Big in Japan

By Ellie Bastian

Special to The St. Petersburg Times

Published: July 25, 2008 (Issue # 1393)

Miso // 15 Suvorovsky Prospekt // Tel: 271 5967 // Open daily from 11am to 11pm // Menu in Russian // Lunch for two without alcohol 1,750 rubles ($75)

Queries about high quality sushi restaurants in St. Petersburg yield few results and can force the deprived sushi fanatic to resort to yet more blini and borshch. But, standing unobtrusively on the corner of Suvorovsky Prospekt and 7th Sovetskaya Ulitsa, about 8,000 kilometers from the nearest pagoda and sumo stable, one can find the small Japanese restaurant Miso.

Even a madman would be momentarily at ease upon entering Miso. Tastefully bare tan walls and a reflective black ceiling are paired with calming, rhythmic nature music, and large windows allow for natural light to trump artificial sources. Small clusters of stones, candles and elongated vases inhabit the window-sills. The only wall decoration — a small plasma television — produces images of various sea creatures (some of which will soon be in your stomach) and almost induces a trance-like state as the jellyfish undulate in time with the music.

The traditional miso soup from which the restaurant takes its name (90 rubles, $3.90) was a bit on the brothy side, and jumpstarting the main course with some California rolls (200 rubles, $8.60) or vegetable tempura (220 rubles, $9.50) might be more satisfactory.

Regardless of your appetizer choice, rest assured that your hands will be clean — the server delivers small, piping-hot towels shortly before returning with food.

Miso’s large variety of sushi may be problematic for the indecisive, but their combination plates are a fine solution. The oonagi set (500 rubles, $21.50) runs the flavor gamut from mild to fishy to fiery between its 8 oonagi rolls, 2 oonagi sushi and 2 spicy oonagi sushi. After finishing it I found myself scraping together every stray piece of rice to eek out one final bite. For those less keen on sushi try the oodon noodles with 3 types of fish (350 rubles, $15.00). Its slippery noodles make it tricky to eat with chopsticks, and your ego may shrink as you opt for a fork. And don’t be shocked when the portion looks a bit smaller in your black triangular bowl than it appeared in the photo on the menu.

A thick wooden door conceals the bathroom, which can be enjoyed by anyone physically able to trot up the two steps to get there. This shouldn’t be an obstacle since customers inside already conquered the two wheelchair-unfriendly main entryway stairs. The atmosphere morphs into a more ominous Zen vibe in the same-sex restroom as dark slate walls and sounds of thunderstorms greet your arrival. Although the toilet is first-class by Russian standards, it pales in comparison with authentic Japanese toilets. Those who fantasize about multiple bidets, seat-warmers, or other fancy Japanese toilet gadgets will be disappointed.

Numerous beverage choices dot the menu, including various teas, coffees, sodas, and juices. The Banana Milkshake — though not a massive bargain at 130 rubles ($5.60) — is still nonetheless revitalizing on a balmy summer day. The restaurant’s great shame is buried in the alcohol menu. Among Miso’s plentiful and reasonably priced alcohol choices, sake is embarrassingly lacking. Sake, or nihonshu in Japanese, is the popular alcoholic drink of fermented rice. Sake and Japan are as intimately wed as vodka and Russia.

In order to elongate your stay, there are several tempting dessert concoctions, imaginatively adding a Japanese twist to more common favorites. The fruit in tempura (290 rubles, $12.50) provides a mound of warm apple chunks, individually nestled in small tempura cocoons. Accompanied by vanilla ice cream and a strawberry sauce, the dish is a pleasant finale to the meal.

For those lacking the time to dine in, orders can be made over the telephone and picked up in the restaurant.

Miso also isn’t what you’d find in on a street corner in Tokyo. But it fulfills the need for a quality, relaxing sushi option in St. Petersburg.