“Seek out the significance of your problem at this time.
Try to understand.”
This was the knowledge that my fortune cookie bestowed upon me after I finished my meal. Quite frankly what the cookie was telling me seemed like a sign from the Divine. As I finished my meal, it seemed that a dilemma was sitting in the chair across the table from me, staring me in the face. How can I give an accurate review of a restaurant I have come to love? How can I give an objective view of Mikado Sushi Bar and Noodle House?
Mikado Sushi Bar and Noodle House is located in my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Although it sits next to a busy intersection, if you do not know what you are looking for, it is easy to miss it. Mikado occupies an old Pizza Hut building. It is easy to tell the origins of the building from the exterior, yet with the design of the interior of the restaurant, one hardly remembers the fact that stuffed crust pizzas use to come out of the kitchen instead of sesame beef and rice. Soft, dim lighting is used, creating the effect of a more compact and personal space. Though there is but a single dining area, the sushi bar is offset and separated by the invisible barrier of the entrance way. Mikado presents guests dining alone or wanting a quick meal with the option of sitting at the sushi bar. All others are led to tables. Enough space is present between the tables that diners do not have to constantly adjust their seat so others can get by nor do they have to fear backing their chair into another. Other than a television over the bar area and a curtain displaying a samurai that separates the sushi bar from the main kitchen, the walls are empty of decoration, void of the images of koi fish and waves that typically occupy the walls in Asian themed restaurants. Yet I find that this enhances the experience. There are no distractions. The only thing to focus on is the taste, texture, appearance, and smell of the food, providing almost a complete sensual experience.
I happened to stumble across Mikado shortly after their opening a little over five years ago. When they opened, in the period that I consider the peak of America’s fascination with sushi, Mikado prided themselves on customer service. With the legendary respect of the Japanese culture, the waiting staff at Mikado would treat every party as if they were the only customers enjoying the restaurant for the night. Employees made the comfort and overall dining experience of the customer top priority. Over half a decade later, the service has changed but only for the better. The staff has mastered the perfect balance between customer solidarity and customer service. You do not feel that someone is constantly hovering over you. Yet at a moment’s notice, a waitress will be tableside, ready to assist in any manner possible.
Mikado offers a full menu of food, not just limiting itself to sushi. A menu exists for both Chinese and Japanese cuisine. The Japanese menu is a relief from the ordinary selection of strictly Chinese food offered at most restaurants. Mikado also offers a daily lunch and dinner special consisting of a bowl of soup, a sushi roll of your choice, and the sushi chef’s choice of cut. You can order, as typical with any true sushi bar, individual rolls and pieces of sushi. Every piece of sushi delivered is carefully crafted by the chef. He ensures that every piece is neat, perfectly wrapped, and decorated in such a way that the look of the food compliments the taste and enhances the flavor experience. He also plates the order in such a way that your eyes follow the food by color. When the waitress presents the plate from the chef, the platter as a whole is seen then the eyes notice each type of sushi individually. Though the Chinese and Japanese menus are offered, rarely would I recommend ordering from them. The menu items offered taste better than some restaurants who only offer items dishes with beef and pork rather than raw fish. Yet I would recommend devoting you entire appetite to the pieces of art produced from behind the bar, mainly because there is no reason to worry that “enough” sushi will cost too much. Generally the prices for filling serving of sushi (about 1-2 rolls and 4-6 pieces of sushi) are comparable to the prices of a cooked dish, coming out to around 11 or 12 dollars. The most expensive item on the sushi menu is around 21 dollars; however, it is a large and varied dish of rolls and pieces and comes with enough food for two.
My order from my final trip to Mikado
On my final visit to Mikado, I stuck with my policy of ordering strictly sushi. I felt adventurous and decided to order two types of sushi that I have never before had. I ordered a serving of eel nigiri sushi, serving of sea urchin, which I have never had before, a serving of yellow tail tuna, which I have only had in roll form, and a “Hot & Crispy” roll. The eel was delectable. 2 pieces of sushi consisting of a slice of eel bound to a lump of rice with a piece of seaweed which was topped off with a thick teriyaki glaze. The perfect combination of sweet and salty in the teriyaki glaze along with the texture of the eel all comes together to create a sensation of umami, or a savoriness. The Hot and Crispy roll was slightly unsatisfying on this visit. Easily becoming one of my favorite rolls since I discovered it, the Hot and Crispy roll is crab, avocado, and rice, rolled in seaweed. The roll is then deep fried in a light batter and served with a spicy sauce. Though most times the roll is fried to a golden perfection, it seemed that on this occasion, the roll was not left to cook long enough. Even though the overall flavor was not affected by this, the loss of crispiness led to a loss of pleasure. My yellowtail sushi was the better of my new experiences. Before I had just had yellowtail rolls and could not get the full flavor of the fish. However, with the slice of fish topping a lump of rice, I could taste the gentle fishy undertones of the yellowtail. When coupled with a wasabi-soy sauce mixture, the yellowtail became a tasteful piece of my meal. My first sample of sea urchin was my most interesting and worst portion of my meal. I never before encountered a texture like the sponginess of the urchin, and few times have I encountered a natural flavor such as urchin that disagrees with my pallet. With each chew I made in an attempt swallow, unfamiliar and rancid flavors pumped out of the urchin and filled my mouth. Yet even through this experience, I could not help but notice the composition of the sushi and how the chef’s artful construction could help override the awful flavors. This visit to Mikado did not come with the best of experiences. However, most times, even when trying something new, the experience is great. This one time seemed to be a rare occasion in which the quality of the food was substandard.
How can I remain objective and give and accurate review of a restaurant that I have come to love? The truth is that I cannot. However, I can let the quality of the restaurant speak for itself. I can let the great service, creative and aesthetically pleasing presentation of the sushi by the chef, good food (most of the time), and the atmosphere of the restaurant present the facts. Based on these facts, I present Mikado Sushi Bar and Noodle House with the rating of:
3 ½ Stars
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