EAT & DRINK

BY LORN RANDALL // PHOTOS BY DANTE FONTANA

Sake Toro Nigiri

Ithink my editors must cringe when they assign me to a sushi restaurant— they know I’m going to “roll” right through my budgetary stop sign. Fortunately, they’re great people, and I try not to abuse them too severely. But when I saw the options and quality at BF Miyabi, I sensed there might have to be some negotiating later.

My server was diligent in pointing out that it was happy hour, and I would be remiss if I didn’t order a sake oyster shooter. I hate being remiss, so I accepted her offer, and then later, I ordered a scallop shooter…so much for being remiss. I ordered hamachi carpaccio from the small plates menu, to start. Chefs Bryan Hoong and Frank Zhu (the B&F in BF Miyabi) hit a home run with this dish, and not just the beautiful presentation and skilled knife work complementing the delicate buttery flavor of the yellowtail. The surprise wasn’t the slight heat from razor-thin jalapeño nor the citrusy ponzu and briney tobiko, either: It was the faint whisper of truffle oil that united land and sea.

Next, a wonderfully subtle offering of raw salmon belly from the chef: sake toro nigiri. Lightly dressed in their house-made marinade and just kissed by a torch, this dish exemplified the difference between fresh and commercially frozen salmon.

For the main course, Chef Bryan presented me with the deluxe sushi combo, which, on my visit, included torched red snapper, anago-saltwater eel, sake toro, ebi (shrimp), hamachi toro, and a spider roll (soft-shell crab with avocado, cucumber, and tobiko). The items came presented bento box-style—each in its own cubicle. Once again, the fish was the star of the show—not over-sauced or doused in over-the-top condiments, which is often the case with sushi—just great product and clean, simple presentation…a winner in my book.

I also took the liberty of having deep-fried ice cream for dessert; what the heck, I avoided all the carbs from the sushi rice (at least that’s what

Hamachi Carpaccio I’m reporting). I’ve never had DFIC from a sushi restaurant, so I was curious. It’s different from the type you might find in many restaurants whereby they roll ice cream in bits of precooked, crumbled, fry coating. In this preparation, the ice cream was rolled in sliced pound cake, refrozen, then dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried. Delicious! My social media foodie friends have unofficially ranked BF Miyabi as one of the top five sushi restaurants in the area, and I tend to agree. Please stop in and see for yourself!

HOURS: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (Monday-Thursday); 11 a.m.11 p.m. (Friday-Saturday); 2:30-10 p.m. (Sunday) TRY THIS: Hamachi Carpaccio, Fresh Oysters, Sake Toro Nigiri, Deluxe Sushi Combo, Double Toro Roll, House Ramen, Sushi Tacos, Deep-Fried Ice Cream DRINKS: Beer, wine, & sake TAB: $$ HEADS-UP: Daily happy hour from 2:30-5 p.m. includes $7 sushi rolls and $3 draft beers; party trays; online ordering and delivery available; vegan options; secret menu; lunch specials

1900 DOUGLAS BOULEVARD, SUITE G, ROSEVILLE, 916-771-7188, BFMIYABISUSHI.COM, @BFMIYABI

Deluxe Sushi Combo

Sake Oyster Shooter

Rock & Roll

Tell us about your own experience and what you liked; @lornwrites, @roundtripkitchen. com, or by emailing info@stylemg. com.