and believe me, we are both quite a distance from age 21. I am not exactly sure why he did this, but it was a bit annoying. When I go out to eat, I want a more relaxing experience than that. Again, the interior is quite nice and modern and on a Friday night, the place was quite busy (and challenging to get a parking space at sometimes due to the comedy club next door which is also quite popular).

All in all, we will be back, but we need to wait a bit this time I think. And I am really hoping for better luck next time when it come to a great meal. I have heard the Tavern at Bugg's Temple (now to be called Euphoria) will be re-opening October 21st (thank you for the info Feed Me/Drink Me) with Chef Gates back at the helm. I can't wait.

Miyagi's
3625 E. 96th Street
Indy, 46240
317/846-7077
http://www.indymiyagi.com/

Miyagi's

****THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED****
Woo-hoo! I get so excited when I find a new restaurant that is good. Really good. And not a chain! Oh happy day. So hubby and I came by Miyagi's seperately and yet both suggested it the same week for date night. We had both seen an ad for it, and I will admit, been drawn to the coupons for the place mixed with the description as French infused Japanese. And face it, we were looking for something new.


So, we were doubtful, and even had back up plans if it looked too questionable. (I mean, it is not often that we choose a restaurant based on coupons in a free mailer) But we pulled up to the location on 96th street (near Keystone) and were pleasantly surprised by the modern decor and prompt greeting. We were seated and ordered drinks (there is a full bar for those who are interested). As we perused the menu, we were happy to see an actual French influence on many of the options. There were so many things I wanted to order. You need the first drink to have whilst you look over everything on the menu, as it is quite extensive. There is a hot kitchen and a cold kitchen and separate appetizers and entrees (well, sushi rolls for the cold kitchen and regular main courses on the warm side). I was thrilled when I saw all the choices on the hot appetizer side. All of my favorite things, crab and shrimp, scallops, rare-cooked high quality meats, all combined with citrus and ponzu sauces. Yummy.


I decided to go with 3 appetizers and have a tapas-style meal. I had the soft shell crab (natch), gyu no tataky, or thin slices of filet mignon atop cucumbers, tomatoes and avocado, and the lobster spring rolls. Hubby ordered off the cold menu and got the Hamachi appetizer (which is actually cooked quickly at the table) and a fancy roll called a diablo roll.


The lobster spring rolls came first and they were outstanding! They were crispy and served over a bed of mango chutney with a orange vinaigrette. They were perfectly cooked and we both loved them. Next came the soft shell crab which had a soy based sauce with it. Now you know how much I love soft shell crab and these certainly did not disappoint. My final choice was the beef dish which was very medium rare (which is exactly how I like to eat beef) and it was served with very thin (wafer thin) slices of tomato, cucumber and avocado. It was quite tasty as well, but probably not quite as good as the other things.

Hubby's hamachi, which as mentioned was cooked at the table, was probably the biggest disappointment. It was good, but cooking it even that long was too much. Maybe sear it on one side only for a couple seconds. The seasonings were good though. If it wasn't so tough, it would've been better. His roll, on the other hand, was outstanding. It was tempura king crab and shrimp wrapped in the classic rice with salmon on top and roe as well as a delicious spicy sauce. It isn't on all the menus (apparently, even though they have only been open for 3 months, they already have an "old" and "new" menu. But if you like fancy rolls, order it!

We also tried the honey bread dessert on our waiter's recommendation. It was sort of a sweet bread drizzled with a honey cinnamon sauce and served with ice cream. I wasn't overly excited about it, but the waiter had not steered us wrong so far, so we went for it (and after all, we did have that coupon!). It was really good. The bread was crispy and mixed with the ice cream and sauce, it made a really good combination.

The service was very attentive and informative. Our server really knew the food and made great recommendations on the whole. By the end of the meal, he was a bit almost pushy and a tad know it all-ish which got annoying. But he did really know and appreciate the food.

The wine choices were somewhat limited (which seems to be the case with most Asian restaurants it seems, well, except Shaghai Lil which has great choices) and a little on the flowery/sweet side for me, but I know that is what you are supposed to drink with spicy, or Asian food, and I struggled through, but would love to see a few more crisp choices by the glass. Hubby had a mixed drink to start which he said was very good.

We will certainly be back--and I will order some of the same things and some different things off the appetizer menu. There were so many appealing choices!
One last thing, I think they should drop the "'s" after Miyagi and just be "Miyagi" instead of "Miyagi's." It sounds like it is owned by the guy from the Karate Kid movie. Just my 2 cents.
Miyagi's
3625 East 96th Street
Indy, 46240
317-846-7077
http://indymiyagi.com/