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This is my first in an occasional series of favorite dishes in Portland.
I went here with my friend a couple months ago after confusion with Pei Men Miyake, a ramen bar that I love.

The space is frankly stuffy for me.  It’s too quiet, it doesn’t have the boisterous energy of most of Portland.  Kind of too highbrow for its own good.

When I went for lunch, I remember the miso soup being good but not one of the best things I ever ate, like on the TV show.  Maybe the mushrooms changed the purity.

I remember the sushi that I had was very good, but there is frankly pretty good sushi in several places in Portland, Maine.  But the knockout was the hamayake, which is crab, scallop and lobster over sushi rice and baked spicy mayonnaise.

First up tonight is the Miyake trio with a 1/2 super tuna roll, uni and monkfish pate.

The surprise rockstar of the sushi is the monkfish liver pate. Rich, unctious, delicious. The uni is just rich, buttery and fatty. The liver has far more depth.

The toro I’d nice, but I think I prefer the rice to the fish.

Also love the seaweed in kombu, asked for more.

The hamayake is kind of magical. Rich, delicious, complex, yummy. I add just a little soy sauce to increase the salt. I am becoming more of a salt person all the time. I ate it, and didn’t take a picture this time.

Pretty awesome meal. The surprise highlight was unquestionably the monkfish liver pate, just awesome. Would definitely get that again. And the hamayake was still awesome. I think because of the surprise and the seaweed and the kombu, my favorite dishes tonight was the monkfish liver pate.

It’s funny, live food blogging can slow down eating. But, definitely will do it again.

Also loved the tea, genmai tea, green tea with toasted rice. It’s a great place, although again I wish it was louder and less refined.

Total cost of $25 plus tax and tip. And the delicious pot of tea is free.

****

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Planned to go to Pei Men Miyake with a friend today. Got there found some ramen and a daikon salad to eat.

Then realized he went to Miyake. So walk/ran across town. Which was fun on a beautiful day. I forget how awesome it can be to run around in a city. And how confusing the streets of downtown Portland can be.

I have been meaning to try Miyake for a while. I heard the miso soup there was one of “The Best Things I Ever Ate” from the Food Network show. So I had to try that. I liked the miso, wish I had it without the mushrooms.

And the green tea there (complimentary) was fantastic. Great choice by my friend.

I had their tei shoku lunch (ie complete lunch). My first choice was one of the appetizers was the hamayaki: lobster, crab, & scallop over sushi rice covered in spicy mayonnaise. This was pure decadence and easily one of the best dishes I have had in Portland, Maine. Rich and amazing. Highly recommended, I will come back to Miyake just for the hamayaki.

And I also had the nigiri & roll: 6 piece chef choice + maki roll. The chef’s choice sushi was very nice, but I really liked the salmon and avocado roll the best.

So I enjoyed my meal, although it’s a lot more at $31 then I usually spend for lunch (or dinner). Will I go to Miyake again. Yes, I think for lunch. Next time though I think I will try maybe the daikon salad definitely with the hamayaki again and miso this time without the mushrooms for $19. Which is still sadly a splurge for me. I wish I had the money to be as much of a gourmand as I would like to be.

And so far, I think I prefer the atmosphere and cost of Pei Men Miyake. It’s a much more casual setting and I just love the salty, unctuous ramen.

And I definitely will admit the setting made me think of the wonderful film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” I look forward to trying Sapporo too. Mmm sushi.

Overall review for Miyake ***1/2.