Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House

After doing an AYCE Wagyu Shabu Shabu in Kyoto on my recent trip to Japan, I was curious how Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House would compare.  Mikiya is a chain restaurant that operates in several states including Washington.  We visited the University District in Seattle to experience their Diamond Wagyu Set for $98.00 per person ($88.00 for members).   There are also 2 tiers below this being Silver at $55.00 per person ($48.00 for members) and Gold at $78.00 per person ($68.00 for members).  Main difference is Silver features Australian Wagyu and the Gold elevating to Japanese A5 Wagyu.  For the Diamond, we had all of the menu available for us to order in addition to even more cuts of A5 Wagyu.

Before we got to ordering our meats on the supplied tablet, we helped ourselves to the self-service items.  This included a Rice Dispensing Machine with curry on the side.  The Curry Rice was actually quite good.  We found the rice to be cooked through while being chewy and not overly wet.  The curry wagyu as well as the minced wagyu were tasty and well-textured.  Sauce bar was pretty typical with soy, ponzu, sesame sauce, sesame oil, garlic, onion and chili sauce.  We found raw eggs for the sukiyaki too.

Right next to the sauce bar, we had a selection of Veggies including lettuce, spinach, napa cabbage, taro, udon, mochi, broccoli, crab stick, fish ball pockets, konjac noodles, tofu and seaweed.  Things were definitely fresh and the display was kept tidy and stocked.  As much as these things were great, I personally would recommend you order more of the beef and only get a bit of veg to compliment.

Moving to the right, we found another station with Fruit (melon, grapes & rambutan), mushrooms, squash and several small appies. These appies included takowasabi and 2 types of seaweed salad.  Fruit was fresh like the veggies.  Really enjoyed the rambutan as we normally do not see that in any buffet.  Loved the seaweed salads, especially the one with birdseye chili.

The last 2 self-service stations included cans of pop (Sprite, Diet Coke and Coke), soft-serve (more on that later) and dispensed drinks.  These included hot tea, calpico, milk tea, guava tea, iced tea and lemon water.  Appreciate that they had cans of pop since they taste better than fountain drinks.  There was ice available so that drinks stayed cold.  The other beverages were fine, but on the sweeter side.

Moving onto the main menu, we could order a limited amount of items each time.  We went for some appies first with the Wagyu Tartare and the Wagyu Nigiri Sushi.  As you can see, the beef in the tartare was totally Wagyu fatty.  Despite being raw, it still ate buttery.  Normally, that much unrendered fat would be chewy.  Flavors were a bit mild though.  The nigiri were excellent with buttery soft thinly sliced wagyu.  Really enjoyed these.

Next, we had the Bluefin Nigiri and the Sweet Shrimp Sashimi.  As you can clearly see in the picture above, the bluefin was fresh with bright colors and a nice sheen.  It ate as such too with classic butteriness.  The shrimp was so sweet and delicate.  Loved how the meat was not mushy which was an indication of its freshness (as fresh as flash frozen can be).  

The Wagyu didn't stop there as we had the Wagyu Bone Marrow.  This was a roasted bone marrow with bits of Wagyu on top.  The result was a extra-luxurious bite atop the pieces of toast.  We got a selection of their fried items including the Tempura Shrimp, Fried Chicken and Fried Gyoza.  At first, I thought these were throwaway options but in reality, they were quite good.  The chicken was juicy with a crispy exterior while the tempura was fairly light with buttery shrimp inside.  The gyoza was the most surprising item as the skin was super thin and crispy while the filling was juicy with just the right amount of cabbage.

Now we got to the Shabu Shabu with a half-Tomato Broth and half-Sukiyaki.  Yes, the classic sukiyaki was great with sweet and salty vibes and the meat was so silky with the raw egg, but I loved the tomato.  It was velvety and rich with sweet tanginess.  Our first set of meats included the A5 Japanese Wagyu Chuck Ribeye, Wagyu Brisket, Wagyu Shoulder and Kurobuta Pork.  Suffice to say, these were buttery and melt-in-our-mouths tender after a quick cook in the broths.  My favourite of the bunch was the chuck ribeye as it was nicely marbled.

The next set of meats were a combination of Gold and Silver tiers (but included with the Diamond).  They consisted of Full Blood M9+ Australian Wagyu Chuck Ribeye and Shoulder Cut.  Also Premium Australian Wagyu Brisket, Chuck Ribeye and Shoulder.  Sure, the marbling was less than the A5, but it still cooked up buttery and tender.  If you aren't overly concerned about going for A5, Silver tier is perfectly fine.

All tiers include the Seafood Platter (and also a la carte).  This particular one in the picture featured snow crab legs, abalone, prawns, oysters, scallops grouper and izumi dai.  Things were fresh, including the oysters, where nothing was fishy.  Snow crab had plenty of meat and the scallops were buttery.  Since they weren't super large, the trick was to cooked them every-so-slightly.

We ended things off with more fruit, but also the Soft-Serve Ice Cream.  They had options of Strawberry and Sesame or in our case, a twist of both.  This wasn't the creaminest of ice creams, but it was fine nonentheless.  It was a tad sweet, but I did like this as a cool-down treat from the hot pot.  Overall, I found the food at Mikiya to be good quality and prepared quite well for an AYCE.  I've had more marbled A5 in Japan, but the fact this was Seattle and the pricing was more-than-reasonable for the quality, I would have to recommend Mikiya.  In fact, there is a great chance I'll be back with the fam!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Price point is reasonable, especially the Silver

- Quality is good for an AYCE

- Loved that drinks were included

The Bad:

- I've had better A5 in Japan, but this wasn't Japan and the pricing was reasonable

Hamono Sushi

While trying to decide on which Omakase we were going to try while in Portland, I briefly considered Nimblefish and Nodoguro, however after reading up on Reddit, we narrowed in on Hamono Sushi in Downtown Portland.  Besides the Omakase course, the one thing that makes Hamono unique is that they offer an AYCE menu once the Omakase has been served.  Yes, that is a strange concept, but something we were willing to try especially for their reasonable $110.00 price tag.  The place is pretty intimate with only 4 bar seats and around 7/8 tables.

We started with some small side dishes including a Potato Salad, Imitation Crab Salad and a Cucumber Salad.  As much as these were pretty simple and basic, I enjoyed them.  Potato salad was creamy and sweet with chunks of tender potato and shredded imitation crab.  The crab salad had a great bounce texture and the savoriness was tasty.  Cucumbers were crunchy, sweet and a bit tangy.  Appetizing.  As for the Miso Soup, it was mild and had a rich saltiness.  Loved the fresh snow crab hidden on the bottom.  It was fluffy and briny.

So our Omakase featured a large wooden board with 15 pieces of Nigiri and a fried shrimp head.  By looks alone, all of the fish had a nice sheen and things smelled right.  As much as the uni looked a bit dark in color (could be a male), it tasted fine.  My favorite bites from this was the A5 Wagyu, Bluefin Otoro, Hotate and King Salmon (with delicious chili crunch).  This was a nice plate of nigiri but they were a little overzealous with the scallions.  Maybe change it up with the condiments instead of using it 9 times.

Our last course before the AYCE portion of the meal was the Seafood Chawamushi.  This was very delicate and maybe a touch too watery.  However, it ate with a silky texture and mild dashi notes.  The prawn hidden underneath was still buttery with a meaty texture.  It was briny and sweet.  The piece of snow crab was fluffy, briny and also sweet.

Now that we were at the AYCE portion of the meal, we got some more Nigiri in the form of King Salmon and Hotate.  We asked that the salmon be served plain without the garlic crunch on top.  Turns out that it actually needed it as the salmon wasn't that flavorful on its own.  It was buttery soft though.  The hotate was large and soft with natural briny sweetness.  Just like I said before, it didn't need any of the green onions on top.

We got a few smaller bites in the Yellowtail Jalapeno and the Uni Toro Tartare.  Although not the most attractive thing, the hamachi was fresh, buttery and sweet.  Nice kick from the jalapeno.  As for the tartare, it featured buttery tuna belly that had a nice tinge of the sea along with pops of brininess from the ikura.  Once again, the color of the uni wasn't the best, but it did eat well adding a creamy sweetness.  It sat atop a fried tortilla chip that added crunch.

Even though I knew it would put me over the edge, I had to get one of their specialty rolls.  I went for the Bluefin Tuna Roll that had a tempura ebi in the middle with imitation crab and cucumber.  On top, there was bluefin akami, scallion, fried onion, eel and ponzu.  Yes, this was quite the hefty roll with warm sushi rice that was a touch soft but still had a chew.  I though this roll was good but was a bit too big.  Also, they overused scallions quite a bit here.

One of the best things we ate was their Grilled Beef Shortrib.  Unlike other AYCE spots, these were good quality (as in more meat than fat) being tender and meaty.  The marinade was great being sweet and savory while the char on them was on point.  Although the batter on the Tempura was a bit thick, it ate crispy and fairly light.  Things were cooked right including the buttery ebi, sweet potato and zucchini.  Surprisingly, there was a piece of snow crab leg (not imitation crab) in the mix.

There were a few options for dessert, but we were stuffed at this point, so we opted for the Mochi Ice Cream in the form of matcha, passionfruit and mango.  We particularly enjoyed the passionfruit as it was flavorful with a soft mochi exterior.  Overall, we rather enjoyed this meal.  However, we thought this would be better named "higher-end AYCE" rather than Omakase.  Sure, the nigiri portion was good quality and reasonably-priced for $110.00.  Yet, it didn't feel like most other Omakase meals we've had elsewhere (as in not in Portland).

The Good:
- Ingredients are high-quality
- Preparation is quite good
- Price is reasonable for what you get

The Bad:
- Not really Omakase, but rather high-end AYCE
- Overuse of scallions on almost everything

Hot Spot Buffet

As you already know by now, AYCE is a thing again.  In fact, they are coming up with different ways of doing things compared to the past.  Once upon a time, AYCE meant ordering off a checklist and waiting for staff to bring you the items or in most cases, the items did not arrive and/or you got the wrong items and also the incorrect amount.  Well, Hot Spot Buffet on Kingsway has solved that problem by offering most of the items available for Korean-style BBQ and hot pot as self-service (a la Bigway).  Hence, you can get exactly what you want and how much you want every time (keep in mind, if you waste food, it is $10.00 for every 100 grams).

So how much is this AYCE?  For the basic Korean BBQ, it is $24.99 for lunch & late night.  $35.99 for Korean BBQ and skewers for dinner and an extra $2.99 for hot pot.  We had both and it was a lot of food for 2 people.  Probably best to grab some friends and make it a group thing to try more items.  First and foremost, there is a Large Big Way-esque refrigerated display case with hot pot items on one side and BBQ items on the other.  Considering the reasonable pricing, the selection is quite good.

We got roughly everything in for our hot pots with Tender Beef, Basa, Chicken Thigh, Chicken Giblets, Cuttlefish, Beef Aorta, Crab Stick, Luncheon Meat, Quail's Egg and a variety of fish ball products.  As for non-meats, we had Tong Ho, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Wheat Gluten, Wood Ear, Corn, Konjac Noodle Bundles, Kelp, Wintermelon, Bean Curd Stick, Yam Noodles and Dried Instant Noodles.  There was more things available, but we didn't get them.  Nothing amiss with the items as things looked and ate fresh.  

On the bottom of the hot pot ingredients section, we found plates of meat including Lamb, Pork Shoulder, Pork Belly and Fatty Beef.  These cooked up quickly in our individual broths (Mala for me and Mushroom for Jackie).  I found my spicy broth to be mildly hot, but fairly flavourful.  The mushroom was better in our opinion since it was plenty mushroomy while well-seasoned so that it helped flavour the meats.

Onto the Korean BBQ portion of our meal, we got a selection from the display that included Thinly Sliced Beef (plain or marinated), Chicken Wings (different marinades), Chicken, Spicy Pork, Zucchini, Squash, Pork Shoulder (plain or marinated), Mushrooms, Marinated Shortribs and Shrimp.  The BBQ grill was relatively even and cooked things quickly on the high setting.  Need to pay attention as it could burn.  We thought the wings were great being well-marinated and juicy.  Shortribs were great too with a tender chew.  In fact, all the meats were quite good.

There was also a Self-Serve hot and cold food section near the front of the restaurant.  We helped ourselves to Shredded Potato Salad, Pork Ear & Cucumber, Edamame, Pickled Radish and Kimchi.  Across from it, we found some hot dishes in Fried Rice, Spicy Chicken, Sweet & Sour Pork and Shrimp & Fishballs.  Right next to that was a warming oven with Fried Glutinous Sesame Balls, Portuguese Tarts, Spring Rolls, Fried Chicken Skin and Chicken Wings.  Next to that, we had some Steamed Dumplings and Bao.  The food was okay but some of it was not hot enough, which diminished its appeal.  Wings were good though.  There was also some dessert and also a soda dispenser.  However, the diet cola ran out and was not refilled.

Of course there was a Sauce Bar with also some seasoning salts above.  Had all of the usual items to create your own custom dipping sauce for hot pot and Korean BBQ.  In addition to the pricing aforementioned pricing, there are also 2 more options including a Premium menu for $45.99 and a Tasting menu for $58.99.  As much as they add some really appealing items to each tier, the basic already includes so much.  I'd stick to that personally.  Overall, we felt the basic was a great value since it included essentially everything.  I do think that one should save their appetite for the hot pot and BBQ and skip the cooked food.  It was fine, but more of a filler than anything else.

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Excellent value

- Meats and veggies were vibrant and fresh

- Lots of choice, even for basic

The Bad:

- Cooked food and sides were only okay and the hot food wasn't hot enough

- Soda machine needed attention

Father's Day Brunch @ Coast Langley City Hotel & Convention Centre

After going to The Victor in the The Parq hotel for Mother's Day, we decided to go for something out of Downtown Vancouver for Father's Day.  We went back to the well and headed out into Langley to The Coast Hotel for their bunch buffet.  I've been here a few times before and for special occasions, the cost is a bit higher, but the selection increases as well.  Normally, the brunch goes for $44.95 for adults, but for Father's Day, it was $68.00.

They hold the brunch in their ballroom and in the centre we found a Charcuterie Board, Salads and Seafood (Clams, Mussels & Cocktail Shrimp).  The meat and cheese board was pretty fruitful while the grilled veggies was one of my favourites.  As for the seafood, the clams were buttery while the mussels were plump.  The cocktail shrimp were quite large (yes, an oxymoron) and cold-water crunchy.

Some of the food stations spilled outside of the ballroom including Dim Sum and Sushi.  We found cute bunny Custard Buns, Shrimp Dumplings and Sticky Rice (wrapped in lotus leaves) in steamers.  These were actually quite decent.  The selection of sushi was sufficient and it was more or less acceptable given this was a buffet.  Of course it would never be confused with sushi found at a good Japanese restaurant.  There was also 2 Soups available: Seafood Chowder & Beef Chili.  Both were good with the chowder being creamy and loaded with seafood.

Naturally, there was also a Breakfast Station with all the usual items including Hashbrowns, Scrambled Eggs, Sausages (Pork & also Turkey), Bacon, Corned Beef Hash and Black Bean & Corn Hash.  Nothing out of the ordinary here with things being solid.  Eggs were still fluffy and not overdone.  Bacon was meaty and crispy.  Loved the soft poached eggs atop the corned beef hash.

They have a made-to-order Eggs Benedict Station that features 4 versions.  These included Mushroom, Cajun Shrimp, Smoked Salmon and Honey Ham.  For a buffet, these turned out to be more-than-acceptable.  The English muffin was lightly-toasted, so it was still a bit soft.  Eggs were poached to our liking and we chose runny.  On top, the Hollandaise was decent being silky and buttery.  On the opposite side of this station was made-to-order omelettes, but we didn't get any of them. 

Adjacent to the eggs benny was the Carvery.  It consisted of sausages, ribs, Ham, Smoked Brisket, Prime Rib and Angus Beef.  Ribs were actually quite good being tender and meaty.  Brisket didn't look very promising at first, but it was quite moist, even for the flat.  It was decently flavourful with some smokiness.  As for the prime rib, it was tender and medium-rare.

The last section consisted of random dishes that included Spring Rolls, Fried Shrimp, Burnt Ends and Crispy Pork Belly.  Moving on from that, we found Grilled Lamb T-Bone and Lobster Mac n' Cheese as well as Basil Fried Rice, Roast Potatoes and Whipped Potato Gratin.  I didn't actually get to eat everything here, but ironically, the one thing that I really enjoyed, the Sablefish & Salmon, I didn't get a picture of it.  The fish was not overcooked being buttery and soft. 

Also spilling outside of the ballroom, we found a decent Dessert spread.  We found a variety of small bites, cakes, chocolate fountain and mini-desserts.  My favourite was the Calamnsi Tart as it was bright and featured a firm buttery crust.  Loved the Mango Sago Pannacotta.  Tasted like the actual thing but being a bit custardy.  Right behind the dessert station, we found 3 juices including Cranberry, Orange and Apple.  Even further back, there was a small station for kids that included chicken nuggets.  Yes, this brunch buffet was not without choice and for the money, totally worth it.  If you are in the area or want to go for a Sunday drive, you will be pleasantly-surprised.

The Good:
- Lots of variety
- Generally well-prepared eats
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Not the fanciest setting, but it doesn't matter to me