Miyako

Undoubtedly the best sushi ever possible. The quality is incomparable. Every bite takes you to a different world.
Tried the tuna sushi. The Wasabi sauce is particularly great, complementing the food very well.
The portions could be a bit bigger but the taste is the bestest ever.

A bit of a late post, but here's a little post about our dinner experience at Miyako...
We went on a weekday evening for an early dinner, so it wasn't too busy.
The hamachi and avocado handroll was tasty, although I must say that it was quite 'chunky' - maybe the avocado fish could have been sliced smaller/thinner...
The supaider futo was nicely rolled, although it had a higher rice ratio to fillings than I would have preferred.
The Chef's selection of sushi had a nice selection of 8 different sushi - a nice choice to go for if you like a bit of variety.
We both liked the Miyako Roll, which had a nice crunch to it.
And lastly was the Moriawase, which had a decent portion of 4 prawn tempura and a selection of vegetable tempura - tasty light, and crunchy batter.
Service was pleasant and courteous. Not quite one of the best Japanese restaurants that I have been to, but pretty good if you're looking for a light and quick meal. There is quite an extensive selection of sashimi, and also some bento boxes on the menu available throughout the day and evening.

Service was very gracious.  My leg is currently in a cast, and I arrived by wheelchair.  The waiter helped us manoeuver over the step into the restaurant and around some of the tight corners.  The waiter very helpfully prevented us from over ordering by suggesting we hold off on getting tempura until the rest of the food had arrived.  We indeed didn't need the tempura after all.  The tiny restaurant wasn't crowded at Monday lunchtime.  There two other couples and a little group of Japanese businessmen.  Our orders arrived very swiftly and the yakitori was kindly held back while we munched happily on salad and maki rolls.

We shared maki rolls (salmon skin, california, spicy tuna) as well as yakitori and wafu salad. Attention to detail on the maki rolls was really impressive.  For one thing, the rice was at the correct temperature.  All too often, sushi rice is served too cold.  The compression of the rice was just right too.  Not falling apart when dipped in soy, but not noticeably compact either.  The tuna in the spicy maki rolls had a beautiful texture and was a nice uniform cut.  No scruffy scraps in the maki rolls here, which is all too often the case elsewhere.  The tobiko in the california rolls was generous and there was flesh as well as skin in the crispy salmon skin rolls.  Portion sizes for the wafu salad and chicken yakitori (not grilled over charcoal) were both generous.  Both good, but otherwise not particularly remarkable. 

For dessert we shared mochi ice cream.  We had one piece each of green tea, vanilla and chocolate, though we were offered a choice.  The chocolate was stunning, being of good quality dark bitter chocolate, rolled in cocoa.  Next time we will have three chocolate mochi, thank you.  All of the flavours were pleasant though, and not overly sweet.  Dessert was garnished with fresh berries and small slices of rice crispy square containing a little black sesame.

In summary, we had high quality sushi that was priced accordingly.  For those not constrained by office lunch hours I would urge people to take the 20% discount offered in the afternoon between 14:00 and 17:00.  If I had taken the price more into account I would have rated Miyako 3.5 instead of 4.  Wine is  exhorbitant, with the cheapest white priced at £26 a bottle.

We visited Miyako yesterday evening, on a Thursday, as a group of four friends, for a long-awaited get-together. The restaurant is nestled away in the exterior of the chic Andaz hotel on Liverpool Street, and therefore serves as a calm oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city workers and commuters outside the station. This was my second visit to Miyako and it certainly won’t be my last. The restaurant itself is a smart but intimate setting, with stylish but not overly formal dark wood furniture, authentic chopsticks and clay soy sauce jugs, and minimalist Japanese influenced décor. The Wagasi umbrellas lining the ceiling add to the overall aesthetic and ambience, whilst helping the acoustics, and preventing the sound levels getting too high when the restaurant is full. We were able to have a good catch-up over dinner, which can often be a struggle in similarly busy restaurants with lots of talkative diners. The dining space is fairly compact, but it didn’t feel too cramped, nor did it feel like we were sitting on top of our fellow diners. The staff are incredibly friendly and attentive, whilst the menu has an extensive selection of authentic Japanese dishes, including a vast array of high-quality, sashimi grade fresh seafood. The selection is so impressive, in fact, that it was difficult to decide what to order for the table. We ideally wanted to order one of everything, but managed some restraint, so as not to get too carried away. The staff were happy to provide clear explanations of particular dishes and gave some helpful recommendations on request. We opted for prawn gyoza, tender broccoli and sesame dressing, fried aubergine with miso paste, spicy tuna maki, spicy salmon uramaki, mixed sashimi, and crunchy sanshyoku roll with seared salmon, tuna, seabass, avocado, tobikko and spicy sauce. The prawn gyoza were perfectly cooked and filled with an abundance of fresh prawn. The tender broccoli and sesame dressing were also very fresh and flavorful. The fried aubergine with miso paste was a unique and interesting dish, with a sweet and savory flavor profile helping to lift the aubergine to another level. The mixed sashimi and sushi rolls were also of the highest quality and served with generous portions of wasabi and pickled ginger. I can say that the showstopper was definitely the crunchy sanshyoku roll. So good, in fact, that we decided to order a second (and could possibly have even ordered more if we weren’t so full by the end). The delicately seared salmon, tuna, seabass and avocado works incredibly well with the creamy but perfectly spiced mayonnaise style sauce and the umami notes from the tobikko (flying fish roe), with added crunch from the tempura strands, topped with micro-leaves and edible flowers. Other menu recommendations include the hot pot with prawns, scallops, squid, octopus, blue crab, tofu, and vegetables. I’d also recommend the tuna tataki with truffle oil and the crispy chicken and ginger wakadori karaage, but we will need to save that for our next visit. We paired the food with a deliciously, crisp New Zealand sauvignon blanc (£39 per bottle), which worked perfectly with the seafood. They have a vast array of signature Japanese-influenced cocktails on offer too, as well as a wide range of hot and cold saki, but we had already enjoyed a couple of amazing negronis in the neighboring Rake’s cocktail bar (also part of the Andaz Hotel) so decided to just stick to wine with the meal. We had the most impeccable experience. The food, service, and atmosphere were all absolutely spot-on. I woke up dreaming about that sanshyoku roll this morning, so the only thing to worry about now is how long I’ll have to wait for my next visit!! I’d advise booking ahead, although walk-ins are possible, it can get fairly busy in the evenings and lunchtimes during the week. If you’re in the Liverpool Street area and you’re looking for authentic, high-quality Japanese food in an elegant, calm and friendly setting, I’d certainly recommend Miyako every time.

Michael and his team came in clutch with a birthday surprise for a friend... Great service and food... I would definitely recommend this place

Great spot and some of the best sushi in London, not as expensive as Sushi Samba but still on the expensive side. Sam was very friendly and attentive, there was another girl in a shirt that was constantly looking at the tables. Our waiter was lovely and very sweet, but quite hesitant about the answers of the menu, he tried his best and he was able to answer all our questions, maybe just need practice. Drinks were alright and sushi was incredible as usual. Will come back to this favourite of mine

Great food and our waitress Fatima was amazing! She was very attentive, very kind, and always with a smile on her face. She made our night that much better. Thanks again!

Food was delicious, the place was very nice, and the staff super friendly. I liked the vegetarian bowl very much.