MIKU Japanese Grill — Restaurant in Ontario

A few years ago, I gave this business a 5-star review during the COVID period and urged all my friends to support this new venture. However, I must express my dissatisfaction now with the lack of care for customers and their own business.

About a year ago, during a birthday party, they informed us that for groups larger than 4 people, a service fee would apply. It seemed unusual, but we accepted it. Despite frequent visits, we never encountered this charge before.And today when they applied the service fee for a group of 3 not 5 anymore... It feels like if you dine alone, you won't encounter this fee on your bill.

My sister had to go to the counter multiple times to retrieve her belongings, and requesting a grill change took over 20 minutes. Frustrated, I wanted to return the dish we haven't touch after feeling ignored and getting full from eating stuf from burning grill. The waitress claimed it sat too long, making it ineligible for return, but it ok for us to eat whatever she called it unable to return because sitting outside too long when they completely forgot about us.

I meet another friends same time for a birthday party with their family, they experienced a similar unpleasant. A waitress carelessly placed dishes on their table, causing raw meat to spill out on the table. When they politely reminded her to be careful, she responded rudely. They overheard her speaking negatively about them in Chinese.

Regarding service, we understand that being busy can lead to mistakes, but it's not an excuse for poor attitude and customer treatment. While we want to support local businesses, my friends and I, who work in the restaurant industry, are discouraged by such poor service. Regardless of how good the food is, if the team continues to operate in this manner, customers will seek better service elsewhere. London is growing, and we are eager to explore new options.

Despite my previous visits, I always left the restaurant feeling uneasy for some reason, possibly due to being engrossed in my phone. Today, however, I've seen enough. It might be my last time here, as it is for another group.

*This is my original review from a few years ago, I leave it still see how much excited me that time: -Guys check out this new restaurant in town. It's been a long time for me to be happy to eat out in London, special meal like meat buffet. Some say they don't have a lot of options. Get some side dish. but for me, it just the same menu as average out there. Foods are good, fresh. However, the one with miso is a bit salty for me. I could give them 4 stars because it is a bit pricey in London. But these staff working last night super friendly. they are new for the first month. And 5 stars to support locals in this hard time. and don't forget the ice cream.i used to buy it for 5-6$ in the supermarket ( that how I remember ) and I can eat all favour u want...

I visited MIKU Japanese Grill on a weekend evening with a party of three adults and one child, anticipating a quality dining experience. Regrettably, several aspects left much to be desired.

Quality and Preparation of Meat: The beef we ordered was notably lacking in quality and excessively fatty, prompting us to request scissors to trim the excess fat. The meat also had an unpleasant odor, suggesting it wasn’t as fresh as expected. The taste was unimpressive, resembling a basic protein marinated in soy sauce and garlic to cover any lack of freshness or depth.

Sushi Portion and Quality: The sushi rice portions were substantial—approximately double that of traditional sushi, giving the impression that the intention was to fill customers quickly. Additionally, the rice lacked the customary vinegar seasoning for sushi, making it feel more like ordinary rice topped with fish than authentic sushi.

Authenticity of Flavors: Having traveled frequently to both Japan and Korea, I expected a dining experience reflecting authentic Japanese or Asian flavors. However, the cuisine here did not align with Japanese or Korea traditions, falling into an indistinct middle ground.

Service Experience: Grilling marinated meats requires regular grill changes, yet the staff was inattentive in this regard. I had to call a server each time for a grill change, and while some were polite, others performed duties mechanically, lacking warmth or engagement.

Our total bill came to over $200, an amount that felt unjustified given the quality of food and service. None of the dishes were satisfying, and I’m certain this will be a...

They definitely try to market this as a “higher quality” establishment, which can be said, but for someone like myself and my partner who were looking for a casual spot to try as lovers of Japanese food, this ain’t it. Prices are outrageous, bill for 2 came to over $100. Menu selection is incredibly limited, very basic selection of vegetables/meats with only 2 chicken options to grill (thigh and wing), so if you don’t eat beef like myself, you’re kinda outta luck. Sushi options were very lacking as well, with maybe 15 rolls offered for dinner AYCE. Cooking your own food is a cool experience but we found the burner to be severely underpowered, meaning we were sitting there watching it cook for so long, we eventually weren’t even that hungry anymore. Food quality however was quite nice, definitely a step up beyond a budget spot, but for $100 dinner it should be. Sashimi, and the rolls/sushi pieces were pretty standard in what to expect. Only complaint on food quality/preparation there was the sushi pieces are massive, like MASSIVE can’t even fit a tuna nigiri in your mouth sized (might be a good thing depending on the person) so be careful when ordering, because their sushi pieces are at least 2x the size of places like heart or 168, so you will fill up fast on them.

Overall, not too impressed for the price and the hype surrounding it. You can find better options, might be worth it if you’re into the novelty of the whole cook it yourself thing, but neither I nor my partner will...