Mikado Ryotei

 
Henry Wong, proprietor of Mikado on 183 near Burnet, like so many of the entrepreneurs who run Japanese restaurants in this town, is not Japanese. And you know what? That doesn’t bother me a lick. The quality of the food at Mikado is such that he could be Korean, Tibetan, or Outer Mongolian. His pedigree is of little importance. Results count.

Let’s begin with the Robata or Japanese tapas. These little oak charcoal grilled appetizer sized snacks have their origin in Northern Japan. Largely comprised of seafood, meat and vegetables, these little doodads just rock.

I’ve tried the grilled Gulf Prawns. Heads on these, so the squeamish beware, with ground miso and crushed pepper. Delicious. Exemplary flavor.

The Fillet of Sea Bass, again oak grilled with mirin and fresh lemon is exquisite. An ethereal flavor, born of the sweetness of the sea. Cannot recommend it highly enough. And finally, the Sea Scallops and shitake mushrooms, served on a skewer. Wonderful taste and riveting presentation.

The peppered calamari was a treat as was the fresh and perfectly seasoned Edamame or boiled fresh green soybeans. I could eat bowls of these things. Just remember though, it’s what’s inside that counts. I also totally love the Jumbo Ebi tempura which features crisp gulf prawns in a totally compelling tempura batter. The results is sweet, almost fragrant with a delicate texture and a complicated yet very engaging taste.

The Sushi is also excellent. Mikado is home to the next monthly meeting of the Austin Sushi Society and for good reason. The rolls you must try include: The KamaKazi roll features spicy tuna, avocado and eel. This is original and a real crowd pleaser. Guaranteed to elicit oohs and ahs from your table. And my personal favorite: Chorishi’s Fire (named after the chef). This presents with two pieces of shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado and spicy sauce.

On the sushi side, try the fatty tuna or Toro. Market prices on this can vary so check with your server… but if it’s in the ball park, try it. The hamachi or yellowtail is also excellent. And the sake or salmon is also a treat. The sashimi, raw seafood without the sticky rice, is equally good.

I jokingly told Mr. Wong that he should change his last name to Watanabi… to make it sound Japanese. He’s got a sense of humor. Who knows, ask for him by that name and he may give you a discount.