| | |  Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | June 2009 
Gourmet Japanese and PanAsian in Vallarta
 Gary R. Beck - PVNN
Providing an elegant and peaceful setting for gourmet Japanese and PanAsian choices, Mikado Japanese Restaurant, located within the CasaMagna Puerto Vallarta Resort, has a large outdoor curving Japanese pool with stone lanterns lit at night, an indoor decorative pool, antique kimonos, 14 teppan-yaki tables where 'shows' are held and a sushi bar, "Certificado H" for top hygiene.
Marriott award-winning Executive Chef Fred Ruíz and Sushi Chef Ricardo Lona offer Sashimi, Sushi, Miso soup, Tempura, Yakitori, Thai dishes, lobster, shrimp, chicken, steak and vegetables, all cooked with an intense eye on quality and presentation.
In addition to the Japanese favorites, one page of the menu is called 'Flavors of Asia.' Roman Azuara, Food and Beverages Public Relations Coordinator, and I sat down to sample various offerings.
A Sushi Sampler Platter started the excursion. Seven types of rolls included salmon, shrimp, eel, avocado and yellowfin tuna among others. Each was a delicate picture of composition. Fresh and lightly delicious. Thai Carpaccio was thinly sliced premium beef, topped with tiny strips of Thai basil, accompanied with ginger chile sauce. The meat was top quality and extremely tender.
The fired-up teppan table grilled a mixture of steak and shrimp cubes, mixed with al dente vegetables including carrot, zucchini, broccoli and onion. The steak was recommended for dipping into peanut sauce flavored with ginger, soy sauce and sesame seed oil, while the shrimp paired with ginger soy sauce.
Salmon Fillet was grilled golden brown then swathed in a reduced apple, pear and honey teriyaki glaze. Fruity and delightful, it blended superbly with the sweet rich fish. A wonderful fresh mango compote was served in a small bowl mixed with slivers of red and green bell pepper. It was similar to a fruit stew and stood on its own as a fine example of this cuisine. Visions of this purée of cooked mango on vanilla ice cream danced in my mind.
The restaurant's wait staff is well-trained and competent in answering any questions as required by the chef. The entire CasaMagna grounds are manicured, quiet, relaxing and beautiful. Here at Mikado, guests are treated very well in a friendly tasteful Asian ambiance.
Open for dinner from 6-11 pm, Mikado Japanese Restaurant is located within the CasaMagna Puerto Vallarta Resort in Marina Vallarta. For more information or reservations, call (322) 226-0017 or visit Mikado.MarriottPuertoVallartaRestaurant.com.
 After 20 years in the San Francisco restaurant business, Gary R. Beck turned his attentions to cooking, dining out, creating recipes and exploring Puerto Vallarta's rich array of eateries. Famous for his restaurant guide, available online at CafePress.com or Lulu.com, Gary also writes restaurant reviews for Puerto Vallarta newspapers, Bay Area magazines, and now, a feature column for BanderasNews.com. Contact Gary at garyrbeck1(at)yahoo.com.
Click HERE for more articles by Gary R. Beck. |
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