When you think of breakfast, images of eggs, bacon or oatmeal might come to mind. But a traditional Japanese breakfast is a completely different ballgame.
You can certainly start the day with a thick stack of pancakes at Miru, hidden away on the 11th floor of the gleaming new St. Regis Hotel, which is a small part of the stunning new glass-enclosed St. Regis Chicago, from Starchitect Jeanne Gang in Lakeshore East.
The food is almost secondary, when you’ve got commanding views of the Lake, Streeterville and River North. Miru does, afterall, mean “view” in Japanese. But look closer.
See that chef breaking down a side of tuna? Or those gentlemen, slicing sashimi and creating colorful platters of sushi? Miru’s focus is Japanese, so it’s no surprise to learn they also offer a traditional breakfast set.
“Traditional Japanese breakfast is white rice, pickles, miso soup, and cooked – usually – salmon, and salmon egg,” said Hisanobu Osaka, the chef at Miru.
The salmon filet is broiled for just a minute.
“We are using a New Zealand King salmon, and we brine it overnight,” said Osaka.
The Food Guy
Once cooked to medium rare, it’s brushed with a shiodare sauce containing sesame oil, salt and scallions.
Salmon roe – or eggs – are placed into a wide, shallow bowl, topped with a soft egg that’s first cooked to 145 degrees, then held until an order comes in.
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“Then kind of inside is a nice and runny egg yolk, then when we pick up, we poach it again, nice and firm outside, inside is still runny yolk,” he said.
Miso soup is salty and bracing, ladled into a cup with seaweed and firm tofu. Pickles are delicate and briny, providing some important crunch and color.
“It’s usually daikon radish, and pickled cucumber and pickled gobo,” said Osaka.
Rice is lightly seasoned, and don’t overlook the dried nori, or seaweed. It’s a perfect, umami-loaded wrap for that salmon. Order a pot of tea and just take in the view – it’s a power breakfast move that doesn’t require staying at the hotel.
“So far it’s a lot of people, it’s surprisingly; it’s good,” he said.
Here's where you can go:
401 E. Wacker Dr.
312-725-7811
