Miyabi Uni - Torrance

I was devastated when Maruhide Uni Club closed. I didn't even like it that much, but not having ready access to uni is always a loss.

Enter Miyabi Uni. Old Torrance is a peaceful location, and this new restaurant is just gorgeous; the polished countertops, the open sushi bar, the spacious dining area with varying shades of shining wood. 

I rarely encounter such speedy service. My green tea glass is barely empty before someone rushes in with a refill. It's some of the best iced tea I've ever had, a flavor so smooth it almost finishes creamy.

Service with a smile, and the smile is contagious when you're face-to-face with their live Santa Barbara Uni special. The uni is impossibly fresh. It has the texture of a melty tongue, and its tastebuds cling to every one of my mine. A tickling, lingering hint of sweet, a seamless finish, a creamy breath of soft, cohesive roe. A dozen Oysters encircle the roe on its lemon throne. They're buttery in texture, a hint of brine, some of the bigger, more approachable oysters I've seen.

A single plate of uni is never enough, and our needs progress to the Uni Hokkaido Donburi. There is a strip of scallops, a line of tender flesh, soothing and soft. There is another line of uni in this bowl, and it is quite the contrast. Same Santa Barbara uni, but fresh isn't the same as live. This uni is a little less plump, with a stickier, more viscous texture and a less airy finish. Still delicious, but the live uni is a hard act to follow. 

Uni raw, now uni cooked. The Uni Cream Pasta is a polished plate of precisely al dente pasta, each strand of spaghetti ensconced in a decadent orange cream. 

I fully expected to leave here hungry. Japanese portions tend to be more moderate, and uni is a dainty dish. Instead, we leave stuffed, struggling deliriously through every last exquisite bite, already planning the next trip to Miyabi Uni, looking forward to the next "struggle."