With the robust restaurant scene of Chicago, it is virtually impossible not to find a place that has Sushi. However, not all Sushi is created equal. As a lover of Sushi, I have found myself both enthused and disappointed by the various sushi offerings of Chicago. Menus can be scarce, atmospheres are uninviting, and the presentation leaves much to be desired. In comes, luxury Sushi lounge Miku Sushi to solve all of our Sushi problems.
What started out as a vision between husband and wife team Stanley Liem and Nuchusara “Sara” Katekaew, is now Lincoln Square’s hot-spot for chic sushi lovers. The duo first met when working together at the renowned Tank Sushi. While Tank had delighted Lincoln Square with decadent sushi for over a decade, their decade-long run brought about their newest concept Miku. While not letting go of the ideal Lincoln Square location, Miku is in the same convenient spot that once housed Tank. I guess fans never really had to say goodbye to their favorite neighborhood Sushi Lounge.
When one walks into Miku, one is transported to a world of simplicity and elegance. Featuring very little decorations or distractions, all of the focus is on the inventive and vibrant menu. Miku Sushi is providing more than just a meal. They are showing diners the art of Sushi. I would compare the experience at Miku to one that is akin to a sensory exploration. All 5 senses are at play when one delights themselves in the extensive lists of Maki Rolls, Nigiri, and Sashimi. As each dish comes out, one may find it hard to suppress the sounds of ooh and ahh.
To begin our sensory experience, we ordered several of Miku Sushi’s finest small plates. Since the servings are ideal for sharing, we sampled quite a bit. First up was the Kabocha Soup. This creamy soup with light garnish is a must for soup lovers. The creamy texture is quite pleasing and it features large bits of crab in every bite. My friend Jillian was particularly fond of this dish, and would recommend ordering this if you would like to start off your meal with some soup.
For a little spice to our meal, we upped the ante with the Firecracker Shrimp. The wonton wrapped shrimp was seasoned with sweet chili sauce. With the name Firecracker one would expect a fiery dish, however, the spice was rather tame. Overall, it was a good start to the meal but it may be a little tame for those who like it hot. It was a nice spin to classic shrimp that a shrimp lover would surely appreciate it.
What I particularly love about Miku, is that it allows one to get a tad inventive with their palates. For those who want to pique their curiosity, the menu features quite a variety of skewers. We selected the Squid served in house lime chili sauce, as well as the Alligator Skewer with ginger soy. What made the Squid particularly delicious was the lime seasoning. It wasn’t too overpowering of a flavor which made it ideal for warming up the palate. The Alligator was quite savory. In my opinion, Alligator can be a hit or miss but I highly recommend checking out Miku’s. It wasn’t too chewy nor too hard, it was just right.
Miku’s attention to presentation became evident with the Uni Shooters. The Sea Urchin centered dish was presented with an elegant floral arrangement. It comprised of caviar, house ponzu, quail yolk, and chive, Beautiful is not the first word that comes to mind when describing Uni, however, Miku Sushi was able to transform this peculiar dish into something beautiful. Since it is a shooter, I would recommend just swallowing everything at once. The yolk initially caught me by surprise, but I adjusted. If you try to take it in slow sips, you aren’t getting the full effect of the dish. If you are fond of Uni but want to try something different, then the Uni shooter will be quite pleasing.
Since I always find myself ordering Scallops, I couldn’t resist not ordering the Scallops wrapped in bacon with king crab cream puree. For obvious reasons, this dish was among my favorites of the appetizers. Bacon and seafood lovers can unite with this tasty dish. While the servings are small, the Scallop and the Bacon combined proves to be quite satisfying.
I also have this thing with Escargot where I always order it whenever it is offered. While I love Escargot, it is easily a hit or miss dish for me. Miku’s dish comprised of garlic butter, toasted pine nut, and spicy parsley puree sauce. While I found the Escargot satisfactory, the seasoning was a bit strong for me. I guess since my friend made me eat 2 out of the 3, I found it too pungent to eat more than 2 servings. I encourage Escargot lovers to check out this dish, but if you are new to Escargot this may not be the best introduction. This Escargot dish is for the seasoned Escargot eater, who may be open to different seasonings and preparation methods of the snail.
At this point in the meal, the servings begin to get a little heavier. We selected the duck, which was yet another dish that was served with a magnificent presentation. The pan seared duck breast was served with Asian pear sauce, mushroom, shallot, and red wine reduction. The duck was absolutely phenomenal and I could see why Miku prides themselves on this dish. The meat was incredibly easy to eat with just the right amount of flavor. The pear sauce added a nice touch. I would certainly order the duck again as a main course. While my friend and I shared this dish, I believe I ate most it. You can’t leave Miku without checking out the duck.
With Miku priding themselves on incredibly fresh seafood, I had high expectations for the King Crab dish. I am pleased to announce that it lived up to my high expectations. The King Crab was lightly drizzled in buttered soy sauce, with helpings of caviar and chives. It was presented exactly how a marvelous dish like crab should be presented; on a cucumber pedestal surrounded by fine florals. It was easily one of my favorite dishes. This dish had me yearning for more as I was highly disappointed when there was no more crab left on the plate.
Of course, one cannot go into a Sushi lounge without ordering a Maki Roll. This is where Miku truly shines. For our first roll, we selected the Flaming Dragon. As the dish was served we were presented a roll that was literally engulfed in flames. This dish comprised of baked shrimp tempura, salmon, super white tuna, black tobiko, and scallion. As we waited for the flames to subdue, we immediately devoured this roll. It was marvelous and the presentation made it even more phenomenal. The Flaming Dragon is certainly my go-to roll at Miku.
Christmas came early with the X’mas Maki. It was served on a floral sleigh and topped off with the dishes finest ingredients. This dish comprised of spicy tuna, spicy snow crab, cucumber topped with lobster, avocado, Masago, and sweet soy. It was quite the satisfying dish, but I still must reward the Flaming Dragon as the winner of the evening. However, if you ask my friend Jillian she would say the X’mas Maki was her favorite so I guess it’s all a matter of preference.
For the finale of the meal, I was presented with the largest bowl of Ramen I had ever seen. The Spicy Roasted Garlic Miso Ramen comprised of egg noodle, rick pork broth, pork belly, soft boiled egg, bamboo shoot, sesame, scallion, mushroom, bean sprout, roasted garlic, chili pepper, and sesame oil. It was impossible to scoop some of the ramen without a large helping of one of the many ingredients. Based on the serving, I’m sure that ordering this one bowl of Ramen would be a sufficient meal. Since I couldn’t finish it in the restaurant, the Ramen served as a week’s worth of leftovers for me.
Based on my wonderful meal, it’s no wonder the residences of Lincoln Square are making Miku Sushi their go-to spot. The presentation, the ambiance, and, of course, the delicious food; is certainly going to make Miku Sushi stand the test of time.
A special thank you to Miku Sushi for my meal courtesy of the Miku Sushi team. For Sushi lovers or Sushi newbies, you should definitely check out this Lincoln Square hot-spot.
