When the casual sushi and matcha bar Minnow debuted in July in the former home of coffeeshops Provision and Seedhouse, cafe devotees didn’t seem to skip a beat.
Neighbors and nearby office workers are again lining up to visit this casual, bustling spot. But instead of ordering espresso drinks and sandwiches, their options now include of-the-moment matcha lattes and specialty sushi rolls.
The new concept is the fourth restaurant from chef Bernie Kantak’s restaurant group, In Good Spirits Hospitality. His team, with the help of chef Spencer Shin, may be serving a different menu, but they’ve retained the hallmark of the location: helping people get caffeinated and fed quickly.
During a recent visit ahead of the lunch rush (Minnow starts serving its full food menu at 11 a.m.), a line formed to order at the two digital screens or with a staff member. A mix of small groups and single diners filled more than half of the three rows of ash tables and seats at the bar, which is encased in rich peacock-blue tile and punctuated by inky cobalt pendant lights.
Chefs hand-craft rolls in front of customers from an open kitchen behind the ordering counter. Staff deliver the sushi, packaged in plastic trays, from the counter to tables as each dish is ready.
Minnow’s food menu includes nigiri and sashimi, more than a dozen specialty and classic sushi rolls, donburi and a selection of sushi bar starters and desserts.
We started with a miso matcha latte and an espresso tonic. The Nekohama Matcha is a strong, earthy ceremonial-grade tea. It's added to milk of your choice, plus miso honey, and then topped with miso cold foam for a sip that is creamy and sweet, with grassy, floral notes.
The espresso tonic had a strong pour made with Moxie Coffee Co. beans. That roast was emphasized with the coconut syrup in this bold but refreshing drink.
Each specialty roll and the donburi featured flavorful sushi rice with the sweet kick of rice vinegar, cooked so that the grains maintained their shape and tender chew. Rice is an often overlooked but deeply important part of a great sushi bar, and Minnow's is made with care.
Fresh, flavorful fish and seafood also shine at Minnow. Diners can opt for classic presentations, but the rolls that incorporate untraditional ingredients are among the brightest and most interesting bites.
The Penasco, a crab and shrimp roll, has a fiery spice from chiltepin ponzu and zesty, paper-thin slices of red onion. That heat is buffeted by cooling avocado, cucumber and sweet mango. The Saguaro pulls on another southwestern ingredient, adding nopales to a spicy salmon roll. The result is a crisp-tender textural element to this fragrant, slightly smoky bite that layers salmon inside and out of the roll.
A standout of our order was the fresh but umami-layered Drunk Fish. The soy paper-wrapped roll features spicy tuna, along with bright pickled daikon and tender green onion and spring mix. Savory, spicy garlic ponzu and wasabi mayo add unexpected depth, which is punctuated by buttery, translucent slices of halibut.
We also opted for the poke donburi, one of Minnow’s four bowl options. The base of sushi rice and greens was topped with firm, meaty chunks of tuna, piquant pickled cucumbers, half an avocado and yuzu onions. A sprinkle of sesame seeds and crunchy puffed rice topped off this generously portioned bowl.
Plated with an electric purple orchid, the poke donburi is visually stunning and chock full of tasty, textural bites. A dash of the self-serve soy sauce helps pull all these components together.
To end our meal, the Pixie Mochi drew us in. It sounded like a fun twist on the Japanese treat, where the ice cream dumplings are wrapped in a rainbow-striped Fruit Roll-Up. We asked the team to hold it for us, worried the ice cream may melt if it came out with our lunch.
The chef had described the treat as like biting into candied glass. In our case, it took a bit to shatter that glass, and when we did, the combination was a miss. The chewy, manufactured-sweet exterior stamped out the nuanced texture and flavor of the matcha mochi.
Next time, we look forward to trying Minnow’s burnt miso poundcake or the matcha cheesecake, perhaps paired with one of the bar’s house cocktails on draft.
The casual restaurant is the ideal spot to meet a friend or colleague over lunch or when you're in search of a more elevated takeout option that would wow friends for a picnic or a night in.
Minnow recently extended its hours to 9 p.m., and we'll be back for dinner to try the Spam musubi and ocotopus salad along with Minnow's spicy yellowtail roll with salsa verde. Although Minnow offers the speed of quick-service restaurants, the gorgeous space and tasty bites make us want to slow down and stay awhile.
Minnow
Matcha and espresso lattes: $4.50-7; specialty rolls: $12-18; donburi: $18-28; desserts: $4-64501 N. 32nd St.
