Dining: Maiko

Young, hip atmosphere is everything at so-so Maiko

By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
Web posted: Sept. 21, 2005

Robert Godwin photo for AA-S The saikyo miso-marinated sea bass marinated over vegetables was one of the standouts in a disappointing menu at Maiko. MAIKO 311 W. Sixth St. (512) 236-9888 Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Sundays-Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m. to midnight Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Wheelchair access: Yes Wine: 15 by the glass ($6-$9.50), 35 by the bottle ($25-$95) Rating:

So it's not surprising that this restaurant, in what I've come to think of as one of Austin's cursed locations, is packed on a Friday night.

That might be a hopeful sign for the restaurant's ultimate success; so many other upscale eateries have failed in this spot during the past dozen years: Sfuzzi. Sardine Rouge. Demi Epicurious.

However, if Maiko is to avoid the fate of those operations, it has some serious work to do on the consistency of its products.

On one hand, this Japanese sushi restaurant turns out a fantastic cucumber sunomono ($6), which is artistically presented and offers a different twist, with paper-thin slices of cucumber, crab sticks and seaweed in a citrus marinade.

In comparison, the miso soup with little neck clams ($4.50) was a failure. All the clam shells — in two bowls of soup — were shattered, making it difficult to dissect the clams without having bits of shell attached. (Don't you just love the crunch of clam shell when you chew?)

Then there was the sushi.

When it comes to that element, many people think the only important element is the fish. If that were the case, Maiko's sushi — raw baby yellow tail ($3 a piece), salmon ($2), tuna ($2.50) and red snapper ($2.50) and seared white tuna ($2.25) — would have been tantalizing. But sushi isn't just about fish; the rice is equally crucial, and Maiko completely missed the mark with its rice. It was dry and crumbly, and two of the three pieces of sushi I picked up fell apart in my fingers.

The Maiko roll ($12) put the same rice together with tuna, salmon, yellow tail, white fish, avocado and mango in loosely wrapped roll that was more pliable than desired for handling with chopsticks.

For the main course, the sea bass ($20), marinated for 48 hours in saikyo miso, featured two delicious fillets served over red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans and spinach.

The udon bowl ($9) was a delight, with flavorful broth brimming with thick noodles and vegetables topped with slices of moist, tender chicken breast. The tempura that I asked to specially accompany the dish — two shrimp and three pieces of vegetables — was a nominal charge ($1), but it revealed an unevenness beyond the sushi bar. The tempura batter that encased the shrimp was dry and crisp, while the coating that covered the vegetables was soft and mushy.

With those inconsistencies, running from failure to fantastic, Maiko barely ekes out a two-star rating.

Service, at least, was friendly and attentive, even on a busy night.

Maiko's setting is lovely, with a combination of modernist touches, such as the multiblocked ceiling and the blue sofa-style banquette seating, that contrast with the old stone walls and large bold paintings.

Noise, though, was a distraction. As the disc jockey in the adjacent bar, which is open to the restaurant, cranked up the music, the relatively young crowd responded in kind. By the time our meal was over, the atmosphere was unpleasantly loud.

Still a young restaurant, this establishment has time to eliminate the inconsistencies. Fortunately, despite the uneven cuisine, Maiko is popular. However, from my standpoint, it's the energy, not the food, that is the main attraction.