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Food great but slow

Mio Sushi amazing ... but you have to want it

Everything about Mio Sushi’s quality and presentation are well done. Photo credit: Jake de Paul

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Announcer: Good food usually trumps all else, but at Mio Sushi, they are pushing it.  The quality of the selections are fresh, authentic, interesting - all worthy of their new location at the hip and trending Point Ruston in Tacoma.  Mio Sushi can't be beat - diners will not be disappointed with the meals.  You just have to have some time on your hands ... it takes a long time to eat here.

Jason: Let me get the complaints out of the way.  On my most recent visit, my lunch partners and I arrived at noon on the dot.  Our food finally arrived at 12:40 p.m.  Well, all but one meal arrived then, the other took another 20 minutes.  They did take that last meal off the bill; however, we initiated the request for information on the arrival of the last dish 10 minutes after the other food arrived - then, we initiated the second request 10 minutes after that - and to cap it off, we barely received an explanation or apology.  If they hope to feed lunch to working people, they need to improve their timing - the place wasn't even one-third full.

Jake: The Friday night I visited it was near empty and slow, too.

Jason: Okay, enough about service - the meals.  Mio Sushi does a stellar job in both presentation and quality of ingredients. The bento boxes are gorgeous with well-crafted garnishes and extras to please the eyes.  I liked their choices of selection, too.  They have a list and the diner can select two or three items such as teriyaki, a baked, green mussel and California roll.

Jake: You should begin with the tempura appetizer complete with crispy fried shrimp and vegetables, and for just $5.  The tempura made me forget about the wait.  Some of the salads here are worth checking out as well.  The cucumber salad with asparagus, lemon and sweet vinegar is fresh and light and energizing after a walk along the waterfront.  And for just a bit of a twist on the same concept is the seaweed salad that simply replaces the asparagus with seaweed, but it is a salty retreat from the usual.

Jason: The large, steaming bowl of chicken ramen combines a lightly salted broth, thick ramen, and a decent selection of root vegetables, cabbage and peppers.  This is the meal you want on a rainy day afternoon.

Jake: With sushi in the restaurant name, this is what takes over most of the menu selections.  If raw fish is what has kept you from trying sushi, there are several options here that don't involve raw fish.  The veggie rolls, for example, include avocado or asparagus rolled in rice and seaweed.  There are also several options that feature cooked crab combined with other ingredients.  I gave the Alaska rolls a shot with crab, cucumber and cream cheese; these were both flavorful yet mild.  Of course, what it all eventually comes down to is the traditional sushi that includes uncooked fish.  The classics are all here including several selections of yellowtail and tuna as well as salmon.  One such distinct roll is the Portland, which offers up raw salmon with cooked crab, cucumber and green onions providing a good mix of flavors and textures.  

Jason: Mio Sushi locations are all over this state and Oregon, and I am sure not all have a service problem ... or, if they do, it certainly hasn't affected their ability to expand.

Mio Sushi, 5051 Main St., Tacoma, 253.301.4512, miosushi.com

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