Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Miya Sushi - Towson, MD

I really, really, really want to love this place.  I really do.  But I can't just yet.  Hang in there with me for a minute, people.

The front of this place makes you think, "I dunno.  Raw fish?  Here?  Maybe not such a good idea...".  However, it was cute inside.  I hear it's new and they are still working on their "decor" but even so, it wasn't bad at all.  The owner and chef greeted us warmly and we sat down.  We were the only people there, but we did get there kind of early - a little before noon, I'd say. 

I ordered the "Double Roll" which is spicy tuna tempura, snow crab, and cucumber in the usual rice and seaweed roll and an order of gyoza.  The gyoza was OK - a little fishy to me, but still, I ate them all.  The roll, though....  that was a mistake.  Meaning MY mistake.  I didn't understand what I was ordering.  I expected the usual raw spicy tuna somehow fried in tempura batter, nestled against some crab and cucumber in a roll.  That's not what it is.  It's COOKED, CANNED tuna (which wasn't spicy at all, by the way) in it's OWN roll, fried in tempura batter, and then inside another roll with the crab meat and rice (no cucumber that I saw).  I guess that's why it's called "Double Roll"  and on the "cooked menu" side.  Wellll....  I assumed the fact that it was in tempura was why it was on that side.  I did not like it.  At all.  I don't really like cooked canned tuna.  It tastes like cat food to me (well, how cat food smells).  I think the owner saw that I was confused and wasn't into eating it because a few minutes later, she brought over what was kind of what I was expecting.  Still no cucumber and not spicy, but it was the raw spicy tuna (maybe it was salmon?) wrapped in seaweed, fried in tempura batter, with big chunks of crab on top.  THAT's more like it.  Of course, I was stuffed to the gills by then so could only eat one bite.  It was pretty good but I was so completely stuffed, I couldn't really taste anything.  She gave it to us for FREE!  That's not a cheap roll to make... 

 
My original "Double Roll"
 
 
The freebie "This is what I meant" roll
 
 
Vanessa really, really liked her tuna sashimi and shrimp tempura roll.  A lot.  The miso soup she said was just 'OK'.  "I've had better, I've had worse." 

The owner kept checking on us, which is nice.  She even gave us tempura banana for dessert for free after we asked if they had it (it wasn't on the menu)!  3 other diners came in while we were there, and their food looked great - 2 plates of the shrimp tempura and one plate of some kind of sizzling teriyaki.

So as you can see, I'm not in the best spot to review this restaurant since I mistakenly chose the wrong menu item.  The great thing is that she could tell by my reaction and gave me what she figured I must have wanted FOR FREE! 

I still say too few sushi places know how to make "spicy" anything.  It's never spicy.


Rating:
Food:  I can't comment on this yet.  I just can't.  I'll let you know after I go next time.
Service:  5+
Ambiance: 3

Take Home:  I am willing to go back again and try my normal foods that I KNOW I am picking properly - spicy tuna and spicy salmon. And I'll tell them to make it extra spicy.  And per Vanessa - get the tempura!

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