Misumi 米粟米

Article By Sasha and Giulia

Gaoxin
1F, Da Tang Xi Shi, Lian Hu District 莲湖区大唐西市西市城一层
(029) 8435 5058
11:00am – 9:00am

Qujiang
4F, Jin Di Plaza, #999, Qu Jiang Chi East Road 雁塔区曲江池东路999号金地广场四层
(029) 8955 3905
11:00am – 9:00am

Average Price per Person/人均消费:85RMB

PROS
Quick service and mastered deep frying science
CONS
A bit heavy for a before bed meal

When we heard we were going to review a Japanese restaurant, we immediately assumed it was going to be a sushi night. We were quite surprised when we found out that the specialty of Misumi is fried pork chops and other grilled goodies! Founded in Tokyo in 1965, Misumi is one of the most famous pork chop restaurants in Japan, now expanding to South Korea, Taiwan and mainland China. The restaurant is on the ground floor of a big shopping mall on Lao Dong Nan Lu and quite easy to find, and as soon as we entered the friendly manager showed us to our table. We started to look around, and we were pleased to notice that the zoning was absolutely flawless; good fengshui: designed in light sandy tones, the different sized tables were so well placed that anyone will get a cozy sense of privacy.

Misumi specializes in set menus of fried pork chops, grilled fish, seafood and a variety of sushi rolls. Since, for us, sharing is caring, we opted for a two–person meal of deep-fried goodies and an eel prawn sushi roll, recommended by the friendly manager Tan. The staff doesn’t speak English but the illustrated English menu is so easy to navigate that we doubt anybody will have problems. We received our ice cold Asahi beers along with two cute bowls of black and white sesame seeds with tiny wooden mortars and we were asked to get to work smashing those seeds. It is yet another specialty of the place; you make your own dipping sauce by adding thick paste into that mash.

We were still in the middle of it when the salad and pickles were served, then the main plate arrived and in just a few minutes the table was full. The deep-fry platter consisted of two pork chops, two deep fried fish steaks, two prawns and juicy slices of pork filled with green beans. Portions are generous, presentation is very zen and, although deep fried, it was impossible to detect the oil in the taste. The tender meat is coated in a light, crispy crust, and when dipped in the sauce we made it was devoured within minutes. Let’s not forget about the sushi rolls, they deserve high praise as well. Served in an interesting sauce that didn’t overpower the taste of seafood, they were a refreshing break from the meat.

Almost all the set menus include a main dish, and fresh salad, a miso soup and a small portion of simple cucumber sushi rolls, for 58RMB or less. The grilled sides include roasted eels, grilled cod or prawns, and much more, for 30-68RMB. The menu also offers Japanese desserts, but we were too full to try. We recommend Misumi as the perfect place for a big lunch or an early dinner, as the food might be a little too heavy for the late diners. It can also be a romantic dinner spot if you’re planning to catch a movie later on, or just a delicious lunch break.2-1

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Giulia and Sasha are two fancy girls who manage to live champagne lives on a beer budget. They can be reached at reviews@xianease.com