By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

The Sashimi and Minami Triowas almost too beautiful to eat. We had the Aburi Beef Carpaccio with creme fraiche, caper crisps, organic baby greens, wasabi chimichurri, and ponzu. This beef melted in our mouths. Loved the combo of salty, tang and slight spice.

The Sushi course defined Minami as a restaurant. There was Aburi Hamachi Nigiri with olive tapenade & edible flower, Aburi Japanese Wagyu Nigiri with smoked shoyu & wasabi pickles, Aburi O-Toro Nigiri with tobiko, daikon oroshi & chives, Red Wave Roll (spicy prawn, avocado and masatake sauce), Ebi Oshi Sushi with lime zest and ume sauce and the classic Salmon Oshi Sushi with wild sockeye salmon, jalapeno and Miku sauce. It was so good. The hamachi was buttery and sweet. The Wagyu beef was tender and luxurious. O-Toro was super soft and fatty. The fresh "by-the-sea" sweetness really came through. The sesame oil and the crunchy sweet onions elevated the red wave roll. The ebi oshi was delicately flavoured. The salmon oshi was smoky, creamy. This course was paired with, Aburi x Yoshi no Gawa Aburi Ginjo, an exclusive sake produced just for Minami and Miku. A great combination where the lightness and floral notes really went well with the delicate seafood.

Beautifully plated, the Almond Chocolate Cake was so good. The cake was moist and light. It wasn't overly sweet. The vanilla tonka bean cream was light and aromatic. The eggnog ice cream was creamy. A honey orange curd added a bit of tang. The cranberry orange shortbread was a nice treat.

Any meal at Minami or Miku is a real treat. Add in a complete four-course tasting menu, we have a meal that we can really celebrate.

Minami

1118 Mainland Street, Vancouver, BC 

The Good:

• Carefully prepared food

• Aburi!

• Lively upscale atmosphere

The Bad:

• Tenderloin could've been more tender

Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.