Moira's location is an urbanist's paradise. The restaurant occupies the ground floor of 215 McKinley , a contemporary multi-story residential building. The restaurant space directly addresses the street with numerous windows, and thankfully there is no setback separating the restaurant from pedestrian traffic passing in front of it. There is also no valuable Downtown land wasted on a parking lot. Fear not, suburbanistas; anyone who absolutely must travel by car will find ample metered spaces available on the street. Nevertheless, the best way to arrive at Moira is via light rail to the Roosevelt / Central station, a short walk of four blocks away.
Upon entry into Moira, don't expect the traditional "Irrashaimase!" greeting shouted from all staff behind the sushi bar. That approach is more common at casual, neighborhood sushi places. At Moira, though, there is a host station with a more subdued, although certainly pleasant, approach to welcoming customers. Moira's look is stylish with wire mesh chairs, interesting light fixtures with a red glow, and trip-hop music on the speakers. There are tables throughout and an L-shaped counter wrapping around the sushi bar and the open kitchen behind it. It's a look that doesn't have a lot of analogues among other Phoenix-area sushi places. The closest comparison is probably nearby Sens, the Asian tapas place just a few blocks away. The similarity even extends to one of the staff behind the counter, who bears a striking resemblance to Johnny Chu, the chef-owner at Sens. Regarding the staff and owners, there's been some chatter that many of the individuals involved are not of Japanese origin. That may be true, but does it really matter? Moira has clearly not set out to be a place for sushi purists, but it's not a flashy, boisterous "frat sushi" place either.
Upon entry into Moira, don't expect the traditional "Irrashaimase!" greeting shouted from all staff behind the sushi bar. That approach is more common at casual, neighborhood sushi places. At Moira, though, there is a host station with a more subdued, although certainly pleasant, approach to welcoming customers. Moira's look is stylish with wire mesh chairs, interesting light fixtures with a red glow, and trip-hop music on the speakers. There are tables throughout and an L-shaped counter wrapping around the sushi bar and the open kitchen behind it. It's a look that doesn't have a lot of analogues among other Phoenix-area sushi places. The closest comparison is probably nearby Sens, the Asian tapas place just a few blocks away. The similarity even extends to one of the staff behind the counter, who bears a striking resemblance to Johnny Chu, the chef-owner at Sens. Regarding the staff and owners, there's been some chatter that many of the individuals involved are not of Japanese origin. That may be true, but does it really matter? Moira has clearly not set out to be a place for sushi purists, but it's not a flashy, boisterous "frat sushi" place either.
Moira's menu is a mix of sushi, sashimi, cooked entrees, salads, and appetizers. The rolls showcase some real creativity but don't suffer from an overload of cream cheese that detracts from the fish within. Even the vegetarian rolls show some spark. The Rainforest combines asparagus, tofu, avocado and lotus, among other ingredients, in a pleasing mix of smooth and crisp textures. Speaking of vegetarian food, Moira's menu does a nice job of identifying each meatless dish and each raw dish. Among the salads, it's possible to keep it simple with an extremely generous bowl of seaweed (right photo below) or to experiment more with spicy salmon, which combines raw fish with greens, avocado, and a lively dressing. Soft shell crab (center photo below) is another simple dish done right at Moira. As good as all these dishes are, for many customers the heart of the experience is the fish in its purest and simplest form. It's in this respect that Moira shows some accomplishment but also some room for fine-tuning. Smoked salmon nigiri is excellent with a buttery texture and subtle flavor. Toro , the fatty tuna belly, has also been good when available; however, on one visit the saba , or mackerel, seemed a little past its peak. To make the sushi experience complete, Moira offers grated fresh wasabi as an add-on for a dollar extra.
Moira has a full bar with cocktails, wine, sake, and an extensive selection of Asian beers. In the non-alcoholic department, the bottled ice teas from China Mist are surprisingly good. The lotus pear green tea has an understated, yet exotic, flavor that compliments Japanese food. At this time, dessert is limited to plum wine ice cream. Anyone wanting more choices may wish to venture a few blocks to Chill Out Gelato Cafe on Roosevelt. Although the restaurant's fashionable look doesn't make it an obvious choice for family dining, Moira does have high chairs on hand. At this point, Moira is not perfect but shows great promise. If Downtown Phoenix can cultivate a drugstore, a grocery store, and good sushi in the middle of a severe recession, there is clearly hope for the city's center.
Moira has a full bar with cocktails, wine, sake, and an extensive selection of Asian beers. In the non-alcoholic department, the bottled ice teas from China Mist are surprisingly good. The lotus pear green tea has an understated, yet exotic, flavor that compliments Japanese food. At this time, dessert is limited to plum wine ice cream. Anyone wanting more choices may wish to venture a few blocks to Chill Out Gelato Cafe on Roosevelt. Although the restaurant's fashionable look doesn't make it an obvious choice for family dining, Moira does have high chairs on hand. At this point, Moira is not perfect but shows great promise. If Downtown Phoenix can cultivate a drugstore, a grocery store, and good sushi in the middle of a severe recession, there is clearly hope for the city's center.
215 E McKinley, #102, Phoenix, AZ 85004 | Map
(602) 254-5085
http://www.moirasushi.com/
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