Sushi Surprise

We couldn't stop ourselves from ordering a Houston maki — we have to try our city's namesake dish, after all — and my dining companion and I devoured it almost embarrassingly quickly. The roll is mostly just fatty salmon and avocado, with a little bit of sesame seed, nori paper and rice — your basic roll. But the quality of the salmon and avocado was outstanding; both melted like butter the instant they hit my tongue, mingling happily with the slightly spicy mayonnaise that laced the roll.

The sashimi plate, which you can order with or without shellfish, was almost a dream come true. My only minor quibble was that the fish was served too cold, something that was rectified on a repeat visit. But I couldn't be dissatisfied with — once again — the quality of the fish or the generous size of the slices. Red snapper, mackerel, halibut, salmon, two kinds of tuna — the wooden block was overflowing with enormous slices of fish. Whimsical creations, like a phoenix carved from a carrot, made me smile. Miyagi clearly puts his heart and soul into making each plate of sashimi.

Troy Fields

The sashimi plate comes with large, high-quality pieces of fish.

Location Info

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Sushi Miyagi Restaurant

10600 Bellaire Blvd.
Houston, TX 77072

Category: Restaurant > Japanese

Region: Outer Loop - SW

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Details

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Sashimi plate (no shellfish): $31.00

Agedashi tofu: $5.50

Shrimp shumai: $5.00

Houston maki: $ $11.00

Sweetie creamy maki: $7.00

Kakiagi (udon and tempura) lunch special: $9.50

Sushi lunch special: $9.50

Sushi Miyagi

10600 Bellaire Boulevard, #115, 281-933-9112.

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More About

• Sushi Miyagi
• Houston (Texas)
• Cher (Entertainer)
• Seafood
• Japanese Food and Cooking

While dinner here can be on the quiet side, lunch is definitely more lively. Nearby office workers come out for the generous lunch specials — which also are offered on Saturdays — that will net a table full of food for $8 or $9.

The udon here is rich, simple, sturdy stuff that will prop you up after a long morning. I happily passed a few lunch hours here slurping up the fat, thick noodles and dotting my broth with ever more chili flakes. Sushi and California rolls — more average lunchtime fare — are good, if uninspiring. But that's not why you come here.

One day at lunch, my dining companion and I chose a non-traditional roll to go with our lunch of udon, tempura and sushi: a sweet potato roll. On the menu, it's called a Sweetie Creamy Maki. It came out to our table cloaked in shockingly pink rice paper, contrasting with the green of the avocado and the bright-orange sweet potato mash. Each piece was cut into the shape of a teardrop, arranged artfully on the plate in a spiral design. It was visually compelling, certainly, but would it taste good?

The answer was a resounding yes. Avocado, cream cheese and sweet potato, wrapped in rice and served with a touch of tentsuyu sauce, all mixed astonishingly well. I loved this flavor combination of sweet and earthy and — as the menu said — incredibly creamy. It's little surprises like this that dot the menu and make ­Sushi Miyagi even more of an adventure.