Out to Eat: Miyoshi

Yuki Yabushita and Zen Fuji dine in fine Japanese style. (Credit: David Sorcher)

Most striking about Miyoshi in Florence is the variety of Japanese food available, including entreés and dishes based on zousui (pre-cooked rice and water), tempura, gohan mono (rice dishes), chazuke (rice covered with liquid and savory toppings) and nabemono (shared one-pot dishes), as well as sushi and sashimi.

On the early Tuesday evening my dining partner and I visited Miyoshi, the restaurant was about half full; many of the patrons were Japanese, which can be unusual in this area.

A STRAIGHTFORWARD ENVIRONMENT

The décor is simple without being stark. Small lights hang from tracks zig-zagging on the ceiling; the tables and chairs are uncomplicated; modest wood-mounted Japanese prints adorn the walls.

In addition to standard tables and chairs, there is a sushi bar and a "Japanese Room" with a low-slung table and pillows for chairs that you can reserve.

ON TO THE EATS

My dining partner and I began with drinks. I had a bottle of my favorite Japanese beer, Asahi ($3.50); my dining partner chose a glass of the house Chardonnay ($4.50). We also ordered a starter from Miyoshi's extensive list of hot and cold appetizers: the agedashi tofu, deep-fried tofu served in a bowl of broth and garnished with grated ginger and sliced green onion ($5). The tofu was crispy from the deep-frying on the outside, and the broth was savory.

For dinner, we decided to try the basics. I ordered the tempura: deep-fried shrimp and vegetables ($14). My dining partner picked the Jo Sushi entrée ($24), which contains nine chef-selected pieces of nigiri sushi (vinegared rice topped with, in this case, various seafoods) and a tuna roll. Both meals came with a bowl of miso soup; the tempura also included a small house salad (lettuce served with a sesame dressing) and a bowl of white rice.

Our food was served as quickly as it was made. In fact, I received my tempura seconds after our agedoshi tofu arrived, and minutes before my dining partner's sushi. The tempura dish had deep-fried shrimp and deep-fried slices of various vegetables, all crispy, hot, and ready to be dipped in the accompanying sauce. Unlike many American deep-fried dishes, good tempura (and this was good indeed) feels light, easy. Because my dish arrived before my companion's, I (with some regret) had to share some of the excellent shrimp.

My dining partner's nigiri sushi had different seafoods atop oblong rice balls as well as two seaweed-wrapped pieces. (The accompanying tuna roll was respectable, but unremarkable.) Of the various pieces, my partner gave good marks to the yellowtail and salmon (I stole the tuna, which was good), but she did not enjoy the shrimp and a rolled piece. The unagi - freshwater eel - was so good that I was ordered to try a bite. I always like unagi, but my dining partner usually does not; we both agreed this unagi was tremendous.

DINER'S REGRET

When you order a meal and throughout the course of dinner look on the other patrons' meals with envy, you have diner's regret. My dining partner and I agreed that our food was tasty, well prepared, and competitively priced. However, the basic food we ordered was not particularly different from similar dishes offered by the multitude of Asian restaurants in the area. How, then, did the restaurant draw so many people from Japan?

The answer, I believe, lies in the variety of dishes available. The other patrons ordered dishes more interesting than ours. My usual rule of thumb is that you can best judge an ice cream parlor by the quality of its most common offering, vanilla. In Miyoshi's case, I recommend the opposite: Order something remarkable for the best chance of a great surprise.

MENU SAMPLER

COLD APPETIZER – Hiyayakko: Chilled tofu with chopped onions and grated ginger ($4.50)

HOT APPETIZER – Ika sugatayaki: Whole grilled squid with grated ginger and soy sauce ($8.50)

NOODLES – Kitsune udon/soba: Deep-fried bean curd and green onion in broth ($7.50)

NABEMONO (shared one-pot meal) – Miyoshi nabe: Chef-selected seafood, tofu, Japanese vegetables, and udon noodles in broth ($28 per person)

DESSERT – Green tea or red bean ice cream ($3.50, extra serving of red bean sauce $1)