"Aburi" means "roasting" in Japanese. It is a cooking technique that uses a low flame to roast ingredients, which makes the surface of the ingredients slightly charred, enhancing their flavor and taste. Miku is famous for its unique seared sushi. It originated in Japan and then opened its first branch in Canada in Vancouver. Later, it opened its first branch on the East Coast in Toronto's financial district, perfectly blending traditional Japanese flavors and techniques with local Canadian elements.
Canadian local ingredients meet Japanese cooking methods
We sampled 11 seasonal dishes including appetizers, starters, main courses, pressed sushi, maki rolls and desserts. The chef opened the dinner with green beans and lotus root as appetizers: the lotus root and green beans were cut into thin slices and small pieces, and processed with sesame soy sauce, giving them a crisp texture. Next, the appetizer of Japanese crispy chicken was marinated in soy sauce, and the sauce was added with Japanese mustard miso, which not only awakened the taste buds at once, but also neutralized the greasiness of the fried food. Hotate Crudo is the restaurant's recommended appetizer. It looks quite attractive. The scallops are simply grilled and garnished with truffle pearls. They are soft and crispy with rich taste. One bite and the aroma of truffle fills the air, accompanied by kelp and cucumber, creating an exquisite plating that is very thoughtful. The chef also uses smooth cauliflower broth as the base of the dish, and drizzles some smoked chili oil on it. The chef introduced to us that Hotate Crudo was a dish they developed in collaboration with Michelin chef Ryusuke Nakagawa, and it is a very unique crudo. It not only uses Japanese cooking methods and Canadian ingredients, but also incorporates Western techniques. It is definitely worth a try.
One of the main dishes, the A5 Japanese Wagyu Beef Platter, is served in a "one beef, three ways" way, which is a surprise. The chef used three different cooking methods and seasonings, namely black garlic soy sauce with roasted maitake mushrooms, egg rice vinegar sauce, and applesauce, which was very creative. Then there was the Kyoto Saikyo Miso Sablefish, which, as the name suggests, was marinated in wasabi Saikyo miso and served on a base of Saikyo miso barley risotto, topped with seasonal vegetables: tomatoes, red peppers and pickled beets. The combination of fish and barley risotto has a mellow and smooth taste. Next is the salmon and shrimp pressed sushi. The chef uses wild sockeye salmon from British Columbia, Canada, and coats the salmon with a special Miku sauce, then puts a small slice of jalapeno on it, and finally lightly grills it with a torch. The two types of sushi rolls are made of red tuna, red salmon, sea urchin, flying fish roe and other ingredients. The surface is also roasted, and the slightly charred flying fish roe is full of salty fragrance.
When it came to dessert, the chef prepared two Japanese-Western fusion desserts for us, namely green tea cheesecake and strawberry ice cream mochi. The green tea cheesecake has a dark chocolate ganache in the middle layer and a hazelnut wafer bottom layer, served with a scoop of green tea ice cream. The strawberry mochi ice cream is topped with brown sugar cookies and walnut toffee, and dipped in the strawberry and raspberry juice on the side for a sweet and sour taste.
The restaurant's recommended appetizer: Hotate Crudo
Influenced by my parents, I started my cooking career
Chef Junnosuke Fujikawa grew up on Japan’s Awaji Island, famous for its wagyu beef, fresh seafood, and local vegetables. Fujikawa’s passion for food began while working at his parents’ hotel. “The hotel is located on the Senaikai, the inner harbor of Japan,” he shared. “At first, my mom was a sommelier in Japan, so I learned some food and wine pairing techniques from her. Since I moved to Canada, I have lived in Kelowna, British Columbia for five years. Kelowna is the wine country of British Columbia, and there are more than 200 wineries around the area, so I visited a lot of wineries. There are also a lot of great ingredients there, especially from spring to fall. I also worked at a Japanese restaurant in Kelowna, where I learned a lot of knowledge and techniques.”
Miku chef Junnosuke Fujikawa
Fujikawa often uses ingredients from different regions in his cooking. He pointed out: "I sometimes use Japanese Awaji Wagyu beef on our kaiseki menu, and I also use some fresh fish from near my hometown. This not only ensures the quality of the ingredients, but also helps local Japanese businesses, killing two birds with one stone." Fujikawa further shared that there are many delicious ingredients in Canada, especially from spring to autumn. "When I cook dishes, using Japanese ingredients allows me to better show my skills, and at the same time, I can introduce Japanese food to my guests. On the other hand, using Canadian ingredients can better explain Japanese cooking techniques. Because the guests already know what the original taste of the ingredients is, but the different cooking methods of the chef will produce a taste different from what they imagine, so they can enjoy new flavors and will be more interested in Japanese food and culture."
