Miyako Sushi: Roll in for a Quick Lunch

I visited for lunch on a weekday with a bit of trepidation.  I wanted to grab a quick bite to eat with a girlfriend I had not seen in a long time, but had only a little over an hour before I needed to pick up my son from preschool.  Upon entering, there was no wait for seating, but it was clear from the hustle and bustle that we had hit the lunch rush.

We decided to take a gamble (my husband has always said that I have a “fantasy relationship with time”) because when it comes to choosing between sushi or punctuality, sushi wins out every time. We were seated in hard, cushionless wooden booths next to the window and sushi bar.  A faint fishy odor lingered in the air.  So far, things did not bode well.

 However, things improved quickly. The server promptly came over and handed us menus, which featured lunch specials ranging from $5.95 to $12.95.  Since we did not want to waste our time (or space in our bellies) with miso soup, rice and salad, we opted to order a la carte.

We had a little trouble deciding what to order because my friend does not like crabmeat. As luck would have it, about 80% of the rolls that Miyako offers include crabmeat in the base roll.  Our options were further narrowed down by the fact that I tend to steer away from spicy tuna because of a sensitive stomach.  Lastly, because I am morally opposed to cream cheese in any form of sushi, we were pretty much left with one choice: Ken’s Special Roll ($10.95). 

We added a side order of ahi (tuna) nigiri ($3.95) and a yellowtail roll ($6.50) to round things out.  We were pleasantly surprised (and relieved) at how quickly the food came out. The first to arrive was the Ken’s Special. This roll was fresh tuna, avocado, and cucumber in a soy wrapper rolled in rice and topped with fresh slices of salmon and garlic ponzu sauce. 

The flavor was simple, teetering on bland. Yet because of the simplicity, you could taste the freshness of the fish. A light wash of wasabi and soy sauce resolved my ambivalence by perking up the flavor while still enabling the freshness to come through.

Next up was the ahi nigiri. Again, the slices of fish were fresh—bright pink and firm, not to mention generously sized.  I have been taught that sushi is traditionally intended to be snapped up in one mouthful.  My girlfriend snickered at me when I attempted this impossible feat with the oversized nigiri.

Last up was the yellowtail roll. A smaller sized maki (cut) roll, each slice featured fresh yellowtail, cucumber and green onions wrapped in rice and nori. Like the other dishes, the fish was fresh and the flavor simple. 

Despite the busyness of the restaurant, our server was attentive and we even managed to leave a little earlier than I anticipated, no thanks to our indecisiveness. Fortunately, we made up for lost time by scarfing down our delicious sushi.

At this point, I cannot help but draw comparisons with . Fusion Sushi wows the palate with fresh fish, creativity and intense flavors, but it comes at the cost of an highly inconvenient wait.  Miyako may not dazzle me like Fusion Sushi does, but it serves up tasty sushi with fresh fish when you need it most—now.

Miyako Sushi

Address: 1836 E. Route 66, Glendora, CA  91740
Business Hours: Sunday 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.; Monday – Friday 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m – 10 p.m.; Saturday 5 p.m – 10 p.m.

Phone Number: (626) 914-2890
Price Range: $4.50 - $18.95           
Type of Cuisine: Sushi/Japanese
Standout Dish:  Ken’s Special Roll