Today we were invited down to the new Miku in Richmond’s River Rock Casino. Here, to check out their entire cocktail program, plus a few notable dishes. Both of which from the hands and minds of Miku Waterfront’s Executive Chef and Bar Manager.
Monkey Joyce of @monkeyeatsworld was arranging a menu photoshoot and didn’t want all the food and drinks to go to waste, and I was more than happy to help in that endeavour.
We arrived a few hours before the restaurant opened for dinner at 5pm and was given run of the place. Having dined at the original Miku location downtown, this one is significantly smaller, although it too comes with its own waterfront view.
Taking up the former home of Tomato, River Rock’s former fine dining option. There is one large private room, with all the other tables uniform in their open dining area. The view of the river in the distance makes the tables closest to the window highly coveted, much like the patio that plans to open soon.
Starting with the cocktails, we would make our way through the entire 9 options, enjoying 3 each. I don’t share drinks, so will only be able to report on the ones that I did try. Although will showcase them all here, in the order that they were shaken, stirred, and filtered.
The Kasumi Spritz was a lovely glass of purple. Empress 1908 indigo gin, lavender syrup, lemon juice, yuzu juice, miraculous foamer, prosecco, and soda. Like all the other cocktails this was a lighter mix, ideal to pair with Miku’s classic and clean sushi and sashimi.
The Dragon’s Breath came with a back story. A reimagined take on the “Red Dragon” shots, once made with 151 and taken in the clubs during the mid to late 2000’s, as a strong shot to set the stage and loosen the taker up. In the spirit of that origin this cocktail was available as either the one cocktail pictured here or as two shots to share. This was definitely an easier drinking version of that club classic. Almost like punch with stiggin’s fancy pineapple rum, osmanthus infused ginger of the indies, pomegranate syrup, and lime. It is set aflame with a 151 rum fire and finished tableside with an electronic smoke bubble.
The Cold Tea is served in a Japanese cast iron tea pot to play along with the name and inspiration. Nikka coffey gin, bols melon, grand marnier, vanilla jasmine honey, and lemon. It was as easy and soothing as tea, and I found it too paired nicely with our seafood focused meal ahead.
The Aburi Old Fashioned too came with a fiery finish with 151 rum fire. Cherry wood smoked nikka coffey malt whisky, hennessy v.s.o.p., okinawa black sugar orange syrup, sakura bitters, and plum bitters. At its heart this is exactly what you’d imagine and old fashioned to be, just with more depth and smokiness.
The Hisuyo was quite the visual with layers that needed to be stirred up before you drank it. It was similar to a Paloma with patron reposado, 400 conejos mezcal, matcha, grapefruit, st. germain, elderflower, lime, grapefruit bitters, and soda. This was a well balanced juicy spritz with a creamier mouth-feel thanks to the matcha. It’s bitter and the use of citrus also made this a great drink to have with food.
Your pick me up is the Yukanillo and if I didn’t order it myself and watch it being made at the bar, I could not tell that it had any liquor in it. This tasted like a refreshing cold brew with a creamy salty foam topper. Suntory haku vodka, licor 43, sheringham coffee liqueur, legacy cold brew, chocolate bitters, salted caramel cold foam, and a blood orange oil mist.
The Silk Blossom was a stronger cocktail with dassai 45 sake, gonzalez bypass nutty solera, crème de cassis, st. remy signature brandy, orange blossom mist, and osmanthus flower.
I really enjoyed the Suikarita as a refreshing summery watermelon cocktail. The flavour of the fruit was noticeable and at the forefront. Fon julio blanco, ferrand yuzu late harvest dry curacao, watermelon, lime, agave, watermelon salt, and dehydrated watermelon.
The Yuzaki was a pretty in pink cocktail, delicate with its garnish of shiso flower. El gobernador pisco, fen chiew baijiu, blueberry shiso syrup. lemon, and egg white. Worth mentioning is that this can also be made with a vegan foamer option.
And if you are looking for sake by the bottle, they have a unique way to serve it. Using a specialty contraption that they have sourced from Japan. It precisely fits a whole 725ml bottle of sake and includes an ice compartment that is inserted into the vessel to keep your sake chilled without diluting it. Placed at your table, you have the ability to self serve small tea cup portions of sake, to ensure neat and perfectly chilled sips.
As for food, we shared the following items with a mix between cold dishes and warm plates. Starting with appetizers.
The Prawn Cocktail were large and juicy, gently poached prawns, served in a cocktail glass with a cocktail sauce for dipping into. Pretty standard.
The Oyster fry is 3pc panko-crusted hiroshima oysters topped with homemade shibazuke tartar. This was like a fritter with a creamy centre. The breading maintained its crisp well after it had cooled. Each held all the flavour, masking any would be musky shellfish notes.
The Iwate Wagyu Carpaccio was layered like a mosaic, a stunning display of art with A5 Iwate Wagyu, egg yolk vinaigrette, black garlic warishita, Wagyu snow, and organic baby greens. The meat tender with a sinewy-like chew.
For entrees we had Filet Mignon which was 6oz Sterling Silver, potato purée, market vegetables, wasabi pickles, yuzu-kosho karashi, and Suntory-soy peppercorn veal jus. I liked the pageantry of their steaks served on a mounted plate. I found it added to the elevated dining experience, making each piece felt all the more delicate, when taken from off its podium. Otherwise this was a classic, perfectly pinked medium rare steak meal with mashed potatoes and crisp vegetables.
If looking for something more sumptuous, look to their Wagyu Tenderloin Steak. A5 wagyu Striploin served in threes for a total of 3oz slices. Do so alongside maldon salt and wasabi pickles to gently enhance. The wagyu was amazingly lush, an even balance of lean and fatty meat. These were morsels to enjoy the first bite in and to then hold in your mouth to take in the feel of it.
For something lighter look to the Saikyo Miso Sablefish served with a kinoko rice pine mushroom dashi that you pour over the fish yourself. This was a harmonious and wonderfully gentle bite that easily flaked under the pressure of your chopsticks.
And you can’t visit Miku without diving into their sushi selection, we shared a handful of their platters. And I must say, they were my favourite part of the meal and what I would come back for. Each delicately rolled or sliced to fit perfectly in your mouth as an optimal one bite. I did not find myself reaching for ginger to wash in between pieces or wasabi to add interest. Outside of a little dab of soy it was all beautifully done the way it was.
We got the Oshi Sampler with three pieces each instead of two so that more of us could have some. Salmon, ebi, and anago oshi. The Salmon Oshi Sushi is pressed BC wild sockeye salmon, jalapeño, and Miku sauce. The Ebi Oshi Sushi is pressed prawn, lime zest, and ume sauce. And the Anago Oshi is simmered sea eel, cucumber, and arima sansho pepper miku’s unagi sauce. Each soft and at the perfect just slightly warmed temperature. It was like taking a bite from a saucy rice bowl, but in perfectly rationed out blocks.
We tried all three of their signature rolls as a platter. The Miku Roll was with salmon, crab, cucumber, tobiko, and Miku sauce. I liked this one for its coating of crunchy fish roe that added a textural pop to each bite. The Bluefin Redwave Roll was bluefin tuna, snow crab, mayo, avocado, cucumber, daikon oroshi, yuzu skin, and wasabi pickles. This was well balanced even as a more stacked roll with a lot going into it. But at its core it felt like a dressed up California roll with the real crab and avocado combo, or a dragon roll given the premium tuna that laid on top of it. Similarly Miku’s Dynamite Roll takesa familiar corner sushi shop order and exults it with white tiger prawns, tempura, sushi ebi, and shibazuke tartar sauce. The latter most sauce is the stand out, giving the seafood an extra zip.
The sashimi platter is available as a standard Miku Sashimi Platter or Premium Sashimi Platter. Both with 7 pieces at a $20 difference. It is the chef’s choice and today it had us fighting over the uni.
And the nigiri was an a la carte selection that included Bafun Uni, Hokkaido (Sea Urchin) and O-toro (Bluefin Tuna).
In short this was an amazing meal and I am thankful for this special way to get better acquainted with this new location. Glad Richmond now has a solid spot for unique cocktails and premium sushi and sashimi.
Miku Richmond
8811 River Rd, Richmond, BC V6X 3P8
(604) 247-3248
mikurichmond.com
