Migaku May 2026 Sushi Kaiseki Course: Early Summer Arrivals

As Seattle slips from cherry-blossom spring into the lush opening of early summer, Chef Migaku Inaba turns to the season’s first quiet pleasures: tender new onions, the peppery green of fresh kinome, the rosy crunch of pickled rhubarb, and the mineral sweetness of fish at the height of their condition. Migaku’s May Sushi Kaiseki course is a measured progression — eight bites of Zensai followed by a series of single, deliberate compositions — designed to read like a slow walk through a Japanese garden in late spring, where every leaf has just unfurled.

Chef Inaba, recipient of the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Award, anchors this month’s menu in the language of shun (旬) — ingredients eaten at the precise moment of their seasonal peak. The result is a menu that feels both opulent and restrained, anchored by a luxurious A5 Wagyu Strip Loin Sukiyaki and a delicate Lobster Chawanmushi, and threaded throughout with the herbaceous, almost citrus-bright signature of kinome.

Below is the full progression of Migaku Seattle’s May 2026 Sushi Kaiseki course, served exclusively through the month.

The evening opens with an eight-piece Zensai — a quiet study in early-summer Japan, each morsel a different temperature, texture, and acidity, unified by ingredients arriving at their seasonal peak:

• Kinuta-Maki with Kimizu (Egg Yolk Vinegar)

  — Paper-thin ribbons of daikon rolled around delicate fillings in the classic kinuta style, brightened by kimizu — the silken, golden egg-yolk vinegar prized in formal Kyoto cooking.

• Pickled Rhubarb (Sudori Rhubarb)

  — Stalks of early rhubarb lightly dressed with rice vinegar, their natural tartness softened into a clean, rose-pink palate cleanser that signals the arrival of spring produce.

• Karaage of Shishamo

  — Whole shishamo smelt, prized for the delicate roe within, fried to a fine, brittle crisp — a single bite that telegraphs both the sea and the season.

• Tamago Tora-Yaki (“Tiger-Striped” Egg)

  — A traditional Japanese egg preparation grilled to develop its characteristic dark caramelized stripes, with a tender, gently sweet interior.

• Grilled A5 Wagyu Marinated in Saikyo Miso

  — Japan’s finest beef, slow-marinated in Kyoto’s celebrated white miso and grilled to a caramelized finish — a recurring Migaku motif of opulence balanced against restraint.

• Sockeye Salmon with Mizore Ponzu

  — Pacific Northwest sockeye, lightly cured and finished with mizore ponzu — a snowy veil of grated daikon and citrus-soy that lets the salmon’s clean richness lead.

• Early Summer Vegetables with Sea Bream, Scallop & Shrimp Nanban-Zuke, Tosa-Su Jelly

  — A vivid composition of early-summer vegetables and three premium shellfish in a Nanban-style marinade, finished with a trembling cube of Tosa-su jelly that releases the bonito-rich acidity gradually across each bite.

• Kinome Tofu with Sesame Cream

  — Not a soy tofu but a refined kuzu preparation: arrowroot starch patiently kneaded to a silken, trembling set, with whole kinome leaves embedded at its center, then carefully cooked through in a pot to draw the sansho’s bright, peppery aroma into every bite — served in a rich, lightly sweet sesame cream.

Saikyo-Yaki Black Cod

Black cod is given Migaku’s signature Saikyo treatment: several days of slow marination in Kyoto’s pale, deeply aromatic white miso, then grilled until the surface lacquers and the flesh inside reaches its hallmark butter-soft texture. The fish’s natural richness meets the sweet-savory perfume of aged miso — a dish that has become a quiet symbol of refined Japanese grilling, and one that anchors May’s course with depth and restraint.

Kinmedai with New Onion Suri-Nagashi, Kinome & Yuzu

Wanmono is often considered the spiritual heart of a Sushi Kaiseki meal — the clearest test of a chef’s dashi. Here, a translucent first-dashi broth carries a piece of golden-eye snapper (kinmedai), prized for its rich, oily-yet-clean flavor, alongside a suri-nagashi — a velvet purée — of new spring onions, whose sweetness only emerges this early in the season. A scattering of kinome leaves and a whisper of yuzu zest lift the bowl with a green, citrus-bright finish that signals the turn toward summer.

Lobster Chawanmushi

Migaku’s chawanmushi — a silken, savory steamed egg custard — is reimagined this month around a generous portion of poached lobster. The custard is set so gently it trembles under the spoon, and each bite alternates between the dashi-rich softness of the egg and the sweet, oceanic snap of lobster. It is one of the most quietly luxurious dishes on the menu — a study in how restraint can make richness feel almost weightless.

A5 Wagyu Strip Loin Sukiyaki with Tofu, Green Onion & Fresh Black Shichimi

The showpiece warm course this month brings the marbling of A5 Wagyu strip loin into the warm, sweet-savory embrace of sukiyaki. Slices of beef are passed briefly through a glossy warishita broth alongside silken tofu and sweet green onion, then finished with a pinch of nama kuro shichimi — a fresh, charcoal-dark seven-spice blend whose smoky heat lifts the dish without disturbing the depth of the Wagyu. The result is opulent, comforting, and unmistakably Japanese.

A masterful Edomae-style assortment, handcrafted by Chef Inaba for peak freshness and seasonal expression. Each piece is selected to highlight the finest early-summer offerings from both Japanese and Pacific Northwest waters:

• Fatty Bluefin Tuna (Hon-Maguro Otoro / 本マグロ大トロ)

  — The jewel of the sushi counter. Luxuriously marbled otoro dissolves on the palate with an extraordinary richness that lingers long after each bite.

• Golden-Eye Snapper (Kinmedai / 金目鯛)

  — A deep-water prize known for its brilliant crimson skin and silky, gently oily flesh — a piece of quiet drama on the counter.

• Sockeye Salmon

  — Pacific Northwest sockeye at its early-summer peak: leaner than king salmon, with a distinctive deep-coral hue and a clean, faintly mineral richness.

• Scallop (Hotate / 帆立)

  — Sweet, creamy, and delicately oceanic — scallop served at the edge of raw, where its sugars are most expressive.

• Aori Squid Topped with Sea Urchin (Aori-ika & Uni / アオリイカ雲丹乗せ)

  — A pairing of two of the sea’s most refined textures: the snap-and-melt sweetness of aori squid crowned with creamy, briny uni for an indulgent single bite.

• Bluefin Tuna — Lean (Hon-Maguro Akami / 本マグロ赤身)

  — The deep, clean flavor of premium bluefin tuna, its lean flesh rich with iron and umami — a cornerstone of Edomae sushi tradition.

• Botan Shrimp (Botan-ebi / ボタンエビ)

  — Served raw, these large, peony-like shrimp offer a remarkable buttery sweetness and a melt-in-the-mouth texture that is unmatched among crustaceans.

• White Tilefish (Shiroamadai / 白甘鯛)

  — A rare and highly coveted white-fleshed fish, prized for its delicate sweetness and elegant, almost floral aroma — among the most refined neta on the counter.

*The sushi selection may vary based on seasonal ingredient availability and daily sourcing.

A composed pairing brings the evening to a quiet close:

• Fresh Chocolate Mousse Daifuku

  — A pillowy mochi shell encasing a soft, deeply flavored fresh chocolate mousse — an East-meets-West confection that reads as both familiar and entirely Migaku.

• Strawberry

  — A single, perfectly ripe strawberry served plainly — a final note of bright, natural sweetness that resets the palate before you step back into the Ballard evening.

At Migaku, our Sushi Kaiseki course evolves with each season, ensuring every visit is a unique culinary poem. This May, we invite you to experience the quiet beauty of a Japanese early summer in our intimate Ballard dining room — perfect for special celebrations, anniversaries, or an unforgettable evening at the counter.

Reservations and inquiries are accepted exclusively through OpenTable. We look forward to welcoming you for a memorable early-summer moment at Migaku.