Miyabi (2208 N. 45th St), the Japanese restaurant on 45th Street, has re-opened with a brand new menu and concept. I asked Chef Kunise Stroh to tell us about the change, and she obliged:
Miyabi 45 was closed for one week at the end of March, and we reopened on April 1st with a new menu and concept.
When we first opened in 2013, we did not serve any sushi or sashimi because there were already a few restaurants in Wallingford which specialize in just that.
Instead, at first, we focused on traditional Japanese buckwheat noodle, called “soba” (teuchi-soba). Buckwheat, although it has the word “wheat”, contains no wheat, is not a grain but a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb. We mix 20% wheat flour to make our noodle (otherwise it falls apart).
Along with soba, our previous menu focused on Pacific Northwest cuisine with Japanese influence. Our old menu included grilled octopus that was sous-vide cooked for over 48 hours to make it tender and flavorful. We also served wagyu steak called “Zabuton”, upper chuck meat that are beautifully marbled and tender. For a small appetizer, we offered uni-foie gras tofu, using fresh sea urchin from San Juan Island.
Unfortunately, we do not serve those three dishes described above any more, but we hope to put them back on our menu once we are comfortable with our new menu.
The restaurant’s new concept brings back traditional Izakaya style small plates, sushi, and rolls, as we continue to serve handmade soba.
Our new menu is more casual and simpler, but fun and as delicious as before. It includes Karaage (Japanese style fried chicken), Takoyaki (savory octopus munchkins – popular street food in Japan), and a variety of rice bowls, such as Poke and slow-braised pork. Sushi, rolls, and Sashimi are in, and we are proud to continue to serve our handmade soba. We are one of the very few restaurants in PNW who offer fresh soba.
Two additional exciting changes: We created a kids menu so that families with small children feel comfortable to come in. They are welcome. Happy hour is served every day from 5 – 7 (Sunday: 4:30 – 6:30).
We hope that our restaurant becomes a gathering place for people who live in Wallingford and around – be it an an after-work quick happy hour, early family dinner, birthday celebration, parents’ night out, date night, or just to eat/drink – where people can walk in, hang out, and have a good time
Finally, a bit about our owner. The restaurant is owned by Hisako and Masa Ishikura. They also have owned Miyabi Sushi Japanese Restaurant in Southcenter for over 10 years.
We are proud to be in this neighborhood, and we hope to see you at our restaurant.
We’ve always loved everything we ate at Miyabi. May they have many years of success!
Agreed! Loved the old menu and looking forward to trying the new one!