Le Miu

Back in April 2008, the Squab and I tried Le Miu’s sushi after hearing so much about it.
We sat at the sushi counter and got to chat with the owner who explained that he named the restaurant after his daughter Miu (mi as in utsukushi or beautiful, and mi as in umi or ocean).
The presentation was nice, but the sushi was a let down since I had expected it to blow me away.
Guess this review doesn’t matter much since Le Miu has been long closed.

This place is amazing. We’ve been here numerous times and completely forgot to review it! The $ 55 omakase menu is a great deal and so much food! Definitely try the miso cod, it really tastes like the one at nobu for so much less in price. The cuts of fish are so fresh! The sashimi platter at $ 25 is a steal! The server told us that you get 10 cuts of fish, however it was more like 15. We love the miso soup, its a little more expensive than other places because they do their own spin on it.
As we write this review, we just found out it has closed… so much for one of our only 5 star places… where do we go to get good sushi at this price now?

Overhyped and underwhelmed was how I left this place. I found out about it via Undergrounds Unite dinner from this female trader who swore by it. ‘Le Miu’ is all I heard her chant the entire night. Piquing my curiousity, I was willing to pay to satiate that curiosity. I’ll start off by saying that the service is good and your green tea is promptly refilled. I was wierded out by the fact that they didn’t check my coat and only checked my umbrella. very odd. This place is never packed as its price point is considered on the expensive side given its location. What’s cool is that they allow you to mix and match tasting menus for the table. They also gave us the option of substituting the Washu Beef w/​Black Cod, as one of our friends refrains from eating fatty cooked foods. Some of you wrote that this sushi was the best on the planet, which is quite an overstatement. That added hype didn’t help either. I ordered the $ 75 tasting menu, as it offered more exquisite sushi, dessert, ingredients in general per the waitress. LAN has a much better tasting menu for $ 58. I don’t think I’ll be back, as it didn’t live up to the hype at all. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
$ 75 Tasting Menu
Appetizers (on one plate)
–Kumamoto oyster shooter — fresh oyster, tasted like a bloody mary sauce
–Japanese scallop w/​uni and shiso — uni was INSIDE the scallop, good
–Seared Japanese aji w/​ginger soy sauce — not fishy at all, just OK
–Toro tartar w/​white soy sauce, black caviar roe and edible gold leaf — just OK
New Style Sashimi
–Toro w/​fresh wasabi — just OK
–Salmon w/​ikura — salmon OK, ikura way too salty
–Botan shrimp w/​yuzu infused tobiko — very good
–Golden eye snapper w/​ponzu sauce — just OK
–Alaskan black cod w/​mustard miso sauce — a first for me
Entrée
–Steamed washu braised beef w/​lemon vinegar sauce — sauce way too overpowering, i liked the 2 fried shishito peppers though
Sushi and Soup
–A selection of the chef’s choice cuts of fish from the sushi bar served w/​miso soup (uni, blue fin toro, hamachi belly, salmon belly) — well done here, reminded me of Yasuda’s tiny pieces but very good
Dessert
–Chef’s selection of homemade sorbet and ice cream (chocolate crème brûlée & green tea ice cream) — ice cream was just OK (ushi & tomoe’s is much better), choco crème brûlée didn’t use any fancy chocolate but it was original, i’ll give it that
Also offered:
$ 55 Tasting Menu
Appetizers (on one plate)
–Kumamoto oyster w/​ponzu jello
–Tuna tartar w/​white soy foam, black caviar roe, and edible gold leaf
–Lobster salad w/​yuzu vinaigrette
New Style Sashimi
–Yellowtail and jalapeño infused tobiko
–Bonito w/​garlic sauce
–Tuna carpaccio w/​truffle oil, balsamic soy drizzle and parmesan
–Japanese scallops w/​black sea salt and crushed red peppercorns
Entrée
–Shrimp and filipino mango croquette w/​yellow curry
Sushi and Soup
–A selection of the chef’s choice cuts of fish from the sushi bar sreved w/​miso soup
Dessert
–Chef’s selection of homemade sorbet and ice cream
Total came out to $ 94 after everything
(Make that $ 95…$ 1 tip for the umbrella check)
I took my foodie meetup here:
Pics:

3.5 stars rounded up… no comparison to Yasuda but the 55.00 tasting menu was not bad for the amount of food received… even one of the guests at the foodie group who doesn’t usually get full off of a set menu had his spot hit.
I would definitely go back… the fish was fresh and the sushi pieces were great… the fish pieces covered the entire ball of rice… liked the ratio… more fish to the rice.
The sashimi was great… had a modern twist to traditional japanese cuisine… they put hot peppers on a scallops sashimi whihc was good and then a jalapeño pepper on the tuna I believe… mmmhmm yum yum
The dessert was pretty cool too… I liked the fact that they had this thin slice of orange that was caramelized maybe baked… served with the ice cream… pretty darn yummy and interesting.
Actually very surprised that there were so many free tables at the restaurant.

UPDATE: RIP-​CLOSED
— — — — — —
Had the New Style Sushi and it was a great twist on the usual.
Very good quality, very fresh fish.
Wine, sake and appetizers look a bit pricey compared to other spots in the neighborhood but the pours/​portions are large and the quality is far beyond. Best sushi in the neighborhood by far.

Soo, the service here sort of stinks – they don’t really pay attention when you ask for things on the side, get stuff wrong… are a little slow even when the restaurant is pretty much empty; but that is really where the faults of Le Miu lie.
The sushi here is really amazing. Super fresh and they have some really different dishes. This is not your typical neighborhood sushi joint. The quality of the fish and attention to detail is fantastic. Le Miu is really a treat.
I would give Le Miu a 5 if the service weren’t so sub-​par

I’ve been out of the city for quite some time, but I’d heard good things about the team of culinary haute-​couturiers that started this East Village venture and had to try it.
And so, I did. And thereafter I came reasonably often.
My «usual» was the (at the time) $ 65 omakase offering. What was particularly attractive was the way this was presented. It’s been too long to remember exactly what the courses consisted of, but they took something of the form of appetizer, sashimi, old-​style sushi, new-​style sushi, cooked dish, and a dessert.
Common elements included foie gras, kanpachi, toro, the now ubiquitous soy-​glazed cod of Matsuhisa fame, and the preserved Japanese mountain plum. The omakase presentation changed often, but these things were staples in various permutations.
I apologize for the disjointed recollection, but know that it was, at the time, very good. I can’t vouch for it more than a year later since, as we all know, ventures like this are prone to losing steam after a couple of years running.
But I have high hopes they’re still going strong!

Hooray for a low key Japanese restaurant with creative food that you don’t have to reserve weeks in advance for. To be honest, I was a little skeptical when we were able to walk in on a Saturday night for dinner for 3… but the food convinced me I made the right choice.
$ 55 tasting menu — sampler of 3 appetizers, 4 pieces of sashimi, 1 entrée, 5 pieces of nigiri sushi, and a dessert. Pretty decent amount of food.
— Appetizers: Great tuna tartare with caviar.
— Sashimi: Each piece was garnished with something different to enhance the flavor of the fish and they all had their own sauce. We’re not talking about typical salmon pieces — there was bonito, cod, fatty tuna, GOOD STUFF!
— Entrée: Fried croquette didn’t fit in with the rest of the menu and was kind of mediocre. While my friends got this, they let me substitute my entrée for the miso cod which was EXCELLENT and so worth the extra 7 bucks.
The nigiri sushi and ice cream dessert were fine, but nothing spectacular. Still a great deal. I would go back for that miso cod alone. Yumm…

We had so much stuff here that it’s hard to write an accurate review… I was generally impressed by the fusiony stuff, but not so keen on the traditional sushi/​sashimi. Not a big surprise.
The tasting menu had some really interesting dishes that were quite an experience. It may have been a better idea to get this per person instead of trying to split it like we did. But it let us order some more other dishes ala carte. The one hot dish that came with the tasting menu was a definite negatory. Bleh.
I was a big fan of the dessert: ice cream, berries, peaches, pastry, and caramelized sugar spun in a crazy design.

Awesome!!! Loved the whole experience and the food was delightful!
I love the free edamame when you are waiting for your dinner —
tasty and healthy treat. Salted just right.
Ordered two rolls (California and Spicy Tuna) and the Le Miu green
salad which was amazing — made with truffle oil, beautiful produce and
a great portion.
The other person I was with ordered the Le Miu sushi plate and
it included 7 pieces of fish and one roll for $ 20 — plus two egg,
custard pieces… yummm!!!
Such a great meal, the service was friendly and attentive and the
ambiance was calm. Will definitely be back!

Ate here a night after a meal at Craft (which was quite disappointing). In contrast, Le Miu was FANTASTIC — probably the most underrated sushi in New York. Not only was the quality of the fish excellent, the presentation was absolutely beautiful and all the preparations were original and simply delicious. The service was ideal — polite, never pushy, friendly but not familiar. In fact, I’d say it’s the best service I’ve had in quite awhile, both from the bartender, maitre’d and our server.
The $ 55 prix fixe was a very good value — an enormous amount of food. My wife had the chirashi, which at about $ 30 could easily feed two. The amount of fish in her dish was very generous, and for the very first time in her life she enjoyed uni — in the past, she never liked the texture, but I can attest that this was some of the best uni I’ve ever had anywhere.
The sushi chef is really very impressive. They were half empty on a Sunday night — we ate there because Yasuda is closed Sundays. I found it just as good in terms of quality of fish as Yasuda, although it’s hard to compare the two; this is «new style» Japanese, and Yasuda is very traditional. However, even the nigiri and sashimi here were as good as Yasuda — and of course the price is about 50% of what you’d pay there.
All in all, one of the most impressive and unexpectedly great meals I’ve had this year, and I would absolutely go back. I’ll certainly recommend it to everyone I know in town, especially friends in the village.

Go to Le Miu for an out of the way taste of the extraordinary in a relatively casual setting!
I found myself at Le Miu in a group of over 10 people that had to satisfy several needs, the primary being good sushi and a big TV (not what you’d really think of putting together ordinarily!). Le Miu came through and surprised us on many fronts. Particularly unexpected was the presentation, which was intricate and artistic. The tasting menus were the big hits of the night. If you want to drop some cash on a delicious sushi affair without hype or stuffiness, take your money here.
Minus one star because the service was unfortunately slow. We were a large group, though, so I can see how this might have affected things.

Not crowded at all on a Saturday night.
Good Service.
Appetizer: Rock Shrimp — too spicy for me, too goey /​artificially melted cheese on fries taste I like this at Yankees games but not on Rock Shrimp, about a handful in size, fresh catch. Nobu does this right. Some might like the flavor here its more of a cheetos type taste.
Entrée: Le Miu Sushi @$ 20 Decent, included 7 slabs not too much rice, and a spicy tuna roll.
Entrée: Seafood with Ramen — pretty good, not much seafood, heavy.
Desert: Chocalate Soufle coconut ice cream. They are all pretty much the same, I don’t understand nor like the rasberry surprise in the center.
Desert extra: Vanilla and Green Tea Ice Cream — great. They also offered roasted green tea and earl grey ice cream.
Cappucino: excellent
Atmosphere:
Background music; light piano
Best Seats: probably at the sushi bar in this case
I did not care for the seating that opens on to the sidewalk and the sushi bar in back is the furthest point from it.
Beautiful photographs of ice and ocean as well as the little girl framed in black and white holding an adults hand.
For the service, and price to food quality ratio, I would recommend. I would not take someone who is a sushi snob here but for others it would be fine.

Some time ago, Rachael W. requested good sushi. After having read Drew’s ROTD, I suggested Le Miu (plus it’s conveniently near my place so bonus for me!)
We thoroughly enjoyed our meals. The fish was fresh and artfully presented. The combinations of flavors were unique and satisfying. Our waiter was funny and attentive. He maybe talked a little too much and was a little too forward but I think it was all meant in fun.
I should also point out that during the summer, I love places that can open up their doors and let the fresh air in. It really adds a different feeling to your dining experience — one that I appreciate.
I would definitely go back, try something completely different, and trust that it would be just as good as my first visit.

THIS is the best sushi I’ve ever eaten.
I had the $ 55 tasting menu.
FIRST COURSE
three appetizers selected by the chef
They gave me an oyster, Lobster Salad and Tuna Tar Tar
SECOND COURSE
four different types of New Style sashimi
They gave me Yellow Tail, Japanese Scallop, …I can’t remember all the fish but they were otherworldly
THIRD COURSE
hot entrée from the kitchen
Alaskan King Crab Cake
FOURTH COURSE
five different pieces of sushi with spicy yuzu pepper miso soup
Blue Fin Tuna, Japanese Sardine, Atlantic Salmon, Sea Eel and one more
FIFTH COURSE
Alphabet City ice cream with fruit
I also ordered a spider roll before dessert. I didn’t need it, but it was great as well.
The only criticism I have is that they have a full bar so there were a couple of tables of loud 20-​somethings.
The bill was $ 75.45. It was worth every penny.
_​_​_​_​_​_​

My SO and I came here over Labor Day weekend cuz I’ve been dying to try it.
We easily got a table for 2 around 7pm on Monday eve. The décor is simple with nothing impressive. We were immediately greeted by a server who gave us the liberty to choose where we wanted to be seated.
We ordered the following:
Le Miu Tartar tuna, yellowtail and salmon tartar topped with white soy foam and caviar– YUM!
Japanese Scallop Carpaccio drizzled with garlic and truffle oils, topped with salmon roe, black flying fish roe and sea urchin– sweet, sweet Scallops! YUM!
Seafood Coleslaw with shrimp, smoked salmon, snow crab and flying fish roe– OMG, HUGE portion with CHUNKS of crab! YUM
Chef’s Sushi Platter assortment of ten different types of fish– everything was VERY FRESH and sweet… YUM!
We ordered the Chocolate Soufflé w/​hazelnut ice-​cream and raspberry for dessert and it perfect!
Our server was polite, ‘tude free and not overbearing or too distant. he described each plate as it came out which helped.
We loved the various platterware they used which showed attention to detail. The only thing that sort of baffled us was the use of the cheap wooden chopsticks usually used for delivery. It’s obvious they paid attention to details based on the different plates they used, so why scrimp on the chopsticks?!
Also, I ordered from their Raw Bar, Long Island Giant Clam and was told they were out of it. I don’t understand how restaurant’s can be «out» of things esp. given how early we arrived for dinner (7pm).
We’ll definitely return because the service and more importantly food was excellent for the price!

I’ve apparently walked past this place a gazillion times, but never noticed it. Made plans for sushi last time and decided to come here for a change.
The fish was fresh and they had items that were not listed on the menu. I didn’t go with the omakase because I had gone specifically for raw fish, but it seemed like a good option. Maybe I’ll try it if I go back.
The only thing I wasn’t too fond of was the rock shrimp. I thought it wasn’t crispy enough. As though it was taken out of the fryer too early and sauced too soon.
Service was okay. Our waiter made a comment that both of us disliked. Other than that, he was a decent waiter.
Would go back, but wouldn’t make a special trip there…

Good sushi is like good sex:
— the menu changes often
— it’s more fun when you try something new & crazy rather than «yee olde standby»
— the more cordial & polite everything is at the start, the messier it gets in the middle
— if you grab something the wrong way, you can’t tell which side is up & which is down
— and if you’re not intimately involved with the other party in the transaction, it can be very costly
or «so i’ve heard».
a 24 in zagat was enough to usher us in the door. who gets a zagat 24 in the EV these days? well ok, one other sushi restaurant. but they don’t have a name that rhymes with «pepe le più».
actually, you know when you have REALLY tasty sushi? you don’t want to «spoil» it by dipping it in your soy sauce/​wasabi combo. that is, if you want to taste each flavor in the roll & you AVOID the soy sauce, ya know yer in for some real sushi!
by the way — i LOVE the people in sushi restaurants that make a point to rub their chopsticks together REALLY HIGH ABOVE THE TABLE. their dates shudder & hide under the table & brace themselves to prepare for some person at a nearby table (whispers to their date: «why is he doing that?») and the sticks-​rubber boldly declares «OH, YOU RUB THEM TOGETHER TO GET RID OF THE SPLINTERS… YEAH, I’M GETTING RID OF THE SPLINTERS… NO SPLINTERS!»
(as their under-​the-​table date stabs themselves in the eye with their chopsticks)
ROLLS
— Lobster roll ($ 15) — you can see the fresh chilled lobster at the sushi bar… so you know this thing’s going to be yummy
— eel & avocado roll ($ 11?) — MY FAVORITE. the avocado was chilled (and somehow remained chilled, the entire time it was on the plate) and the eel was nice & warm & crispy. the chilled avocado was so smooth & fresh it tasted like ice cream. no joke.
— jalapeño yellowtail roll — more great flavors, excellent cuts of fish made this the freshest roll on the plate.
— miso soup. i don’t know exactly what was in it, but it was less salty than most, well prepared, tasted great.
had no room for dessert but they looked fantastic — i will be back.
the only trick (as everyone mentioned) is the price tag. if you’d rather spend less:
M-​Th — Typhoon Sushi — ½-​priced sushi
Always: Kurasushi
but the SERVICE was perfect too — didn’t come by the table too often, were there RIGHT when we needed some help.
it’s a great once-​in-​a-​while sushi experience.
don’t be a foo — check out le miu.
(gratuitous play-​on-​words ending!)

Dear Le Miu Sushi,
Thank you for feeding me at 1 am. Thank you for feeding me and my random companion who at 1 am. Thank you for having insanely fresh sushi at 1 am and the crème brûlée thing you have? Umm yeah insane. Thank you for being so awesome. I wish I could find a Le Miu in Chicago of course expecting anything to be open past 1 am that isn’t serving drunks is so rare it makes a NY girl cry.
Love,
A girl in Chicago who got totally made out with after your amazing Sushi.

Le Miu offers a perfect blend of traditional and fusion Japanese cuisine through the hands of prominent chefs from Nobu 57, Megu, Moto and Onigashima. The chic décor, charming atmosphere, and trendy East village restaurant hot-​spot location makes this restaurant ideal for romantic dates or close friend socials. The menu does not offer a wide selection (besides sashimi a la carte) because the main focus is on Le Miu’s omakase which ranges from their 5 courses prix fixed menus ($ 55 or $ 75) to the chef’s sushi or sashimi platters.
Our whole party ordered the 5 courses prix fixed menu and we were pleasantly surprised by the delicate, fresh, and delicious creations. From tuna tartar with gold foil bits appetizer, to new-​style sashimi maki, to high quality traditional nigiri, to mouth watering ice-​cream dessert, I was impressed by the artistic and savory dishes. Although the portion was small, but after 5 courses I was fairly satisfied (I could not speak for the guys in the party though). The only disappointment was the main dish, a croquette with too much batter for the crust and a bland taste (I would like to issue a general warning towards ordering hot dishes).