Last weekend we finally made it to Miyake, and I'm really regretting that it was the first time...I've wasted so much time!

The meal was phenomenal. Every single piece of sushi exploded with freshness and flavor, and contained a perfect balance of flavors. The clearing of each plate was a little depressing, but then a new plate would arrive with a new and amazing array of flavors.

It really was a wonderful meal. Otis and I made an improptu date with our friends Spencer and Shea, who had dropped off their toddler with the grandparents. Miyake is a busy place, and there was a bit of a wait, but the server was nice enough to take our cell-phone number and call us when a table was ready, so that we could go up the the Downtown Lounge and have a beer while we were waiting. Overall the service was very good; the college-aged server was friendly and prompt, and he had an excellent command of the menu.

We ordered pretty much exclusively from the specials menu, which totally paid off. The fabulous dishes included a ceviche roll; a salmon sampler; a California-style roll with seared Maine shrimp in a light spicy mayo on top; seared Kobe beef; and much more. Literally every plate was perfect.

I've had sushi in a lot of places (NY, SF, LA, Hawaii, etc.... unfortunately not Japan), and the meal at Miyake stands out as one of the best.

Prices are very reasonable, and it's BYOB. If we hadn't gotten the Kobe beef, which is $8 a piece, the total bill would have been about $100 for four people.

Don't do what I did and waste potential Miyake-eating meals! Go! Go!

(We went to the new Evangeline last night and had a lovely dinner...I'll post about that shortly as well. Yum, steak frites.)

Happy New Year everyone. I am hoping that the economy improves, and everyone in the world stays safe and warm, and that lots of good (and cheap) restaurants open here in Portland.

Last night Otis and I went out with our friends Jenn and Matt to Miyake. As with our previous visit, everything was phenomenal. As Matt said, it's such a great restaurant that it spoils you for other sushi places. Our service was great, our waiter knowledgeable and thoughtful (and a new dad-- congrats!), and the bill almost ridiculously low given the amount of food and its quality. (It was about $85 per couple, including tip, and we got some of the most expensive stuff on the menu, given that it was a holiday. The BYOB helps-- we brought our own champagne. Or, pardon me, sparkling wine.)

We had miso sake soup with Maine shrimp; broiled toro; lobster roll; braised pork belly; broiled duck; tai ceviche roll; anago (salwater eel); and spicy scallop roll.

Below is a photo (yes! Otis gave me a tiny adorable purple Nikon coolpix for my birthday! thanks Otis!) of the ceviche roll and the duck. I don't usually like duck, with the exception of the smoked duck breast from the Ridgewood Pork Store (which we also have in our fridge right now, thanks to Katy-- what a thoughtful gift!). BUT the duck breast at Miyake is continuing my conversion. It was so yummy I almost couldn't stop eating it. The ceviche roll is light and fresh, and amazing. Just go eat there, I am telling you! Yum!

Miyake is located at 129 Spring Street in Portland. (207) 871-9170. They take reservations if you commit to spending at least $25 a person.

Happy New Year everyone!

Thanks to all of you who wrote in with suggestions for our anniversary dinner! I'm looking forward to trying some of the places where I've never been, and revisiting some where it's been way too long!

We did end up going to Miyake, basically because we just love it so much. It's really the most amazing place. Every time we visit, we try something that's a revelation.

This time it was sardines...marinated and then dried, so that they looked like stained glass and had a rich, full, but not fishy flavor, and then sprinkled with sesame seeds.

My next favorite dish was the simple and sublime Maine Hamayaki-- Maine lobster, Maine scallops, and Maine crab served on a bed of rice and topped with some sort of mayonnaisy-truffle-oil-yum sauce and then broiled.

We also had my two regular favorites: black cod, simply broiled, and the tai ceviche roll, full of light and citrusy flavors.

That's not all...we certainly didn't hold back in our ordering-- by the end of the meal we were utterly sated and happy. (Although we did go to Local for a glass of wine and a slice of cake. An anniversary isn't an anniversary without dessert!).

It was truly a wonderful meal and a special way to spend our 6th wedding anniversary. The space at Miyake is not fancy, but it is welcoming and friendly and relaxed, which was what we felt we needed after a fairly stressful spring semester at school for me and a busy work season so far this summer for Otis.