Late Summer in Seattle: Migaku’s August Sushi Kaiseki

By August, summer in Seattle has reached its fullest — the evenings stay warm and light, and the season’s gardens and waters give their best. Corn, edamame, and ripe tomatoes come into their own now, just as the year begins its slow turn toward autumn. This month’s Sushi Kaiseki Course at Migaku captures that peak, built on ingredients gathered at the height of the season.

At the counter in Seattle, Chef Migaku Inaba composes each course by hand. A recipient of Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Award, he works with a restraint that lets each ingredient speak plainly. A drizzle of matcha syrup, a spoonful of grated daikon, a bright thread of yuzu — each is placed to balance the whole.

The August Sushi Kaiseki opens with two appetizer courses, the second presented on cool blue glass, then moves through grilled flounder, an abalone soup, and a scallop custard before arriving at nine pieces of sushi. A warm course of A5 wagyu and a matcha dessert bring the meal to its close. What follows is a walk through late summer, course by course.

The opening course gathers six small dishes, each meant to be taken slowly as the meal finds its rhythm:

Marinated Bluefin Tuna

— Served over a shiso and pine-nut sauce.

Slow-Braised Pork Belly

— With red and green shishito peppers.

Shishamo Smelt

— In a tangy nanban marinade.

Mussels

— Grilled plainly to draw out their natural sweetness.

Tamago Castella

— A lightly sweet, layered egg cake.

Cherry Tomatoes

— Steeped in tosazu, a bonito-scented vinegar.

A second appetizer follows on cool blue glass, a small trio that carries the season forward:

Sesame Tofu

— Beneath a smooth sweet-corn cream.

Scallop and Botan Shrimp

— With edamame and goji berries.

Nori Tsukudani

— Simmered to a savory depth, set against a saffron jelly.

Flounder Grilled in Hakkaisan Daiginjo

For the grilled course, Chef Inaba marinates flounder in Hakkaisan Daiginjo, a refined sake from Niigata, then grills it until the edges caramelize and the flesh stays moist. A mound of freshly grated daikon rests alongside, its clean, cool bite cutting through the richness of the fish.

Abalone in First Dashi

The soup course arrives in a clear, first-press dashi — the delicate opening extraction prized for its clarity. Tender abalone sits at its center with green beans and a bright thread of yuzu. It is a quiet, restorative bowl, meant to be sipped slowly.

Chawanmushi with Scallop and Silver Sauce

A savory steamed egg custard follows, silken and barely set, folded with scallop and finished with a glossy, clear dashi sauce. Rock nori lends a note of the shore, and a touch of wasabi keeps the dish bright.

A5 Wagyu Striploin, Dashi Shabu-Shabu

For the simmered course, thin slices of A5 wagyu striploin are passed briefly through hot dashi in the shabu-shabu manner, then bathed in a warm first-dashi sauce with green onion and a hint of wasabi. The broth carries the beef’s richness without weighing it down — indulgence, kept in balance.

At the heart of the Sushi Kaiseki Course, Chef Inaba shapes nine pieces one by one at the counter, served in sequence:

Otoro (Fatty Bluefin Tuna)

— The richest cut of bluefin tuna, marbled and slow to melt.

Kuromutsu

— A rich deep-sea white fish with a clean, buttery finish.

Sardine

— Lightly cured to soften its brightness.

Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper)

— Delicate and faintly sweet.

Akami Zuke (Marinated Lean Bluefin)

— Lean bluefin marinated in the zuke style for a deeper savor.

Hotate (Scallop)

— Sweet and faintly of the sea.

King Salmon

— Silken and full in flavor.

Botan Shrimp

— Sweet and tender.

Ishidai (Striped Beakfish)

— Firm and clean on the palate.

The selection shifts with each day’s catch. In late summer it balances the lean and the rich, moving from silken otoro to the sweet snap of botan shrimp.

Two sweets bring the evening to a quiet close:

Matcha Cheesecake

— Earthy and gently sweet.

Shiratama Mochi

— With sweet adzuki beans and a drizzle of matcha syrup.

Migaku’s August Sushi Kaiseki Course is served for a limited season at the counter in Seattle, with two seatings each evening, at 5:00 and 7:30. Seating is intimate and each course is prepared to order, so the experience rewards an unhurried evening.

Reservations are available exclusively through OpenTable. To join Chef Inaba for this month’s Sushi Kaiseki, reserve your table for August at Migaku Seattle.