Miso

Miso Japanese Restaurant

New Haven, CT

15 Orange street

Category: fine dining : Japanese

As you'll soon notice, sushi is a favorite of Jesse and I, so the bar is high for the Japanese fare at this restaurant. Judging simply from the atmosphere, Miso is a top notch place. Miso doesn't cut corners, everything from the decor to their food is polished, clean cut and outstanding.

Sushi is without doubt their specialty, offering an extensive menu with a mix of classic rolls, new creations and straight up sashimi. My colleagues and I have been regulars at Miso, and each time their sushi selection has never failed to occupy us as there's always something new to try, which we'll order with the utmost confidence in Miso's sushi chefs. This isn't generic rice and stale fish rolled together and packaged for the next customer; Miso makes sushi into the art form its meant to be, paying close attention to preparation and composition. Their fish is brought in fresh each day from the market, and is audited for quality by Miso's owner. You'll notice it instantly like a breath of fresh air. Everything down to the artisan trimmings and the well rounded taste in each of their many selections is exquisite. Stretch out beyond the regular california roll, and I can guarantee you Miso's sushi will be a treat. My personal recommendation is the tiger roll.

While I could manage an entire post on Miso's sushi alone, the rest of their cuisine deserves mention. Miso's dinner selection consists of traditional Japanese noodle dishes, some of the chef's creations, and classic tempura and teriyaki dishes; very good ones I might add. I recall fights over rights to the salmon teriyaki last time I ordered it with a group of friends. Frequent patrons of Japanese restaurants may label teriyaki and tempura dishes as droll or uninteresting due to the over marketing of said dishes, and in most cases this is fact. Miso however, like in all their cuisine, goes back to the roots of good food and reverts to the quality over convenience policy, a winning factor of any restaurant and indeed anything else I will review. Miso takes time in its preparation, and that is not to say the service is slow but you will appreciate the labor put into both the preparation of food and the formation of the recipes behind it. One thing that's always struck me about Miso is that whatever tastes the chefs have concocted, a ton of thought and review must have gone into finalizing the recipes as tastes and textures are extremely well balanced. Food is simply a pleasure to the palate, whether it's a particular nuance of a seasoning or the whole experience of one of their creations. 

Needless to say, Miso's fare as a whole is exemplary. You might pay through the nose for your meal but at Miso, it's well worth it. Miso is not exorbitantly expensive however, and is actually very well priced considering the quality of the whole experience; entrees average about nineteen dollars. If you're willing to spend some money, you can safely spend it at Miso and what you'll get in return is fine dining as it should be. 

Rating: 9/12

Fine Dining : Japanese