Why: Sushi Mioga offers another conveyor belt-style sushi option in Clark County. The restaurant is housed in Hazel Dell, where the new strip mall shopping center was developed on the corner of Hazel Dell Avenue and Northeast 78th Street.
What I tried: My dining companion and I tried several of the selections, which included the red snapper on rice, the asparagus roll filled with tempura asparagus and cream cheese, the spicy tuna roll containing tuna, spicy mayonnaise and avocado, the house roll with cooked salmon, avocado, crab salad and cucumber wrapped in a soy paper, which is very similar in texture to a thin flour tortilla. We also tried the ichi roll filled with crab meat, cucumber and shrimp with a sweet chili sauce drizzled on top, and the miso soup. For dessert, we chose a coconut cake that turned out to be very light and airy, not overly sweet, with finely shredded coconut on top.
All the roll selections that my dining companion and I chose were adeptly prepared and appetizing. The ingredients were fresh and tasty. The red snapper was good, as well. The miso soup was piping hot and true to the traditional flavor that it is so liked for.
We also sampled a grape jelly beverage and an orange jelly beverage that were making the rounds on the conveyor. They were packaged in a foil, squeeze-bag dispenser. I have never tried these, so I was not sure what to expect. They were much too sweet for me.
Dining out guide: Sushi Mioga
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday and Sunday. 11 a.m. to 9 :30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Cost: Plates are $1.39, $1.95, $2.55, $2.95 and $3.45.
Telephone: 360-768-5901
Where: 7904 N.E. Sixth Ave., Suite 120, Vancouver.
Health score: Sushi Mioga has received a Pre-Opening Inspection and is scheduled for a routine inspection in the near future. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The mioga roll sounded good. This roll is made with shrimp tempura, asparagus, seared salmon and spicy mayonnaise. The pepper tuna roll, made with seared tuna, crab salad, cucumber, spicy mayonnaise and wasabi mayonnaise, sounded delicious, as did the volcano roll, which is comprised of baked scallop, crab salad, egg and spicy mayonnaise. Other menu items include chicken katsu, tempura shrimp, gyoza, inari, edamame, sesame balls, seaweed salad and salmon kama. Both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages are available.
Atmosphere: The space is set up like most sushi restaurants of this sort, with the sushi prep in the center surrounded by a conveyor where the plates circulate by diners for them to help themselves. The kitchen is in the rear, and seating consists of bar stools as well as some booths for larger parties. Walls are painted a pleasant shade of medium green on the upper walls and large pale tiles on the bottom half. Natural lighting is allowed in through the front windows, and sparkling chrome pendants shaded in crystal-like beads add a sophisticated tone to the space.
Other observations: The atmosphere is very comfortable and clean. The staff was attentive. We found the food tasty and reasonably priced for what is offered. The “crab” used in the rolls is imitation (pollock), as is the standard practice of such sushi establishments. All in all, a good choice, taking into consideration the menu selections, for a quick sushi experience.
