Sushi Miyagi — Restaurant in Houston

Whew. Feels like I haven't written a new review in forever since Yelp ate my Aiko one. So sorry about that!

Anyway, Miyagi is a place that I liked better than most, yet can't help but feel lukewarm about due to the bigger context. It is by far the best sushi in Houston in terms of value for money (Aiko still edges in raw taste), but only because the state of sushi in Houston is truly horrendous. It confidently clears a bar that was pretty low to clear.

Other reviewers have mentioned all the inconveniences you have to go through to get a coveted lunch at Sushi Miyagi already - which I can attest to. I won't repeat the list here, but it reminds me of the time I waited in line for some Din Tai Fung in Seattle: The whole thing was built up as if you were going to experience something very special, yet it just ended up being a decent neighborhood place. My followers will know that my standard for sushi is Kyoten Next Door in Chicago in terms of taste and Koto in Fort Wayne in terms of value. Miyagi is almost as revered as the former while almost as packed as the latter, but doesn't come nearly close on either front.

That being said, if you were to try to average Kyoten and Koto, you'd probably get something close to Miyagi. The fish is cut thick and plenty fresh, the price is understandable but otherwise not too cheap nor expensive. I particularly liked the sake (mackerel). It is a very fresh and slightly fatty sake that doesn't have any of the usual sour taste nor tough texture. My friend liked the squid and how clean, not-slimy it is as well.

The hiyayakko is exactly what it is and what it is is a mistake (I don't know what kind of kami urged me to order cold tofu at the time).

The Hambagu (sometimes called "Salisbury steak" - a word I have never heard outside the circle of nerds and insufferable food snobs), my main dish, is best summed up as a "xíu mại on rice but fast food". For context, xíu mại is a large Vietnamese meatball, not too different from the kind you have with spaghetti, can be found in bánh mì, and is often eaten with tomato sauce. Replace the tomato sauce with ketchup and Kewpie mayo and there you have it.

The kinuta maki was exciting and peculiar (I had the yellowtail filling), but not overall too impressive. I don't think the vinegary dressing on the daikon nor its innately bland flavor mix very well with the fish, and can understand why this dish is not very popular elsewhere in the States.

TL;DR A good way to end my sushi journey in Houston "with a bang", but I don't think I'll seek out any more sushi in this city again.

P.S. The next review won't be about...

The food at Sushi Miyagi was great. Most of the appetizers are bland without the sauce so keep that in mind. The ginger and wasabi is fresh. The presentation is cute and well done. The Japanese soda was new to me and my friends and it was really cool to us.

Unfortunately, the waitress we had was rushing us and while she wasn't overtly rude, she was subtlety rude. She was by herself and she was doing dining-in orders and to-go orders.

It annoyed her that my friends and I were taking so long to decide what to eat. First it was three of us and one friend arrived late. We didn't want to order until she arrived. Also, we were talking while looking over the menu, so we were distracted. She kept telling us, she has a lot of to-go orders and the slower we are, the longer it will take to get our food.

I've never experienced this before. Generally, every place I've been to, allow us to look for what we want and they come back and check if we're ready. They don't expect us to know as soon as we are seated. And if we don't know when they deliver the drinks, they come back.

Her tip suffered from her rudeness and I can't see myself going back. The restaurant is small with maybe 5-8 tables. It's very cozy. They'd benefit from a hostess that can handle the to-go orders and seating the people, so the waitress isn't overwhelmed and rude. Also, they need a busser, a person who can pick up the plates, wipe down the table and wash the dishes. For one woman to do the bussing, hosting, and waitressing will hurt their business. They have the potential to grow since the sushi is delicious.

When my friend and I arrived, only one table had people. We seated ourself, the lady then brought our menu. That's when I asked for a third for my friend. After about 10 minutes more people arrived but they just stood there waiting to be seated while the lady ran around. After they were seated. The people ordered, ate, and left. We were talking for so long, most people left before us. Tables sat there dirty while other people stood. She didn't rush us to leave and I remember my friend saying, there's tables available.

When we first arrived, tables were available while people stood. I guess they weren't as bold as we were to seat themselves, but after people ate and left, the tables were dirty. Hence the restaurant needs a hostess and busser. If they can't afford both, the best bet is a hostess. She can seat the people, take to-go orders, and clean the tables.

Overall I'd recommend the food. If they get another worker, I'd...

Nut allergies: No nuts in sushi, of course.

The advice to get here early is no joke. We actually got here at 11 on a Saturday and there was no line, so we walked over to another plaza for a bit. When we came back by 11:30, there were already three groups in line! We got one of the last tables. The wait if you arrive late is 90-100 minutes, so I'd try to get here at 1pm or 2pm if you miss the opening wait and hope that others have been dissuaded. The first table opened up at 1:10PM and people were definitely waiting.

If you're in for an intimate experience with a long meal with friends with amazing sushi while listening to Ocarina of Time music, this is the place to be. A little hidden gem in a side of Bellaire that isn't often frequented, Sushi Miyagi is run by an elderly Japanese couple that only opens a few hours a day. You can really tell how much care goes into the food here, as tea is even served at a very reasonable price ($1 for hot tea with a full kettle to refill!)

For a group of 5, we ordered the Sashimi for 2, Maki for 2, and a lunch rice curry special. The sashimi for 2 was so big that we thought they combined both our orders into one! The lunch rice curry was enough for five people to have 3-4 bites each. The sashimi was absolutely stellar - large pieces that are sliced perfectly against grains to still be melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The pickled Mackerel may have changed my whole perspective on Mackerel - extremely fatty and very flavorful! Other highlights were the chopped scallops and eel. Came out at just under $50 after tax and tip and our group left stuffed! We left around 1:35PM.

I'd love to come back when I want an intimate sushi experience and the weather isn't too hot to...