chef at maiko

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 2005-04-10 14:48
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I have heard that the chef at Maiko is now in Austin full time and will no longer go back to dallas.I have heard that the food at Maiko is spectacular and has a very different approach to japanese contemporary cuisine than uchi or kenichi. That has alot to say about the Austin culinary scene and the direction it is going with new chefs coming from all corners of the globe such as the chef at Maiko and bringing with them their international experience and flair as well as knowledge to austin.

by pwang on Thu, 2005-04-14 10:42
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excellent! I dined at Maiko for the first time this Saturday and the food was spectacular. The uni... oh, the uni... However, it *is* pricey. If they do any sort of happy hour, I'm going to be going there a lot more (I work downtown).

by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 2005-05-08 18:34
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Sorry, I was looking forward to Maiko but I was way let down. I dined there with my friend from Tokyo who happened to be in town, and we were both excited to try a new Japanese place in Austin. The service was awkward and lazy. We asked our waitress what kind of sake they had, she answered "uh... cold? or hot?" We had to explain to her what nigori (unfiltered) sake was. The food is CALIFORNIA-style trendy, and so overpriced as to be a joke. Our sushi was nothing special. Not like Uchi which melts in your mouth. Of course they will do a good business from all the snobby trustfund downtown loft dwellers who think anything served in a hip interior and eaten with chopsticks is good. If you want good sushi go to Musashino or Uchi where at least there's Japanese folks behind the bar and they have a decent sake selection and amazingly fresh and tasty food, not to mention a well-informed and personable (read: non-snobby) wait-staff. That's my two yen but see for yourself.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2005-05-10 13:54
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i dine at maiko all the time and always request for the chef to make our sushi!!!! if your friend was visiting from japan why didn't you ask for the head chef to prepare the omakase diner for you!!! maiko is becoming well known for the chefs menu, which offers things not on the menu!! maybe you should ask before saying anything?? As for the service , i know they have the worst service in austin. Give them another chance and ask for chef sei to prepare your diner and sushi. he has over 25 yrs of experience