At Mikura Asian Bistro in Wyomissing, Jack Li is much more than a business owner and gracious, masterful chef. He keeps up with the trends!
“We like to upgrade all the time and give our customers something new,” Li says, smiling broadly. “I want to keep it fresh, all the time!” This mission is especially borne out with his new Korean fusion menu, which includes such specialties as Bulgogi, Kimchi Chicken Fried Rice, Sweet Chili Beef Noodles and Dolsot Bibimbap. Li’s cuisine travels into China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam as well. So, for beverages, you’re as likely to order Bubble Tea as Japanese soda or even a rather strong Korean wine called soju in such flavors as mango, citron and even yogurt (sweet, smooth and milky). Soju delivers a kick indeed.
Moreover, Li is a thoughtful person who loves seeing the smiles on his customers’ faces as they taste his food. He makes sure to take patrons’ preferences into culinary consideration — including spice levels, gluten-free needs and vegan inclinations and new takes on sushi as well as traditional, nostalgic favorites like General Tso’s Chicken (or Tofu, Shrimp, Pork, Vegetables or Beef) plus Sweet ’n Sour faves. His top-notch chefs and staff follow Li’s particular directions to perfection, choosing from fresh meats and vegetables and prepping the noodles and rice in accordance with the “rules” of various countries across Asia and South Asia.
Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad, Bulgogi & More
Start off with the newest addition to warm up your taste buds — a spicy cold Cucumber Salad that deploys rice vinegar, sesame oil and other oils, plus Korean hot chili pepper paste across crunchy crescents of cukes, all of them marinated for three days prior to being set on the table. The different oils lend an absolutely addictive sauce for the dish. Li confesses, “This is my favorite salad. In fact, I like putting it on hot rice sometimes.”
The Korean Bulgogi features tender, thin-sliced beef marinated in luscious barbecue sauce, enhanced by kimchi (the famed spicy Korean pickled cabbage) and mushrooms with house seasoning for a truly unique, unforgettable taste sensation. Korean cuisine is well known — and highly respected — for its spectacularly different treatments of beef, ever aiming to honor, retain and pull up the natural “beefiness” while delivering staggeringly unique flavor. This Bulgogi certainly hits the mark.
Sweet, saucy and oh-somemorable is Li’s version of Korean Fire-Hot Chicken and Shrimp. This has such a daring, out-of-the-box taste and effect, almost floral but biting with a slow burn of chili heat. In short, this entrée is outrageously yummy, with its large, juicy, crunchy onion slices and small, curly shrimp that ooze with gravy-like broth. Bite-sized, soft chicken slices kick up the protein further alongside colorful green pepper chunks, carrots and snow peas. This dish is served in Korean stone bowls, which are heavy enough to hold the heat, capture and meld all the aromatic flavors and yet maintain a natural mixture of complex elements.
For another new adventure, do try the Dolsol Bibimbap, wherein a traditional pork belly dish is marinated in hot pepper paste atop hot white rice, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini and carrots. Served with a fried egg on top, the crispy edges match up well with the pork. Bibimbap is a fast way to warm up, inside and out.
Get Your Ramen On!
Ramen is clearly “in” with younger patrons these days, even though this noodle soup dish goes back literally hundreds of years and has long captured audiences of all ages in China, Japan and Korea. Highly popular on Mikura’s newest menu is a fabulous Black Garlic Tonkatsu Ramen — a great example of Li’s closely curated foods. With a warm, super creamy broth and offering choices of chicken or pork (the latter is one meat that Li especially loves to cook), plus toppings of chopped green scallions, slender bamboo shoots, mushrooms and a fried egg on top (instead of a raw egg, which American customers appreciate and usually love more), the restaurant creates a large, cozy bowl that meets his winter menu. The satisfying, chewy noodles balance out the tenderness of the meat as the morsels slowly melt in your mouth.
Traditional Miso Ramen, Curry Ramen, Vegetable Ramen, and even Fried Chicken Ramen, are enticing choices to consider. Mikura also makes fat-noodle bowls of Japanese Udon, including Sukiyaki Udon that highlights marinated shaved beef.
Sushi, Everyone?
From classic rolls to hand rolls, sushi combos and sushi lunch specials, Mikura has won local awards three years running for “Best Sushi,” which gives owner Li great pride. Ever the inventive chef, he also lists no less than 11 cleverly named House Signature Rolls, separate from the “regular” sushi menu.
Good news: Mikura also offers private chef services — off-site! — for family and business events (primarily sushi and Chinese cooking).
840 N. Park Rd., Ste. 8, Wyomissing | 610.927.5555 | mikurarestaurant.com
