A friend of mine believes that all sushi places are the same. He contends that when you compare sushi restaurants side-by-side there just isn’t much difference, not in the food itself. Oh sure, the décor may be different, the ambiance. And there will be a difference in price. But the food is… well, sushi.
I disagree. Some sushi restaurants are better than others. But the quality of the food doesn’t always correlate with the price.
The question for anyone contemplating dining at Mirai Sushi is not whether it’s good. It is. It’s whether Mirai Sushi is worth more than other sushi restaurants (about 10-20% more on average). It’s not.
Is it sleek and stylish? Oh, yes. All smoothly angled planes and glass, soft green accents and giant geisha prints. Is the service prompt and courteous? Yes, on this visit, although we’ve received indifferent service in the past. Is the food outstanding? Sometimes. And herein lies the problem. If you’re going to charge 10-20% more than your competitors, the service and food should be consistently superior. Put another way, if you’re going to charge higher prices, the best thing you can offer with consistency should not be the décor. Otherwise, it just feels sort of false to anyone who believes that top quality sushi actually exists.
Mirai tries to set itself apart by spinning its offerings as Asian fusion, putting an emphasis on warm and cold small plates, and spotlighting a hip minimalism. But after you’ve had a little tempura and some salad, you’ll find yourself tucking into nigri and sashimi for the main event, which is to say, sushi. Make no mistake, this is a sushi place.
Compared to other sushi places, however, you’ll find their selection of maki sparse. They offer only six specialty maki mono rolls. “From the bar” you get some interesting sashimi creations, but there are only nine of those. Poke around the menu some more and you can scare up a few more rolls and sashimi but Mirai Sushi is obviously not a place that prides itself on its broad and varied palette. So it must be about the exquisiteness of each individual offering, right?
Well, some of the time. The special hirame, soft shelled crab topped with fluke and ponzu sauce is very flavorful, well worth the price. And the spicy octopus maki topped with spicy tuna and sweet unagi sauce is a real winner, starting out clean and sweet before becoming spicy on the palate, and then finishing up with a pleasant oniony aftertaste.
But the North Carolina fluke sashimi with spicy radish and house ponzu is little more than a garnish, a couple of paper thin slices of fish curled on the plate, barely enough to fill a tablespoon. And the ebi tempura is just fried shrimp and vegetables, not much different than tempura you can find anywhere.
As for the nigri, the unagi (freshwater eel) was better than I’ve had other places. But the blue fin tuna was not a standout and the Ikura (salmon roe) – my litmus test for sushi restaurants – fell short. The roll was smaller than usual and they skimped on the roe.
A look around tells you that Mirai Sushi attracts a combination of business people and devoted scenesters. This is a place where loyal patrons bring others to impress. They pay a premium for the privilege. What they get in return is sleek, stylish décor and above average sushi. But I guess that’s worth paying extra for because if you believe that truly great sushi doesn’t really exist, the superficial things are what matter.
It’s just that I don’t agree.
Mirai Sushi
2020 W. Division St.
773-862-8500 / Reservations Accepted
Hours: M-Th 5pm-10pm; F-Sa 5pm-11pm; Closed Sunday
Features: Outdoor Dining, Lounge Scene, Carryout, Private Party Facilities
Avg. Price of a Meal for Two Including Drinks and Tax $135
Website: www.miraisushi.com
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