Tucked away in a run-of-the-mill business
plaza in Kingston hides my new favorite sushi restaurant. Since first opening
its doors in December, Sushi Makio has been getting some pretty rave reviews.
Having been disappointed in the past by sushi restaurants in the Hudson Valley,
I was eager to try this place for a special date night with my husband.
We arrived as the restaurant was
opening at 4 p.m. and we were the only patrons there. We felt like VIPs! Our
server, Randy, was the best. He carefully went over the menu, telling me his
favorites and answering all my questions.
We started with a spicy tuna tower
and wasabi shumai. My husband adores wasabi, so it was love at first bite. His
eyes rolled back in delight as he bit into one of the four bite-sized pork
dumplings. The wasabi wrap gave it an extra kick to your senses. The spicy tuna
tower was beautifully crafted with avocado, mango chutney and a tempura crunch.
The flavors were perfectly fused.
Then it was time to make
compromises and pick out which rolls to share. First up in our parade of sushi
was the spider roll. I loved the soft shell crab, as I favor crunchy rolls. We
chose two more off the “Makio Must Haves” section (when a master sushi chef
says it’s a “must have,” you listen!). The Deadliest Catch roll (snow crab,
avocado, cucumber, toasted almond flake, wasabi mayo) had such a depth of
flavor, and the Graffiti roll (shrimp, tuna, yellow tail, salmon, fluke, crab,
avocado, cucumber, tobiko) was equally as satisfying. Every piece of sushi was
perfectly balanced.
My husband asked if they could
bring out a sashimi sampler and they were eager to accommodate. He was presented
with torri (fatty tuna), saba (Atlantic mackerel) and unayau (freshwater eel).
I typically turn my head at sashimi but after seeing yet another exaggerated
eye roll of how delicious it was, I tried it. The quality was extremely high
and taught me what “real” sashimi should taste like. It melted in my mouth.
For dessert, we shared a plate of
mocha, a Japanese confection in which a ball of ice cream is wrapped in pounded
sticky rice. The plate consisted of three flavors — mango, red bean and green tea.
At first bite, it’s strange with its doughy texture, but once you taste the
cold sweetness, you’ll be hooked.
Every dish we ordered was a piece
of art. This place is the real deal. We bowed to Chef Makio as we left and thanked
him for the most perfect meal.
Gloria Darmanin is a social
media coordinator for Hudson Valley Parent.
Sushi Makio
1088 Morton Blvd., Kingston
845-853-8078
Perfect for date night: YES
Perfect for the kids: NO
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