Authentic cuisine

Miya Sushi brings authentic Japanese cuisine and an excellent selection of sake in a low-key restaurant that, despite dowdy interior and cramped location, brings flavor to the table.

Stepping off the street and into Valley Village's Miya Sushi is like entering an oasis of calm efficiency. The three sushi chefs greet you with the traditional and cheerful shout-out from the bar as the waitress quickly finds a table and brings out ginger- marinated bean sprouts. The menu focuses on appetizers, dinner combos, rolls, nigiri, and teryaki bowls, and on the drinks menu a large selection of sake supplements a few Japanese beers. This place is unassuming, yet it turns out to be quite a pleasant surprise.

Ordering from both the main menu as well as the separate sushi menu gives a well-rounded taste of Japanese cuisine. The spicy tuna roll— rice, greens, wasabi, and tuna wrapped in seaweed—is sushi modified for American taste buds and a comfortable first step for those not quite sure about the raw fish concept. The beef teryaki and tempura dinner combo is served with salad and miso soup. The serving size may be less than you expect from other super-sized menus, but you won't leave the table hungry.

The beef teryaki consists of a perfectly flavored sweet sauce poured over high-quality sliced beef. The tempura—lightly battered with fried shrimp and Asian eggplant—is crisp and full of flavor, and the dipping broth is a delicate compliment. The salad is a rather uneventful affair and consists of your usual salad suspects: iceberg, tomato and broccoli covered in a tart dressing. However, the real treasure is the complex miso—broth sprinkled with green onions and tofu. Even those who would really prefer a steak and potato dinner can appreciate this fine bowl of soup.

The no-frills interior is softened by traditional window screens that effectively seal you in a cocoon of comfort from the noisy world outside. Eating and drinking from mismatched plates, bowls, and glasses is like having dinner at a friend's house, just with less comfortable chairs. You get the feeling that this place isn't about the matching china set and crystal flutes; no, this is all about the food.

Appetizers at Miya Sushi are priced between $4 and $7.50, dinners between $9.75 and $17.50. Expect to pay around $5 for rolls and nigiri. A small Japanese beer is $3.75, canned soft drinks are $2.25. Stay well clear of the cloyingly sweet plum wine at a steep $5.75; stick with a beer or try the sake, the traditional rice wine, if you're going to spend money on an alcoholic drink.

Miya Sushi offers good quality food and attentive service at a reasonable price: a meal for two including drinks will set you back $40. Bring your friends, your date, the kids, the in-laws, or just yourself. That way you wont have to share any of your glorious food.