It has become somewhat of a tradition for me to visit Minami for their Dine Out lunch menu. Minami is always a top pick for me for Dine Out Vancouver. In previous years they offered a $35 lunch menu which I found great value in, however this year their menu is offered at $45 set price. If you’re a first time customer this menu is still a great way to try out Minami at a great price, but if you’re a repeat customer or a regular, it’d be better to order a la carte.
This year they serve the sushi portion first followed by the set seasonal dishes.
- Salmon Oshi Sushi – pressed BC wild sockeye salmon, jalapeño, Miku sauce
- Ebi Oshi Sushi – pressed prawn, lime zest, ume sauce
- Saba Oshi Sushi – pressed house cured mackerel, miso glaze
- Champagne Roll – Hokkaido scallop, sockeye salmon, cucumber, rolled in golden tobiko, Miku sauce
- Aburi Hamachi Nigiri – sundried tomato basil pesto
- Aka-Ebi Nigiri – truffled Miku sauce, crumbled black olives
Sushi at Minami never fails to impress. Each piece was beautifully presented. The only piece that fell short for me was the aburi hamachi nigiri. The sundried tomato basil pesto topping felt out of place and overwhelmed the natural flavour of the hamachi.
Following the sushi selection we were presented with a selection of five seasonal kobachi dishes and miso soup.
My only criticism of this dish is that the stone fruit in this salad was definitely straight from a can and as such had a sickly syrup flavour that overwhelmed the rest of the salad. The shiso goat cheese was a revelation and I’ll definitely be adding that to all of my future salads.
A standard dish of pickles that helped to refresh the palate.
The chicken was lacking a crisp exterior, but the interior was moist and full of flavour. The tartar sauce had a nice pickled kick to it.
The beef was fork tender and the wasabi chimichurri packed a strong punch that lightened up the dish.
I saved the best for last and this didn’t disappoint. The salmon was cooked perfectly – flaky and moist.
Sesame Mousse – kinako cookie, berry coulis, sesame candy, seasonal fruits
Dessert was beautifully presented and packed full of sesame flavour. The mousse was complex with the mousse being on top, a thin layer of sesame cake that almost blended right in on top of a cookie base. I couldn’t really taste kinako in the cookie, but the sesame flavour was definitely present. A delicious finish to a filling meal.
Overall I had a great experience at Minami. I would still recommend this Dine Out menu to everyone wanting an elevated lunch experience.
