Review: Nikunotakumi Miyoshi
- K
- Oct 23, 2023
- 4 min read
Grade: B
Score: 63.25/100
Detailed scoring at the bottom.
Date visited: 5th October 2023
Number of visits: 2nd
Price: 55,000 JPY for basic course, approx. 35,000 JPY for white truffles + chateau d'yquem
On my first visit, I was really wowed by the beef tongue sashimi and just how well done the beef and non-beef dishes were in general. I told myself I'd return but that return visit only happened 5 trips to Japan later. Perhaps that fact betrayed how I truly felt about Miyoshi.
This visit, the beef used was from Kobe and was of most excellent quality. Just the right amount of marbling, extremely tender, meaty, beefy, fatty all at once.
Before the meal commenced, we were presented with the menu and the drinks menu. There was an optional add on of white truffles (price not stated) which I asked for. There was also Chateau d'Yquem by the glass, which I asked to be served together with dessert. The white truffles just arrived from Alba, was lucky that I caught the start of the White Truffle season at Miyoshi!
Then the meal began.
The first dish was beef consomme with white truffles. It was served in a wine glass, presumably to better smell the aroma which worked. (12.5/20)
While drinking the consomme, I was eyeing the beef and matsutake on display. The beef looked simply gorgeous with all the different cuts laid out.
Chef then began preparing the next dish: Sirloin sashimi
This was soft and the sauce he brushed on top really helped bring out the fattiness of the meat. (12.5/20)
Tender, fatty, perfect texture. Not chewy at all like what you'd expect raw beef to be like.
Next up was the signature dish that's served every meal at the restaurant - Beef tongue sashimi. This was unique in the sense that the tongue was sliced horizontally, not vertically like it usually is. The result is a soft, tender, elastic but not chewy mouthfeel. Perfect. (15/20)
Matsutake soup. This was with a starchy but flavourfull ball in the middle, delicious. (12/20)
Rice, raw beef tartare, squid, caviar. Tasty, but nothing too exciting. (12.5/20)
Preparing the next dish: Gyukatsu!
Gyukatsu, Koutake mushrooms (16/20). This dish was amazing. Perfectly crispy panko crust. Koutake mushrooms are something that I've never had before - this was crispy (probably because it was fried) and so so fragrant with excellent texture. Why isn't this as famous as matsutake?
After the gyukatsu was a palate cleanser of chestnut with some ice. This was okay. (10/20)
Preparing the sirloin slices for a shabu-shabu course. The way he prepares each piece is methodical, precise and watching him do it is like watching a performance, a maestro at work.
The prepared slices.
Kobe sirloin shabu-shabu. Clean broth, fatty-ish meat, clean tasting melty fats. (13/20)
At this point, a few huge pieces of steak came out from the kitchen. He proceeded to slice them up and the sound while slicing really showed how crispy the steak crust was.
Kobe beef fillet, grilled over charcoal. (15/20)
Eggs for the sukiyaki course.
For sukiyaki, he cut the meats a little thicker for that extra texture and mouthfeel. A wonderful touch.
Truffled egg dipping sauce.
Sukiyaki.
Adding the sauce to sizzle.
He then proceeded to add white truffles (as I requested for it). Here is the curious thing - the sukiyaki was prepared two by two. I did not know the person beside me. When he prepared the dish, I was pretty certain that a large majority of the white truffle slices went to him and I only got 4 (yes I counted) slices of white truffle. At least make an effort to ensure roughly equal proportions if you're not preparing it separately.
And why would you add the truffles into the sukiyaki broth anyway? It loses so much fragrance.
Sukiyaki, rice, pickles, miso soup (11/20)
Next was a dessert of pear sorbet. They emphasised that they only used pear and dairy, no added sugar. While I appreciate the effort and the cost involved, this tasted exactly like I thought it would - boring pear pulp with a little creamy taste. Nothing exciting nor novel at all that shows the skill of the restaurant or the procuring prowess. It was decent nonetheless. (11/20)
Last was a dessert of burnt caramel pudding. I (and the couple beside me) asked for a glass of Chateau d'Yquem to go along with this. After seeing the three of us with a glass of dessert wine almost everyone else asked for it too HAHA. It went really well I must say! The bitterness from the burnt caramel with the sweet, mellow, syrupy feel of the d'Yquem. PERFECT.
But unfortunately the score has to be based on less subjective factors and fact is the pudding wasn't as silky as it should be, it was a little clumpish and the burn wasn't very even nor pinpont perfect. To put it matter-of-factly, I can easily find a cafe in Kyoto that does it similarly well, if not better. (10/20)
Think this bottle was finished that night given that almost everyone ordered it HAHA. They do pour a decent sized glass, but that's to be expected at 11,000 JPY a glass. One more point worth mentioning - the vintage of the wine on the menu did not match the vintage served, and the vintage served was younger and no attempt was made to inform me of this switch. Not necessarily a bad thing, but as a diner you should get what you thought you paid for.
SCORING
For an elaboration of how restaurant scores are calculated, refer here
Overall score: 63.25/100
Dishes: 31.25/50
Quantity of food: 9/10
Felt slightly full after the meal. Good amount but people who eat less might not be able to enjoy the last course or dessert.
Pacing of the meal: 8/10
Fairly uniform, desserts were abit too drawn out and the wine took very long to prepare after the dessert had arrived.
Flow/Sequence of the dishes: 5/10
Certain dishes felt abit abrupt, the palate cleanser of chestnut was strange as well. Felt like it was just arranged light to heavy in a generic order.
Restaurant Decor: 7/10
Clean decor, Japanese minimalist style.
Value for money: 3/10
Atrocious value for the white truffle add on. 55,000 JPY for the course is fair to slightly expensive, taking into account the price of other meat restaurants. Wine list is marked up rather high.
Dish no. | Dish | Score( max. 20) |
1 | Beef consomme with Alba white truffles | 12.5 |
2 | Beef sashimi - sirloin | 12.5 |
3 | Beef tongue sashimi | 15 |
4 | Matsutake owan | 12 |
5 | Rice with beef tartare, squid, caviar | 12.5 |
6 | Gyukatsu, Koutake | 16 |
7 | Chestnut, granita | 10 |
8 | Shabu-shabu | 13 |
9 | Fillet steak | 15 |
10 | Sukiyaki with rice, pickles, miso soup, Alba white truffles | 11 |
11 | Pear sorbet | 11 |
12 | Burnt caramel pudding | 10 |
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