The Mikado Japanese Restaurant

My daughter is coming to visit and wants to go to a sushi restaurant for her birthday.  We wanted to stay in the San Fernando Valley since we are going to a play in Burbank after dinner.  A friend had suggested The Mikado saying that it serves the best sushi she has ever tasted. It is attached to the Best Western on Riverside Drive in Studio City and my experience with restaurants attached to motels has never been very great because of that, even though it is in my neighborhood, I have never been there. After scratching my head for many days trying to where to go when W is here, BK suggested we go to The Mikado today for lunch.  I agreed.  So after seeing a wonderful movie, we drove to the Best Western’s restaurant.

My first surprise was the very nice interior.  The restaurant sparkled.  We were greeted in the usual Japanese way.  We were seated at a very nice white tableclothed booth that had a fresh flower and a very cute soy sauce container (all low sodium). Then we were given warm towels to wash our hands which we did.  They had some fragrance and was really nice.  And now to the most important part – the food. Right after we were given the towles we were given a little cucumber appetizer that was so good, we hoped this was just a taste of what was to cme  I was only going to order sushi, which I did.  They had a sushi combo but I decided to get the rainbow roll ($15) and a tuna roll ($5.25) and I wasn’t disappointed.  There were 6 pieces of tuna roll and a very large rainbow roll with salmon, albacore, shrimp and tuna over an excellent California roll.

BA ordered a special lunch box.  She picked teriyaki chicken and California roll.  With that meal came a side salad, which BK said was delicious, a small fried potato, an egg roll, a small carrot and tiny broccoli with something on it that BK liked, white rice and a strawberry and orange ($12).  She cleaned her plate, declaring everything delicious. after cleaning our table, we were both given some orange which was just perfect.

This was the lunch menu so I asked to see the dinner menu.  There are fewer combinations and some things are more expensive.  They also have other dishes.  I enjoyed this so much that I made a reservation for next Friday to celebrate W’s birthday.  I don’t think anyone will be disappointed.

The Mikado has been in business since 1963, the first sushi restaurant in the Valley.  There are many more now and maybe some are better but we were both very happy with this choice.  The Mikado is  at 12800 Riverside Dr. – (818)-763-1963.  They are open for lunch (11:30 – 2:00) and for dinner (5:30 - ?).

Shiki Sushi

If you like sushi and you are in the valley – Studio City to be exact – during the lunch hour, make sure you go to Shiki Sushi which is hidden in the back of mini-mall off Ventura Boulevard, east of Coldwater Canyon just past Sportsman’s Lodge. They have a sushi lunch that ranges in price from $7.95 and I think the highest one was $14.95. Come hungry and be prepared to eat some of the best sushi I have eaten.

As usual BK and I (I now use the initials BK because there are many people who have name starting with B) ordered Diet Coke. This time we were given a 12 oz. can that cost $1.50. Sure beats the one we had last week which was smaller and more expensive. I would still prefer the glass that can be refilled. BK ordered that $7.95 lunch (main dish being a shrimp tempura roll) and I ordered the $10.95 lunch (main dish being rainbow roll).

We started out with a bean sprout salad of sorts and miso soup. For the first time that I can remember, BK finished the soup. It was salty but that is what miso soup is. There was no tofu in it but there were a few rice noodles, some spinach and a little onion. There seemed to be something wrong with the way they served our food. After the soup and bean sprouts, we got a salad consisting of lettuce and one tomato soaked in French dressing. That we didn’t care for. It would have been fine if there was less dressing. Then I got my next course, three pieces of sushi – one piece of tuna, one piece of yellowtail and one piece of salmon. It was terrific. The fish that they put on top of the rice was huge, well over the ends of the rice, and it melted in my mouth. BK watched me eat. We waited for some time when our waitress came with BK’s second course and her entrée. Her second course, a California roll – 8 pieces, and her entrée, shrimp tempura roll of 6 extra large pieces was brought all at the same time. And I sat with nothing. And I waited as BK was thoroughly enjoying her meal. Finally, the waitress came over and told me that my rainbow roll would be out soon. It wasn’t too long before I had it and it was wonderful. If you don’t know, a rainbow roll is a California roll with strips of tuna, yellowtail and salmon on the top. It was huge and just wonderful. I ate every bit as did BK.

This food is a bargain and it is excellent sushi. I am not a connoisseur never having been to the really expensive sushi restaurant. I am comparing this to the medium priced sushi and this beats every one coming and going. The service left something to be desired but the food did not. The place was very crowded which may be one reason for the way we were served. I don’t think they have specials like this in the evening. If you just ordered the rainbow roll by itself, the cost is $10.95. Go for lunch and enjoy.