Miyabi
By Libby Williams, @PlateSouth
Here is something you may not know about me: I love sushi…to the point where I may be inappropriately obsessed with it. Shameful, but true. And while I have blogged about sushi before, it’s been a while. You see, I am also a bit of a sushi snob. I have my spots I like to frequent, but a good sushi restaurant can be hard to find some days.
Recently, I hitched a ride out to Miyabi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi in Charleston for a Tastemakers (#tastemakerschs) gathering. (We like to eat the things and drink the things and talk about the things all over town!) While most of us had been to Miyabi for their traditional Japanese Hibachi-style cooking show, none of us had experienced their newly renovated and extensive sushi bar. Little did we know what a treat we were in for.
As a relatively new addition to the restaurant, the sushi bar was very impressive. It has a fresh vibe inside – bright and clean…somewhere I feel good about eating raw fish. You know what I mean…
Once we all got settled, the first priority was a delicious sake cheers. Now, I am not a sake snob, I do know what I like (even though I apparently DON’T know when to STOP with all the sakis) and this Nigori Saki was something I like. It was DANGEROUSLY DEE-LICIOUS. I kept saying it tasted like coconut water. Smooth and sweet with nary a hint of burn in sight.
For dinner, we all ordered a variety of dishes off the extensive menu. Trust me, NOBODY GOES HUNGRY AT MIYABI! EVER! And what’s even better than sushi with friends is sushi with friends who pass their food! AMIRIGHT??? Of course, some of us were more adventurous than others (ordering octopus, and yellowtail jaw!!!). Others (like me) stuck to some more simple and traditional orders (helllllooooooo, crunchy roll!)
I really enjoyed trying a few new items – at least new to me. Fatty Tuna is something sushi dreams are made of. It’s like a cross between the velvety deliciousness of salmon sushi paired with the clean, punchiness of tuna (is punchiness a word? Do you even know what I am saying???)
My favorite dish was the Spicy Tuna Sashimi – mainly for it’s simplicity of flavor and MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF TUNA! I will be going back for this soon! I also stole a taste of the Beef Tataki as it made it’s way by my end of the table and OHMYGOODNESS! What a dreamboat! If you like Beef Carpaccio in any Italian restaurant, this is a must try.
Also making the rounds was this delicious and beautifully presented Avocado Salad topped with fresh Tuna. If I had to go back and order one thing, this might be it, because basically tuna and avocado are my everything.
So my final assessment: YASSSSSS! Run to Miyabi. Bypass the hibachi (at least this once), and belly up to the sushi bar. You won’t be disappointed.
