Miku

70 - 200 Granville Street

Vancouver, BC

I admit, I'm actually not that very romantic of a person. For our wedding anniversary, W and I didn't really know what to do to celebrate ^__^;; Since we had talked for a long time about trying Miku, we decided to have our anniversary dinner there.

Shiso Mojito - shochu, fresh lime, shiso leaf

I started off with a refreshing and bubbly Mojito. Instead of mint, it was muddled with fragrant shiso leaves. I love the smell and taste of shiso, so this simple cocktail was just right for my palate.

Kaiso Seaweed Salad - nutrigreens garm organic baby greens, cucumber, campari tomato, radish, avocado, crunchy arare, spicy sesame-ponzu vinaigrette

All the ingredients in the salad went well together and I especially liked the crunchy lotus root slices. Lucky for me, W doesn't like lotus roots so I got to eat them all haha... This was definitely a salad I could finish all by myself!

Aburi Beef Carpaccio - sterling silver AAA short rib, tamari horseradish creme fraiche, 64 degree organic egg, jalapeno-garlic ponzu, organic baby greens

Although this version was tasty, I liked the traditional Italian style beef carpaccio with Parmesan cheese and capers more.

Miku Roll - salmon, crab, uni, cucumber, rolled in tobiko, Miku sauce

Originally, I chose this roll because there was uni (sea urchin) inside. However, when it came, we noticed something was amiss. We weren't quite sure what was different until at the end of the meal I finally figured it out. The uni was missing!!! On the bill, it also stated that there was no uni inside the roll so they automatically deducted $2 off. I was kind of miffed about that because our server totally did not let us know that uni was unavailable that day. She could have let us know at the beginning and asked if we wanted to change our order but none of that happened. When we inquired about the bill it was then that she told us uni was not in season so the restaurant did not have any. WELL! If we had known earlier then we would have changed our order! It felt like I had been duped!! /End rant

Salmon Oshi Sushi - pressed BC wild sockeye salmon, jalapeno, Miku sauce

The obligatory order for every first time Miku customer, the salmon oshi sushi. I thought the torched Miku sauce was what made it tasty, otherwise I actually wasn't too wowed by it.

Premium Aburi Nigiri - chef's selection of feature nigiri, lightly flame seared Aburi style, each paired with our house made sauce

I was, however, impressed with their aburi nigiri sushi though! Plated and presented very beautifully, each piece of sushi was like a work of art! Each piece had a different sauce and different topping which made each one a unique experience.

Ebi Fritter - white tiger prawns, herb-beer battered, sweet chili aioli, soy-balsamic reduction, chili powder

Not feeling too full, we added a last minute dish to our table. With several large, meaty prawns, the "ebi mayo" (as it would have been traditionally called) did the trick in filling up the remaining space in our tummies. I just wasn't too fond of the Caesar salad that was paired with the prawns though. Since there was already a creamy aioli on the prawn fritters, I would have liked something lighter and fresh on the greens.

Maple-miso Ice Cream

We finished off the night with a bowl of ice cream to share. Looking at the flavour options on the menu, the maple-miso jumped right out at me! Chocolate, strawberry....so boring! LOL...maple miso sounded so intriguing! More sweet than salty, the miso taste didn't really shine through but the ice cream was still good nonetheless.

Even though I wasn't floored or wowed by every dish that we ordered, Miku is still a great place to go for special occasions. To me, the aburi sushi is a must-try and one of the reasons why Miku is so recommended for their high-end, high-quality nigiri sushi. At last, W and I got to check this one off our list!

Las Vegas 2015 - Day 4

Before we left for Las Vegas, one of my aunts raved about the awesome buffet at Caesar's Palace and recommended that we pay a visit. So, on our last day, we dropped by for their lunch buffet!

W and I did not really walk around inside the hotel/casino portion of Caesar's Palace back in 2012 so I had no idea what the buffet area looked like before. I definitely think they have completely renovated and redesigned the buffet and dining area fairly recently though. 

It looked brand spanking new with modern and clean lines. There were beautiful and unique light fixtures and chandeliers, modern looking tables, chairs, and privacy screens all throughout the room. I just loved the entire space!

I walked through the whole buffet line once to size up the selections first. Since there were so many items, I had to decide which ones were worthy of putting in mouth! I only have so much room in my stomach after being sick the previous day! I didn't want to eat anything that would trigger my upset stomach again, so I thought the bowls of Korean Ginseng chicken broth, congee (rice porridge), and oatmeal would be a good starter to get my stomach going. On my plate were also some shrimp cocktail, bacon, sausage and eggs (just caught the end of the breakfast shift!), some roasted veggies, and sushi. To wash it down, we had coffee, orange juice and watermelon juice that came in a cute clear bottle!

When I saw the dessert section, I just couldn't hold my excitement in!! I immediately turned into a giddy school girl! LOL... I was just totally in awe of their variety and placement of the sweet goodies! With the dessert counters placed as a square shape, I think I walked around the perimeter multiple times just taking in the sights and smells! I finally decided on a glutinous rice ball in ginger syrup (I admit, the cute sake cup attracted me first), creme brulee, a green tea chocolate cake, a homemade vanilla marshmallow square, and a double chocolate peanut butter cookie.

After a nice leisurely lunch, I was quite hesitant to leave :( The decor was so pretty, atmosphere was relaxed, there were endless enticing food and drinks... Before leaving, I did a last walk-through and took photos to remind me of this wonderful buffet experience!

Chicken and waffle (cones!)

Bottles of freshly pressed juices (carrot, orange, watermelon)

Airline Chicken (it was really called Airline Chicken! I have no idea why, I did not try it... It looked super cute in the little tin casserole dishes though)

Charcuterie board and a vast selection of bread and rolls

Enormous cheese platter!

Hot and sour soup, and congee with a variety of toppings

BBQ duck, BBQ pork (char siu) and other Chinese stir-fries

One half of the dining area had a modern/contemporary glass theme going on (which was where we sat) and the other half had a west coast-earthy vibe since there was an extensive use of wood as its decor. Loved both sides of the dining area! The Buffet at Wynn and the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar's Place are strong contenders in my book. I think I might have to visit both of them the next time I head to Vegas in order to determine a winner ;)

Las Vegas 2015 - Day 3

Originally, W and I had planned a day of shopping (or window shopping) at the Fashion Show Mall and the Premium Outlets after lunch. 

I guess Bobby Flay wasn't the only celebrity chef restaurant that we visited during this trip! We stopped by Gordon Ramsay's BURGR inside the Miracle Mile of Planet Hollywood and since we arrived before the bustling lunch crowd, we got a table right away. Yay!

Ginger ale and unsweetened iced tea

Time and time again, I order the iced tea thinking it was the sweetened version that we get in Canada. I always forget that iced tea in the States literally is "ice + brewed tea"; no sugar, no sweetness. I tried to like it, but I just can't shake my Canadian-ized iced tea taste buds. Should have ordered the Ginger Ale like W did!

Kale Granny-Apple Caesar Salad - parmigiano-reggiano cheese, mini herb-garlic crouton

I felt like we needed some greens to counter the burger and fries that we were going to have. With the addition of crisp sweet apples and super good, kale, this version of the Caesar salad was not bad. Just like a typical Caesar salad but with some non-traditional co-stars.

Chantrelle Burger - chantrelle mushrooms, arugula, figgy-onion jam

We short-listed a couple of burgers on the menu and after some deliberation, we went for the Chantrelle Burger which has, of course, chantrelle mushrooms, a sweet fig and onion jam, and a handful of fresh arugula leaves. Since the burger patty was made to order, there was the option to select the doneness of the meat. We went for medium rare and it came just that, reddish-pink in the middle with a nicely browned exterior. Overall, the taste of the burger was nicely balanced. There was the savoury beef patty, the sweet fig-onion jam, and the bitter arugula. However, I thought the beef wasn't as juicy or fatty as I had expected. Hence, when eaten with the thick brioche bun, it actually became kind of dry.

Truffle Parmesan Fries - hand cut fries, truffle parmesan, truffle salt, truffle aioli

We can't have burger without fries! The Truffle Parmesan version has a liberal sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese and an enticing aroma of truffle oil and truffle salt. Dipped in the truffle aioli, it was an explosion of earthy, umami-ness! Not a big fan of the short stubby fries but they were crispy, fresh, and hot so that satisfied me just fine.

The entrance was pretty cool, very eye-catching indeed!

Now, in the beginning, I said that we were originally going to go (window) shopping after lunch. I said "originally" because there was a change of plans :( Both W and I came down with a terrible case of nausea and upset stomachs. It wasn't because of the food from Burgr...I think it was from the tuna melt sandwich we had the day before. It probably sat in the car too long when went to Valley of Fire State Park and turned bad (even though it tasted fine when we ate it!). We ended up heading back to the hotel to nap for the rest of the afternoon.

By dinner time, W was feeling better but my stomach was still giving me a hard time. I wanted some comforting Asian food but I didn't want to venture too far away. And since we had tickets to go see the Blue Man Group later that night, we decided to go to Dragon Noodle inside Monte Carlo for dinner. If it wasn't because of my upset stomach, I wouldn't have settled for expensive, mediocre, Americanized Chinese food =P But at that moment, some wonton soup comforted my sick body.

Luckily, the quirky and humourous Blue Man Group took my mind off the stomach pains and I was able to enjoy the rest of the night :)

Las Vegas 2015 - Day 2 [Part 2]

I've been wanting to dine at a celebrity chef's restaurant in Las Vegas for a long time now. Sure, it could be the hype and the "famous people" allure, but it's something on my to-do list that I have to check off! I decided to try Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill because I've never tried Southwestern cuisine before and this seemed like a nice palatial adventure for W and I.

We made reservations for 7pm and we were seated quite promptly. The atmosphere was fairly casual but service was still at fine dining standards.

Complimentary bread basket - sour dough, cranberry walnut, jalapeno corn bread muffins

After we put in our orders, we were given a bread basket with 3 kinds of bread. We both thought the corn bread was the most outstanding selection while the other 2 were ok, just ordinary.

Blue Corn Pancake - Barbequed duck, habanero chile, star anise sauce

W and I both ordered an appetizer to start. Of course, following our usual dining protocol, we switched plates halfway so we could try both dishes. The blue corn pancake sort of looked like a Peking duck wrap meets Mexican taco, southwestern style. The duck was shredded into tender morsels and drenched in a sweet and spicy sauce. There were a lot of filling and sauce so I thought it needed more pancake to balance out the flavours and texture.

Tiger Shrimp + Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale - corn, cilantro sauce

The shrimp and corn tamale was, by far, the most delicious dish of the entire meal! There was a perfect medley of spiciness, sweetness from the corn, and savouriness from the garlic and cilantro sauce. The shrimp was cooked perfectly which has just the right snap to the meat and when eaten with the soft corn tamale, everything just melded together!! This was so so good!!

Coffee Rubbed Filet Mignon - Mushroom-Ancho chile sauce

I apologize because I don't even remember if this was the filet mignon! I just remember there was a coffee rub on the steak and it had the same sweet and spicy sauce as the pork tenderloin that we also ordered as our entrée. The steak was tender and it was super flavourful from the rub and the sauce but because there was nothing else on the plate, it got a bit boring eating the same thing fork after fork.

New Mexican Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin - Bourbon-Ancho chile sauce, sweet potato tamale with crushed pecan butter

The pork tenderloin was cooked to a medium doneness but it seems like the middle was still a too rare. Hence, it was a little tough to chew through. The sweet potato tamale was good with the nutty, creamy butter but we thought it wasn't as good as the roasted garlic corn tamale from the appetizer.

Churros - dusted with cinnamon sugar, star anise dark chocolate dipping sauce, coconut dulce de leche dipping sauce

Ok, I had to end this dinner on a high note. Even though this plate of churros was $11, it really hit my craving and sweet spot. A crisp and sweet exterior and a soft, fluffy center...the churros were already delicious on its own without the dipping sauces. YUM!

*Still, I knew that for $11 I could get 11 churros at Costo =___=

The other thing on my to-do list on this trip was to see the new pedestrian promenade across from Caesar's Palace. The Linq and the new ferris wheel, The High Roller, was revealed in 2014, 2 years after my last visit. With both sides of the promenade filled with bars, restaurants and shops, and the brightly lit High Roller as the backdrop, it's a nice place to take a stroll at night.

W and I weren't big fans of the glitzy nightlife so we headed back to the hotel to get rested for our planned activity the next day: shopping!!

Las Vegas 2015 - Day 2 [Part 1]

A couple years ago, W went to Disney World in Orlando and tried Earl of Sandwich. He came back and raved about their awesome and affordable sandwiches to me. Naturally, I had to try it out too when I found out that there was one inside the Miracle Mile shops of Planet Hollywood.

 

I ordered the Hawaiian BBQ which consisted of grilled chicken, ham, swiss cheese, pineapple, and barbeque sauce.

The juicy and sweet pineapple went really well with the grilled chicken and salty ham. This was a very good hot sandwich, yum!

W went for The Original 1762. With roasted beef, cheddar and horseradish sauce, it was savoury, melty, and meaty with a bit of kick. Just as delicious but of course, I liked my sandwich more!

After our quick brunch, we hopped back in our car and drove out the Valley of Fire State Park. Located about a 1 hour drive away, northeast of Las Vegas, this state park featured red sandstone formations, large and small, created by the shifting sand dunes since the age of the dinosaurs!

Up close or from afar, the fire-y redness of the sandstone really stood out against the blue sky. So beautiful! I was just full of awe and felt so inspired by nature.

One of the many different red sandstone formations was the beehive. There was even a little cave-like hole that was large enough for me to duck into and hide from the scorching hot desert sun =__="

 

Just off Mouse's Tank Road, into Fire Canyon Road, another view point was Fire Canyon and Silica Dome. Even from far away, you could see the different coloured striations in the rock. Standing at the top looking down into the dessert valley, with the hot wind blowing against my skin, and just listening to the quietness of the surroundings, I was so mesmerized by the moment. Buuut, after a couple minutes, I couldn't stand the blazing sun beating down and me and crawled back into my air conditioned car LOL...

After spending a couple hours at the Valley of Fire, we left for our next destination: Red Rock Canyon. This conservation area was closer to Las Vegas than Valley of Fire, just a 30 minute drive from The Strip. It, too, also boasted a scenic drive where one could see the natural red sandstone peaks and rock formations.

Red Rock Canyon was smaller in size compared to Valley of Fire and there were not as many rock formations either. Coming straight from Valley of Fire, we were not that amazed or wowed by Red Rock Canyon. If you could only go to either one as a day trip, I would totally recommend Valley of Fire.

There were lots of different trails all along the scenic loop. Although we didn't hike on any of them, we did stop and walked to the site of a former limestone quarry. Left behind were these large slabs of limestone, cut like marshmallows and strewn about. If it wasn't so hot outside it would be pretty cool to climb about here!

After completing the scenic loop at Red Rock Canyon, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up and have dinner with Bobby Flay....I mean, AT Bobby Flay's restaurant!

Las Vegas 2015 - Day 1

Even though Las Vegas is not one of the most "must-go" travel destinations, W and I always love visiting Sin City because of the short plane ride away and relatively cheap vacation packages that are available.

 

We planned a trip for the end of summer so we could experience the warmth and sunshine a little longer.



 

The first thing we did after we picked up our rental car was to go to the closest In-n-Out Burger and have lunch! Not only was it the cheapest meal we had during the whole trip, their burgers and fries were so so so good... We miss In n' Out so much!!



 

This time, we stayed at Montel Carlo because of its relatively central location and because I really wanted to float around their lazy river on the pool deck! The warm (not scorching hot) temperature was perfect for lying around the pool and dipping in the water.

Because I played the My Vegas Slots game pretty religiously for the past year, I racked up enough points to earn a prize: a 2-for-1 dinner buffet at Aria!! Yay!! The last time W and I went to Vegas, we stayed at Aria but their buffet restaurant was still under renovation so we didn't get the chance to try it out. We sort of had high expectations because Aria itself was such a nice hotel.

Not to say that Aria's buffet was bad, it was just a little underwhelming with their selections. We were surprised to see so much crayfish in the seafood section. I don't think we saw much crayfish at any of the buffets we visited the last time we were in Vegas.

They looked appealing but seemed too much of a hassle to eat haha...

There was a curry station with jasmine rice and naan bread.

There was a baked potato bar too! You could either pick the pre-dressed ones, or add your own toppings to a plain baked potato.

One of our plates: prime rib roast, chilled snow crab legs, clams, sushi, salad etc...

The dessert station was kind of disappointing for me. There were the usual staples like cheesecake, carrot cake, lemon meringue pie, chocolate mousse cake, cookies, and there were some other interesting items like Banana Foster, cannoli and panna cotta. However, it just seemed like there weren't enough selections to wow my senses.

 

Their ice cream station looked pretty cool and futuristic though! The strawberry sorbet was refreshing while the Thai milk tea ice cream was full of fragrant and floral tea flavours! Really surprising and delicious!!

After having dinner, we decided to hit the sack as we had a jam-packed day tomorrow. This definitely was not going to be a relaxing vacation like I had originally wanted it to be =___=