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.
****