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Miku

First Time for Dinner – just for two
We were looking for a higher end sushi place to go to, so I suggested Miku to Sheepie. Parking is a pain to find in the area, so we ended up with meter parking which turns out to be $9 for 90 minutes…holy moly…

Even from the exterior, we could tell that this was not your usual $5 for bento box restaurant. The door was thick and heavy, with the logo in the middle, which was in a circle that glowed red at the rims. Nice touch.

As soon as you entered, there was a stand with host(ess) waiting to greet you and take you to your table. Once the host(ess) called out ‘Irrasshaimase!’ (welcome), and the staff in the open kitchen would all call out the same.

We were told a table was an hour wait… o_O but the bar was open. We decided ok, and were walking over the bar section when we noticed there was one table wit high chair that was available. We took that instead. All the tables were already set, the restaurant was modern, slick and had a nice atmosphere with dimmed lighting. Candles on the table made it very warm and romantic. Our server was very friendly and courteous.

Unsure of what to order, I ordered the Miku roll $18 because of it’s name. I figured that if the roll had their name on it, that it would be good. The staff took the time in explaining what each dish was. It was very rich in flavour, but of course not filling for the price. Sheepie ordered the Premium Nigiri $25 which had an assortment of nigiri sushi. We both had tea, though we didn’t know that we would be charged for tea – $3 per person!! Ouch. We do get a tea pot each, but considering we both don’t drink that much, and the tea wasn’t all super duper, it was a bit too much.

Miku roll $18 – salmon, crab, cucumber, sea urchin, rolled in flying fish roe, miku sauce

Premium Nigiri $25

If you have been going to sushi places for a really good deal like I had been through my student years, be prepared to get less quantity for what you pay for! However, the quality is much better. We both had a pleasant dining experience, though we were far from being full

Second Time for Lunch – for a big group of 20
To reserve the private room was a bit of a hassle. They stated that 24 was the maximum number of people with a minimum order of $23 each, or $550 per group. Instead of being able to make the reservation with the host, Sheepie had to email and phone back and forth between a ‘event coordinator’, making it a bit complicated – perhaps the most complicated we had to deal to reserve for a group.

They offered a special menu, but we could not guarantee that all members would show up, which would then leave the inefficient funds to be paid (for the $550) by Sheepie. This was too much to do for a group of mostly strangers. So in the end, we ended up not booking the private room, and just reserving for 20 seats in the main area.

Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi $16

Saba Aburi Oshi Sushi $15

Still, it was very lovely. The tables were in the restaurant which was near the window looking out to the water and Canada Place. It had a great view, it was bright, modern and slick in this section, and excellent service. The table tops were granite, the chairs were comfortable and designerish lights hung from the ceiling.

After doing a bit of research this time and knowing that the aburi’s were their specialties,
I ordered the Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi $16. Wow!!! I simply love this dish! I was a bit jealous of others who ordered the Aburi $20 (a selection of aburi, roll and oshi sushi, 8 pieces), but one girl said that her favourite was the salmon one, so I guess I made the right choice. The salmon was rich in flavour and although there weren’t many pieces, after savouring each one, taking a minute to eat, you were really satisfied with the dish. I think my belly was too. My friend ordered the Saba Aburi Oshi Sushi $15 and it had a good charcoal taste. Simpler than the salmon, but excellent. My friend looooved it.

They’re not cheap! But the experience, the view, the service and of course the food is well worth it. I didn’t think too much of it the first time – perhaps it was because I didn’t order their signature aburi dishes, but coming the second time has made it onto my ‘good sushi restaurants to go list’. We were worried that we may get complaints from the group that we took there for being a bit expensive since we had always gone to average or cheap priced places, but everyone loved the food and experience, to the point that many others wanted more restaurants like that to go to.
Love to go back!

Taste: Price for Value:

Atmosphere: Service:
Location:

Cafe de l’Orangerie

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Pardon my French, but I can never seem to remember the name of this restaurant… Sheepie and I were looking for the place, but because we couldn’t remember the name, I wasn’t able to find it on Google maps or Urbanspoon for some time.

It’s a cafe with about 20 tables, and last time we drove by, it was completely packed. This time, there were only 3 other groups. It was around 5pm on a Sunday. We sat by the window, I sitting on the comfier cushioned bench. Although it was run by Japanese, it didn’t have the above-than-average level that these kind of cafe’s usually would have in Japan.

We ordered the Hashed Beef Stew with Hamburger Steak $12.95. It was a fairly large dish, and half of it was enough for me at the time. It came with a side salad, rice, beef stew (like curry) and a hamburger (Japanese style). The hamburger was super soft and juicy. Ah~…brings back nostalgic memories of eating Western food in Japan…always so tasty…

Hashed Beef Stew with Hamburger Steak $12.95

This dish did live up to my expectation. The hashed beef stew was excellent. I found it a bit on the salty side, but that’s just because I don’t use salt in my own cooking. I wished there was a little bit more rice, but that’s just my preference. Sheepie on the other hand didn’t seem to like it as much as I did. He said it was on the blander side. But then again, he hasn’t really ate that much Western food in Japan except McDonald’s so he doesn’t have that same nostalgic feeling or familiarity with the taste. But from someone that hasn’t ate much of them, he does give a different perspective on Japanese-Western style food.

Service was prompt and friendly. The atmosphere is ok, though I did wish they bumped up the interior decor a bit. The ceiling is a bit ghetto and not much thought has gone into the visual experience. Hey, it’s a French-Japanese restaurant. They could do a bit better. The regular menu is ok, but the special menu/dish is on crumpled lined paper written in either crayons or felt markers. Although I can see they are trying to achieve a friendly, handmade feel, it brought down the level to ‘are they too poor?’ or ‘are we serving to children?’.

However, the food was very good. For what I saw from the menu, it didn’t seem like a real ‘French’ fusion restaurant. It was the typical Western food that is served in Japan, catered to Japanese. So don’t let the name fool you. Don’t go in expecting French cuisine. This is a Western-style restaurant run by Japanese. If you’re not familiar with the tastes, they might throw you off (like Sheepie), but I can’t wait till I come back and try more things off the menu! (I guess with a different friend…lol)

Note: They are closed on Tuesdays!

Taste: Price for Value:

Atmosphere: Service:
Location:

The Chalet at The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Hotel