Miyabi 9: User Reviews

wow all of the people on here that say this resturant is amazing are either crazy or just plain stupid... Miyabi is not the best sushi in the world. ya the chef is japanese but who cares just because he is japanese doesnt mean he is a sushi expert. his fish is frozen. he cant keep any of his workers because he is rude and disrespectful. this resturant has roaches and poor quality food. I would never eat their food even if it was the last sushi place in the world.

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The best sushi place in town, no question. The key is the rice (perfectly cooked, not dry, slightly sweet), along with the absolute freshness of the fish they use. Other places slather their subpar sushi with sauces and batter to make up for what they lack in pure quality. Miyabi only serves the best and you can really taste the difference. Once I started eating sushi here, I simply can't eat it anywhere else in town. Sorry, I've tried. Miyabi has turned me into a sushi snob. I admit it.

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I was born and raised in Japan and I have lived in Des Moines for 5 years now. In my opinion, Miyabi is by far the best sushi restaurant in town. Food at Miyabi are delicious and authentic, partially because it is owned by a real Japanese chef, Mr.Yamamoto, and not like other sushi restaurants in town owned by a random asian guy.

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i have been to miyabi before and i enjoy the sushi. but i brought a couple people that have never been before. first we were told that we could not make reservations but it shouldnt be a problem getting us in. when we walked up, they asked if we called ahead, so i guess you can make reservations. so we put our name in and we were told it should take 20-25 minutes. 40 minutes later, we asked how long it would be..and with another a very rude response 10 to 15. a 30 minutes later we left. 10 minutes after we left, we received the call out table was ready. i requested that i speak with the owner and that was as pointless as can be. overall, very pool customer service.

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People have accused me of being "elitist" about food before...specifically, my sushi. Why? Because I head to Miyabi 9 first. For my dollar, it's the best value.

A brief disclaimer:
I really enjoy the simple kinds of sushi. A well crafted piece of salmon nigirizushi can hold it's own against a fancy looking fusion roll. That isn't to say I don't also eat them, but my experience is that ounce for ounce, when I'm going to stuff myself silly, I usually end up much more satisfied having eaten something high quality. I also highly enjoy giving just about every new restaurant--whatever nationality--that springs up in central Iowa a try, because I never know what will become my next favorite place to go on a weeknight. It sort of hurts to be called "elitist", then. I'm not. I just like good food.

I went to Miyabi 9 in the first two weeks of its opening. The staff was generally confused, the place was always crowded, but the food was marvelous. And in the next few weeks as I went back to give the staff a second chance at getting their act together, they not only got better at waiting, but the quality of the food didn't change. Repeatedly. Very, very few places have I been to where the food doesn't start out strong after opening, then sort of decline after a while. If anything, the food keeps getting better!

The decor hasn't changed dramatically, but I don't expect it to. The owner/chef doesn't focus on much else besides the food--and I say this only as compliment, because the number of people that come here and the nature of the food itself demands that level of attention. I would much rather eat in a crowded, bustling hole in the wall (reminiscent of how sushi places actually are in Japan, it's traditionally fast food after all) than in a cavernous restaurant awash in faux Asian kitsch.

But my biggest reason by far for coming back as much as I do is, again, the food. There's a consistent level of quality to everything across the menu. You can really tell the difference between chefs' expertise in his salmon nigirizushi--something that seems simple, right? At several other "steakhouse" or sushi restaurants I've been to, the flavor of the salmon has been off. The cut has been too thin, or too long, leaving next to nothing on top. The rice has been so dry that the fish falls off completely. Every place has it's off nights, I completely understand, and when I have a less than stellar experience somewhere (anywhere, not just for sushi) I ususally go back at least once more just to be sure. But the places I've been to have repeatedly disappointed me, and not just because their sushi chef at the time manhandled the salmon. One has even repeatedly "forgotten" or confused reservations (something Miyabi 9 doesn't do to begin with, but I feel it's better to not offer something to customers when you know you're not going to be able to do it right).

If you have friends that want to try sushi for the first time, consider taking them here first.

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Mike Miyabi and staff were excellent! We had family in from Houston and
sampled many items from the menu. The quality, presentation, and good cheer
of the restaurant were a perfect place to entertain our relatives. We will be
back...very often. I highly recommend sushi lovers and novices alike to dine
at Miyabi 9! It's easily the best in town.

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My husband and I have eaten here a few times and it is truely amazing. We eat until we are stuffed and sleepy. I lived in Hawaii for almost 20 years and this is the real deal. As fresh as you can get for the midwest. And the people are friendly..... We've eaten at Taki (Good stuff), Waterfront (Yummy - especially the Chuck Norris Roll) , Cool Basil (Yuck, cold rice!!), Mandarin Grill and Sushi Bar (So - So, bland), Wok in Motion (Gag), Samurai (Sushi fell apart).... by far Miyabi 9 is the best and we will be back! Please give this place a try, you will not regret it. Promise.

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My wife and I have gone to Myabi 9 a few times and each time the food is just authentic and delicious! This is simply the best sushi place I've been to so far from any ocean. The best stuff is usually very pricey, but reviewers don't lie--it was decently priced. My wife and I usually get overzealous when we eat sushi since we only go about once every couple of months. We seem to get stares at the amount we order and that usually translates to alot of cash. But not at Miyabi 9. We love to order the samplers that have a variety of normal rolls and sushimi and then a couple of specialty rolls to spice it up. We can feast for around 50 bucks at dinner time. Now if you think that's alot--you haven't seen how much we get. There is only one better place for sushi that I've eaten and its in Florida at the Disney Swan and Dolphin hotel. Unfortunately, the bill was alot more damage. :)

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Enough superlatives cannot be applied to Mr. Miyabi (Mike) Yamamoto's cooking and sushi preparation. He is a classically trained Japanese chef, and the menu only hints at Mike's repertoire. Miyabi 9 easily matches up to the best sushi places I've been to in New York and San Francisco, and it's in our East Village. If you are new to sushi, I would go to no other place to try it, and I would go straight to the sushi bar and declare -I've never tried sushi -what would you recommend?

I thought that fresh seafood would be limited here in Des Moines, but Mike always procures and prepares the freshest tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and mackeral. The octopus is always spot on perfect. His tempura -fried shrimp and vegetables, is technically and spiritually perfect.

The delightful stuff is off menu, fresh off the plane or truck items. If you are in the know and are worthy, you could ask for the fatty tuna (toro) which he sometimes has, or go for the sea urchin eggs from Maine which he sometimes gets flown in. If you are really worthy, you might ask for the grilled jowls of the yellowtail tuna (hamachi kama) which is basically the half of the head of the fish grilled with skin on, seasoned with salt, served with ponzu sauce and ginger, that typically the chefs reserve for their own meal at the end of the day.

The lunch time bento's -the compartment lunch trays, are the best deals in town -all are under 10 dollars and offer a lot of great food. If you really want some comfort food -go for the Udon noodles, or the unaju -the eels served over a bed of sushi rice, or my fav -the curry. The curry is a Japanese interpretation of curry which is served on rice and is the perfect way to warm up from the arctic winter storms which ravage the Iowan tundra. I digress.

The drinks are never mentioned but Mike keeps a very interesting selection of excellent wines, beers, and beverages -try the Japanese beers and sodas.

There are many more convenient, larger, and flashier places for sushi, and the market in Des Moines is developing beyond grilled meats, but there are not too many places in the US that are more authentic.

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I ate at Taki last night, and while I do enjoy that restaurant, it made me realize how amazing the sushi at Miyabi 9 really is. Its obvious that they use high quality ingredients-Miyabi 9 food is always fresh. I ordered the volcano roll, not knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. I ordered it last night at Taki, thinking it would be similar and was really disappointed. We are so lucky to have Miyabi 9 and its talented chef/owner here in Des Moines. I expected Miyabi 9 to be really expensive after hearing about its stellar reputation, but its not at all! I was thrilled to find out that its very affordable .

My only gripe about the place is that its very tiny and there is no waiting area. Its best to go early, as in right after work. Id love to see it expand someday into a bigger spot.

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