Mickey’s Place

A while back, HB told me about a really good Japanese place near my school, and I’d tried to go to the restaurant… except it wound up not opening till 4pm every day!  Happily, this led to the discovery of Press 195, and as I <3 that place now, I can’t say I was that mad that Mickey’s was closed that fateful day in January.  However, I made it a point to try to get to Mickey’s sooner than later, so one day, when one of my evening classes was cancelled, I headed over to check out the wares…

My eyes lit up when I saw croquettes on the menu; deep fried mashed potatoes mixed with veggies (since the only choice was veggie; my favorite is the kind filled with creamed corn, nommm!).  These were fried perfectly; crisp on the outside, piping hot mashed potatoes on the inside, served alongside katsu sauce.  Yum. 

Next up was takoyaki, or fried balls of pancake-like dough stuffed with octopus bits.  If you’re new to octopus, this is the perfect gateway octopus food, since they are small nuggets hiding in each ball of slightly sweet dough/battery goodness (topped with a bit of sweet, a bit of savory sauces).  Chewy deliciousness; while these weren’t amazing (could be more crisp on the outside), they were still a solid entry. 

Grilled white tuna basted with miso!  So good… perfectly cooked, slightly salty, and elevated to new levels with a touch of lemon juice.  The acidity really brightened the dish and, though I’d never have thought to add lemon juice to miso, this was absolutely perfect.  Succulent. 

Because I was very hungry, I doubled up on some of my favorite sushi… from the lefthand side (orange with stripes) clockwise: salmon, octopus, eel, salmon roe, uni (sea urchin), and tuna.  The fish was all very fresh, though I might skip on the uni next time; I always forget that I prefer that mixed with rice or soba more than I do as a sushi 🙂  Otherwise, very yummy and fresh – I was happy. 

After I’d finished all that, I realized I was um, still a little bit hungry.  (They must’ve thought I was a monster!)  I ordered one of their special rolls, I believe the Christmas roll. 

Again, very fresh fish, prepared very deftly.  Very yummy, though the roll itself wasn’t particularly mind bogglingly innovative, it was still delicious.  Nommers! 

Yvo says: I’m thrilled to have a really good Japanese/sushi place so close to school, if a bit unhappy that it isn’t open for lunch!  I’ve a feeling I’ll be back sooner than later… the prices were pretty reasonable, too!  (Also, I discovered that this is the same place that, when I first moved back to Forest Hills, I read a ton of recommendations to go check out… unfortunately it had closed/moved from Forest Hills by the time I moved back… happy coincidence, though I do wish they were still in Forest Hills!!!) 
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