Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on May 14, 2020.
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Generally when walking through the Strip District, if we pass by one of our favorite restaurants, odds are good we go inside and order something. Over the years, this has meant we missed a few hidden gems located right next door as our craving for something we knew overtook our desire to find something new.
Maiku Sushi is one of those places, as its location next to some of our favorite restaurants made it hard for us to go in. As it turns out, this was a mistake. After trying the Vietnamese food here we have to say it is pretty delicious and worth your visit!
An Array of Vietnamese Food at Maiku Sushi
During my visit to Maiku Sushi, I opted for takeaway and went with two appetizers, one Goi Cuon (shrimp spring rolls) and one Nem Nuong (grilled pork), as well as an order of the vermicelli dish Bun Dac Biet.
Goi Cuon is always my go-to appetizer at Vietnamese restaurants. This order consisted of two large spring rolls (non-fried) stuffed with shrimp, pork, vegetables, and vermicelli noodles and served with a dark, almost savory sauce made of hoisin and peanuts. One is big enough to satisfy most for an appetizer, and getting an order of two for just about $5 is a great starter no matter how you look at it.
As for the Nem Nuong, well, I have to admit I got this one as a bit of a mistake. I had intended to order a pork banh mi but must have misspoken as I ended up with an order of the Nem Nuong instead (pork meatball cutlet). I blame this one purely on me when ordering and I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the dish- a nice win!
It was two cuts of pork with a light fry on them served with the tangy Vietnamese dipping sauce that I absolutely love (nuoc cham- a perfect balance of sugar, fish sauce, lemon or lime, and garlic). This order is on the smaller side compared to the spring rolls, but is a nice supplement to offer a bit more meat as a starter.
For my entree, I opted for the Bun Dac Biet for my entree as I am a sucker for Vietnamese vermicelli dishes, and this one certainly had a lot going on. Apart from the noodles it came topped with a generous portion of pork, but also one fried egg roll (on the smaller side), a couple of shrimp, and a mint and cucumber salad- plus more nuoc cham to pour over the top of it all.
On its own, I would say that this one was fairly noodle-heavy compared to the meat, but for the price tag (just over $10 on my visit), I also can't complain at all- the amount of meat and associated sides made this one an impressive dish all the same.
My only regret from my visit to Maiku Sushi was that the sushi bar was closed so I was unable to sample some of their highly praised rolls. That just gives me an excuse to go back and try more dishes like pho and banh mi in addition to the sushi, and I won't wait as long for my second visit as I did for the first. This food is simply too good to pass up!
Maiku Sushi is located in the Strip District at 1611 Penn Avenue.
Looking for more Vietnamese in Pittsburgh? Give Tram's Kitchen or Ineffable Ca Phe a try!
