There's a new sushi place in town - Midori

By Ben Kohrman

Life in Lansing just got better for those of us who did a double take the first time we saw sushi at Meijer’s. Midori, a new restaurant billing itself as the "best Korean barbecue and sushi in town," is just that.

Located on Elmwood Road, just off of Saginaw on Lansing’s west side, Midori will save many of us the drive to Ann Arbor, which – until now – was the only antidote for the undeniable wasabi and pickled ginger craving that overcomes most City Pulse readers with frustrating regularity. Midori isn’t the pinnacle of Asian cuisine, but it’s real and fresh. And, with two - count them, two - sushi chefs behind the sushi bar, our food came as fast as any Japanese restaurant at which this reviewer has eaten.

Unlike some pretentious and slow Japanese restaurants (which shall remain nameless) in downtown East Lansing, Midori doesn’t put on airs. The pale, green tea walls, well-placed plants and blond, natural wood tables create a relaxing sense of spaciousness. Both the physical layout and the design esthetic convey a relaxed, casual and sophisticated feng shui that many a Japanophile would aspire to in their own home.

The menu and the food are equally understated, with no attempt at the kind of defensive, culinary spin-doctoring ("fusion" cuisine) and cheap theatrics that sometimes characterize Asian restaurants in smaller towns. Soups and appetizers are authentic Japanese and Korean dishes, with the possible exception of Chicken Kushi Katsu, described as deep-fried breaded chicken (chicken fingers for finicky adolescents). We started with miso soup, Age Dashi Tofu - deep fried and served with tempura sauce and a crisp complement of thinly shredded raw cabbage and carrots, and Ebi Shumai – steamed shrimp dumplings that were somewhat bland and probably the most forgettable item in our whole meal.

Sushi arrived only minutes after the soup and appetizers in the form of California roll, maguro (tuna), saba (mackerel), unagi (broiled eel) and a decadent favorite of ours called the Dragon roll. As I took the first bite of the California roll – avocado, cucumber and crab rolled in rice and studded with sesame seeds – I tasted each ingredient individually and realized that refrigerated sushi was the equivalent of c-rations or Tang; survival food. I’m forever grateful to Meijers for reaching out to sushi lovers, but once those plastic boxes go in the refrigerator case, thousands of tastebuds are immediately disqualified from ever experiencing the subtle, fleeting richness that is imparted at room temperature.

Next I oohed at buttery fresh tuna, while my wife aahed at the oceany tasting, shiny-skinned mackerel. Then, unagi - wrapped in the traditional tiny band of seaweed that binds eel to rice. A little smoky, a little nutty, melt-in-your-mouth-good. Finally, the dragon roll – an over-the-top combination of tempura, unagi and avocado with an American, kitchen-sinkness to it that leads many to believe it was invented in Texas, not Tokyo. In fact, once in Salinas, California we ate a dragon roll that included the above mentioned ingredients plus grilled beef tenderloin. Now how would Steinbeck have described that prandial pairing? It is worth mentioning that in addition to our sushi selections the sushi menu at Midori features a number of interesting and innovative combinations which we are determined to try in the future, if we can just stay away from the dreaded dragon roll. It probably is a bastardization of authentic Japanese cuisine, but who cares? Midori also features authentic Japanese noodle dishes, and we’ll try those when winter sets in.

We completed our meal with a Korean dish called Bulgogi – thin-sliced, marinated beef sizzled on a hot cast iron platter. While the ample serving of beef could have been more tender, the flavorful marinade was faintly sweet with a noticeable but not-too-obtrusive red pepper afterburn. The Bulgogi was complemented with small dishes; kimchee - the fiery Korean national dish of pickled cabbage, spicy pickled radish, shitake mushroom slices in sesame sauce, and cucumber and seaweed salad.

Aesthetically, Midori is satisfying. Our food tasted good and was properly presented, which is a critical element to enjoying Japanese food. Sushi is not cheap, however, but then again I don’t recommend eating discount raw fish. Midori’s presence has definitely improved restaurant culture in Lansing, and carry-out sushi is no longer an elitist pipe dream in our little corner of the world. This reviewer says go, and don’t hurt yourself with the wasabi.

Midori, 436 Elmwood Road, Lansing
517-323-7991
Appetizers, Salads…..$1.50 - $14.50
Entrees………$8.50 - $16.95
Special Appetizer/Entrée combinations are available for couples and large groups
Desserts…..Ice Cream
Beverage…… Soft Drinks (Beer and Wine License in the next month or so. Currently, you can bring your own beer and wine.)