Miya's

Miya's Sushi
Map
Restaurant information
Established1982 (current location: 1990)
Owner(s)Yoshiko Lai
Head chefBun Lai
Food typeSustainable sushi
Dress codeCasual
Street address68 Howe Street
CityNew Haven
StateConnecticut
Postal/ZIP Code06511-4622
CountryUnited States
Websitehttp://miyassushi.com

41°18′35″N 72°56′07″W / 41.3098°N 72.9354°W / 41.3098; -72.9354

Miya's was a restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, credited as the first sustainable sushi restaurant in the world.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] The restaurant was founded by Yoshiko Lai, a Japanese nutritionist.[9] As of 2021, they are permanently closed.[10]

Cuisine

In 1982, Miya's was the first sushi restaurant in Connecticut,[11] specializing in Kyushi-style recipes. With the creation of the sweet potato roll in 1995, Miya's began to create a plant-based sushi menu.[12] By the late 1990s, 80% of the sushi menu had been converted into a plant-based one,[13] and traditional sweetened white rice was replaced with a whole grain brown rice-based blend. In 2005, Miya's introduced its first invasive species menu, featuring locally caught invasive species such as Asian shore crabs and European green crabs.[14]

Miya's sushi roll made with invasive Asian shore crab

Reception and awards

  • 2018: James Beard Foundation - Finalist for Blind Sushi[15]
  • 2016: White House Champions of Change for sustainable seafood[1]
  • 2013: James Beard Foundation - Best Chef nominee[16][17]
  • Best of New England - Yankee Magazine[18]
  • Best restaurants in Connecticut - Expert's Picks[19]
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium - Sustainable Seafood Award[20] and 2011 Seafood Ambassador Award[21]
  • Fish2Fork - top 10 most sustainable seafood restaurants in the U.S.[21]
  • 2010: Elm Ivy Award[21]
  • Key to the City of New Haven[21]
  • Miya's was lampooned by Saturday Night Live for its use of cicadas in sushi.[22]
  • Miya's appeared on Good Food America.[23]
  • Miya's chef Bun Lai appeared as a contestant on Food Network's Chopped.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Champions of Change". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-01-20. Retrieved 2015-07-13 – via National Archives.
  2. ^ "Should I Eat Sushi?". Time. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Speakers - Pages - WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Harvard Design Magazine: Why Fight Them When We Can Eat Them?". Harvarddesignmagazine.org. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Shermans Travel - Page not found". Blog.shermanstravel.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  6. ^ "Meet the Founder of the World's First Sustainable Sushi Restaurant | Australis Barramundi - the Sustainable Seabass®". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
  7. ^ "Jetsetting With Miya's Sushi Chef Bun Lai - Jetset Extra". Jetsetextra.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Miya's Sushi - INFONewHaven". Infonewhaven.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  9. ^ "White House Honors Miya's - New Haven Independent". Newhavenindependent.org. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Miya's To Close At End Of 2020 | New Haven Independent". www.newhavenindependent.org. 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  11. ^ "Invasive species? This sushi chef rolls with it". Grist.org. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  12. ^ "The Sushi Chef Turning Invasive Species into Delicacies". 6 October 2016.
  13. ^ "PETA Prime: Can Vegetable Sushi Save the Planet? Becoming Enlightened in New Haven". Prime.peta.org. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  14. ^ Jacobsen, Rowan (24 March 2014). "The Invasivore's Dilemma". Outsideonline.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  15. ^ "James Beard Foundation". 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  16. ^ "James Beard Foundation". 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  17. ^ "JBF 2013 Semifinalists" (PDF). 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Best Dining in Connecticut - 2015 Editors' Choice Awards - New England Today". Yankeemagazine.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Best Restaurants in Connecticut 2015: Experts' Picks". Connecticutmag.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  20. ^ "Blue Ribbon Task Force". Seafoodwatch.org. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  21. ^ a b c d "HuffPost's Greatest Person of the Day: Bun Lai, Chef and Sustainable Sushi Guru". Huffingtonpost.com. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  22. ^ "This is how I roll - Miya's on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE - Lucky for me, my..." Bunlai.tumblr.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  23. ^ "Bun Lai and Miya's Sushi on Good Food America". Chefnathanlyon.wordpress.com. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  24. ^ "Game Show Newsnet - Chopped: Season 9". Gameshownewsnet.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.