Michi Sushi
1513 West Broadway
Vancouver
604-736-4244
www.michi-sushi.com
Open for Take-Out
Monday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Signature Roll: Prawn & Avocado with Lemon Mayo
Signature Drink: Iced tea, anyone?
Rating: *** 1/2
Lunch for two: $20
Eco-sushi comes to South Granville
There is something inherently contradictory about sushi in Vancouver. It’s the fave food group of healthy-life proponents (in spite of that sinful white rice – just look at all those personal ads listing weights, sushi and marathon runs as ubiquitous pastimes) while being a bane of eco-conscious advocates, thanks to the inordinate amount of plastic/paper/wood waste it produces.
Enter Kenneth Cho, formerly of high-flying establishments like Bishop’s, West and Lumière, and now owner of Michi Sushi (roughly translates as street food). He’s here to bridge the gap and bring peace to the masses. Or, maybe, just make some good, convenient rolls.
The concept is pretty simple and fitting to local urbanites. Fresh, uncut rolls are individually wrapped in paper to minimize on waste and maximize on grab-and-go ease. All rolls are around $3.50 and you can get three for nine dollars, which is more than enough for lunch.
I especially like the soy packets, fish-shaped plastic bubbles with re-closable lids, because you don’t have to empty the entire contents in one go and end up with a brown gooey mess for your last few bites.
The rolls are made with a 50 per cent blend of brown and white rice, to cut down on the refined starch content. Luckily, it also tastes pretty good. They are heavy on flavour, rather than rice, so you are getting a serious amount of sushi for your buck. I tried a prawn and avocado roll with a lemon mayo that won me over instantly. The plump, fresh, giant prawn matched perfectly with the zingy mayo and the almost-ripe avocado. A tuna gomae roll was less interesting, with too much sauce crowding out the flavour of the albacore. Wild salmon and cream cheese was just dreamy, while unagi (barbecued eel) with pea shoots was a wonderful blend of texture and taste.
A yam and asparagus roll with enoki mushrooms and spinach was nice, but felt a little dry. A salmon and tuna sashimi salad ($9) had nice slices of fish, but mediocre greens. The beef sukiyaki roll was much better, very succulent and flavourful, with accents of soy and tofu. There were a several more rolls I didn’t get to try (too full), but they all looked large and fresh, and the space is equally inviting (albeit rather small) with its dark wood, lime green walls and clean, urban feel. Who needs pizza, anyway?
Bordeaux Countdown, part one of two
The 2005 vintage is being called the greatest in the past 100 years and will be offered to the public by Marquis Wine Cellars and other high-drinking purveyors in a few short weeks. At a recent tasting, I found myself agreeing that, mayhap, this be the grape for me. With a score of 89, the Chateau Cambon La Pelouse, from the Médoc region, was one of my favourites. It’s a dark ruby quaff with a nose of black cherries, wood smoke, tobacco and spice. At Marquis Wine Cellars on September 13, $45 (futures price).
Food for all folks
Don’t Forget! On September 7, Farm Folk/City Folk’s annual fundraiser Feast of Fields will take place at UBC Farm. Taste the best of what’s local, sustainable and seasonal, not to mention enjoying wine and artisan foods. Tickets are $75. Visit www.feastoffields.com for more information.
Dining Out
At 5 p.m. on September 9th at the Sutton Place Hotel, get a taste of Culinary Team BC before they head off to the World Culinary Olympics in Erfort, Germany, in October. Enjoy dinner with wine pairings for $95. All proceeds go to support the team on their trip. Visit www.bccaf.com for tickets and more information.
The 4th annual Chef Meets Grape takes place at 7 p.m. on September 18 at the Rocky Mountaineer Station (1755 Cottrell Street). Enjoy BC VQA wines with small plates from some of B.C.’s hottest restaurants, including Bin 941, Coast, Diva at the Met and PAIR Bistro. Tickets are $75, available at VQA wine stores. Visit www.winebc.com for more information.
Food in Brief
Main Street’s newest addition is Narrow Lounge (1898 Main Street), a 45-seat dining spot that serves up great food in support of local artists, some of whom are resident in the building.
On September 27, Caffé de Medici (1025 Robson Street) will be closing its doors after three decades of serving up bella Italia. Blame rising rents. Their Take 5 locations will have to keep the home fires burning.
