Mikuni at Northstar
| Address: | 5001 Northstar Dr, Truckee, CA 96161, USA |
| Phone: | +1 530-562-2188 |
| Rating: | 3.8 |
| Working: | 12–9:30PM 12–9:30PM 12–9:30PM 12–9:30PM 12–10PM 12–10PM 12–9:30PM |
Location
Photos 40
Reviews 7
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Ed Chi
FOOD POISONING!! Avoid! We were big fans of Mikuni for a long time, having been Northstar season passholders for a long time. We loved their beef-don that were served many years ago in the take-out section next door. Unfortunately, this place has been going downhill for some time, and I had really hoped that it would improve over the last few years, but we just had a food poisoning event here that is the straw that broke the camels back. We will never be back again, to say the least. Last Sunday, I had family visiting from out of town, and we excitedly settled into our condo in the villiage and walked over to Mikuni for our very first meal on the mountain. The food was reasonably tasty, if not expensive ($13 for a sushi roll), but this was what I expected to pay in the village, so no big deal. We had two kid bento boxes, a California roll, two more sushi rolls, an Udon, and a beef teriyaki entree. Everyone was reasonably full and we walked out of the restaurant reasonably happy. The nightmare begun about 2-3 hours later. One of the kids on our trip started to throw up all over the bathroom, and this lasted all night. An obvious case of food poisoning! We happened to have a SF doctor friend who is also renting a condo nearby who came to check up on the kid, and confirmed it as a typical case of food poisoning. Given that the only other food she ate after lunch was a packaged chocolate bar (which I also had part of), I think this was pretty clear case of where the source was---Mikuni, a meal that I spent over $100+ for. The kid ended up missing the entire day of skiing, held up in the condo, vomiting water and Gatorade all day. We went to the restaurant to inform them of the issue on Wednesday. The assistant manager promised to talk to the supervising manager and get back to us in two days. They never called. We called again today, only to be told that it wasnt their responsibility, since no one else had called to tell them they got sick that day! Need I say more?!
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Erica Greco
After being to several Mikuni locations in the Sacramento area, I was appalled at the level of service of this location. The employees, including the hostess and busboys were unprofessional and lackadaisical. To start, when we arrived, there were only a few people at the bar, but we had to wait several minutes for the hostess to seat us because she was chatting with other employees about their 4th of July plans. Once seated, our waiter forgot specials and had to go back and look at board several times. After ordering the BBQ Albacore and Pepperfin from the menu, I was told that this Mikunis location does not have albacore. I was highly disappointed that two of their signature dishes were on the menu but that the location did not have them (although they offered to make them with with another type of fish). I also ordered shrimp and mixed vegetable tempura. The waiter came back several times to tell me that they didnt have a shrimp tempura and I repeatedly pointed to the menu that said shrimp and vegetable tempura. After we finished our meal and requested the bill, the waiter handed us the specials that he had gone back write down. We had to flag him down and let him know he handed us the wrong billfold. Last of all, when someone in our party left something behind at the table and quickly went back to retrieve it, the bus boy had pocketed the item. After speaking with the manager, he said he would get back to us, but never returned our phone call. Overall, I think that the service and employees at this location tarnish Mikunis name and reputation.
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Rikk Carey
I have been eating here since they opened. Unfortunately, the sushi quality has gone downhill to a "poor" rating imo. I have no idea how the ratings are so high, but attribute it to the location and spirit of a ski resort. But if you compare the food quality to other good or great Japanese restaurants, Mikuni needs a quality and menu reset imo. Yes, the atmosphere and decor are fantastic. The menu (on paper) is great. But, the food quality is embarrassing for a Japanese restaurant (considering the high standard they typically have). Sushi requires a VERY HIGH BAR on fish quality and freshness. Rice must be fresh, moist and tasty. I believe that the restaurant is suffering a great location and thus has become complacent since most of their clientele are one-timers. I continue to go back and give them a chance and each time I am disappointed by the same sushi specials (mediocre to poor), dry/old rice, and a completely uninspired plate. Furthermore, while the staff are energetic and fun, the bar scene feels like an employee club more than a customer-centric restaurant.
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Alyx Barranger
I honestly enjoyed my experience at Mikuni. I was very surprised by the quality of both the service and the food. Although it was a little bit pricey, I didnt really expect it to be inexpensive considering the location: read touristy location. What surprised me was how good the food was considering that it was kind of a tourist trap. The first was very fresh, they had a huge selection of rolls with tons of variety, and the appetizers were also worth the money. I also tried the sake sampler which allowed me to try 5 different sake types which was really cool for me. I recommend coming here with an open mind and an open wallet. If you are super price sensitive, then this place is not really for you, but I recommend it if you are looking for something good to eat while visiting the area.
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Sal Parris
First of all who doesnt have Japanese beer in the small size bottles at a Japanese restuarant? Only large size bottles, isnt that convenient. ... Way overpriced... I mean, not worth it overpriced, we could see through our 8 tiny pieces of sashimi.. no joke... for 15$ ? Really? Ive had better quantity and quality grocery store sashimi.... Then we had to send back a calamari "special" as it was literally inedible... not sure what was so special about it besides the fact it was only the legs on a skewer and I mean who eats that? It was so thick and crunchy wife thought she cracked a tooth... yes they removed from the bill, but the cook should be ashamed to serve that. And we NEVER send things back. Go to Drunken Monkey off the highway. .. way better....
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Moses Sandoval
Checked out reviews before going and most were ok besides the food poisoning but the food poisoning review didnt really add up so we decided to give it a try even though all the reviews said it was pricey. Weve been to some really nice upscale sushi places and the prices are still lower than this place. We thought with the price being in the high side it should be good; nope. The portion size on each sushi order was small and the taste was subpar. We stopped at 2-orders. They add caviar to the sushi to maybe make it fancier? I dont know... Also ordered a mojito, I took a sip and asked for a sapporo instead. I make better mojitos (and that doesnt say much). So in a nutshell this place is just ok. Pricey and small portioned. Atmosphere is cool,
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Devin Napoleon
Food was pretty good. Service on the other hand was ridiculous. 4 in our party. We all asked for water before deciding on drinks. We received 3 and had to ask for a fourth after a few minutes. We then ordered edamame, which came out half warm and half ice cold. It took 10 minutes to get a fresh order. We then ordered wine to share amongst 3 of us. We received two glasses. Next, we received our meals which three of four arrived. At this point I finally got up to find the waitress which i could not. A manager arrived who had someone immediately bring out a dish that must have been sitting. The manager never came back to say anything. This is all on a Monday night at 9 pm. They were not busy. What a joke.
