Miku's kaiseki menu at $150 is Vancouver's finest window-side sushi experience

Miku has been a staple of Vancouver's restaurant scene since 2008, and it was the spot that introduced Canada to aburi-style sushi — the torch-finished technique now found on most sushi menus in the city. But with so many new restaurants opening, it's easy to let a classic slide. When you do return, you want to do it right.

The kaiseki menu at $150 per person is how. Start by securing a table by the window and timing your reservation just over an hour before sunset — if you nail it, you'll be diving into your main course exactly when the light goes down over the water.

The six-course menu opens with a delicate Lobster Tail on a bed of gazpacho, topped with a flower-shaped yuzu gelée. Next comes the chef's selection of sashimi — otoro and scallops that melt like butter — presented with two soy sauces: one traditional, one smoky. Your server will guide you on which pairs best with each piece.

Then you shift to raw meat: A5 Wagyu Carpaccio made of Iwate Wagyu, pickled myoga, yuzu crème fraiche, and aka-miso cured egg yolk on top for saltiness. Your one real choice comes at the entrée — Shio Koji Filet Mignon (AAA Sterling Silver, roasted onion jus, seasonal vegetables), Kyoto Saikyo Miso Sablefish (tomato dashi, fregula, spinach basil pesto), or the A5 Wagyu Striploin for an extra $30. The striploin is worth it.

Then the sushi: a chef's selection of rolls and nigiri, perfectly seasoned so you won't need to add extra soy or wasabi. This is where the signature aburi comes — Salmon Oshi Sushi made of B.C. wild sockeye topped with Miku sauce that's been gently torched and a slice of jalapeño, and Ebi Oshi Sushi topped with pressed shrimp, lime zest, and ume sauce.

You finish with one of the city's best desserts: the Green Tea Opera, a layer cake of green tea génoise, matcha buttercream, dark chocolate ganache, azuki bean cream, and a hazelnut wafer.