Sneak Peek at the Limited-Edition Premium Aburi Oshi From Miku

It goes without saying that Vancouver is famous for its sushi. You can catch me not just eating it, but chatting about it regularly: from the debates about the origins of the California roll (as a Cali-native I plead the fifth on this one) to our access to some of the world’s freshest seafood to the verified beginnings of my personal fave style of sushi: aburi oshi.

Local legend and founder of Aburi Restaurants in Canada, Seigo Nakamura, invented the renowned rectangular sushi decades ago, and since then it’s become part of our fish-and-rice culture. Yes, there’s the aforementioned very satisfying quadrilateral shape, but the version you receive at Miku (a.k.a. the OG) also includes a sauce and a flame-sear of whatever delicate protein is on top. My go-to has always been the B.C. classic sockeye salmon, which comes with a creamy sauce and little sliver of jalapeno on top. This flavour is so ubiquitous now, it’s hard to find a sushi restaurant that doesn’t sell it—not that I’m complaining.

Sure, according to Nakamura himself, it took some time for people to catch onto the aburi oshi trend, but now Miku has revealed that its about to hit its one-millionth sale of the beloved sushi. In honour of the milestone, the Waterfront restaurant crafted a limited-edition premium aburi oshi trio ($18)—and if you order it and happen to be that millionth customer, you can win round-trip tickets for two to Toronto, and a dinner at Aburi Hana (Miku’s Michelin-starred sister restaurant).

I was lucky enough to try a sneak preview of the trio that head chef Sangwoo Kim and sous chef Sean Cho created for the occasion—and let me tell you, it’s the best aburi oshi I’ve had yet. 

First up is an elevated remix of that classic salmon oshi: this version features truffle sauce, luxurious botan ebi and caviar. This one-bite wonder is both delicate yet bold, creamy yet just toothsome enough thanks to the expertly cooked rice.

Next is the A5 Iwate wagyu oshi that comes topped with egg yolk vinaigrette and an even smaller piece of additional wagyu on top. Despite the size of the oshi, it packs a punch in the flavour department: it’s smokey and beef-forward, yet because of the nature of wagyu, it practically melts on your tongue. 

The third and final oshi is Japanese unagi; topped with pickled mustard seeds this was my favourite of the trio. The mustard seeds lend an almost caviar-like texture to the sushi while also adding bite and contrast to the rich flavour of eel.

The premium trio will only be available at Miku from September 28 to October 13, and taste-wise alone it’s worth the trip to the famed Vancouver restaurant—but let’s be real, the opportunity for your very own Charlie Bucket moment? Well, that would be pretty incredible, too.

Miku
200 Granville St #70