Traditional Japanese Breakfast – NBC Chicago

When you think of breakfast, images of eggs, bacon or oatmeal may come to mind. But a traditional Japanese breakfast is a whole different ballgame.

You can definitely start the day with a thick stack of pancakes at Miru, tucked away on the 11th floor of the gleaming new St. Regis Hotel, which is a small part of Starchitect Jeanne Gang’s stunning new glass-encased St. Regis Chicago in Lakeshore East.

The food is almost secondary, when you have an amazing view of the lake, Streeterville and River North. Miru means, after all, “sight” in Japanese. But take a closer look.

See this chef breaking down a side of tuna? Or those gentlemen, cutting sashimi and creating colorful sushi platters? Miru focuses on Japanese, so it’s no surprise to hear that they also offer a traditional breakfast set.

“Traditional Japanese breakfast consists of white rice, pickles, miso soup and – usually – cooked salmon and salmon roe,” said Hisanobu Osaka, the chef at Miru.

The salmon fillet is grilled for just one minute.

“We use a New Zealand king salmon and brine it overnight,” Osaka said.

When done, it is brushed with a shiodare sauce containing sesame oil, salt and green onions.

Salmon roe – or roe – is placed in a wide, shallow bowl, topped with a soft-boiled egg which is first cooked to 145 degrees, then held until an order arrives.

“Then inside there’s a nice runny egg yolk, then when we pick it up we’ll poach it again, nice and firm on the outside, inside there’s still some runny egg yolk,” he said.

Miso soup is salty and invigorating, poured into a cup with seaweed and firm tofu. Pickles are delicate and brackish, offering significant crunch and color.
“It’s usually daikon radish, pickled cucumber, and pickled gobo,” Osaka said.

The rice is lightly seasoned and don’t overlook the dried nori or seaweed. It’s a perfect umami-laden wrap for this salmon. Order a teapot and just take in the view – it’s an energetic breakfast that doesn’t require staying at the hotel.

“So far it’s a lot of people, surprisingly; it’s good,” he said.

Here’s where you can go:

Miru at the St. Regis Hotel

401 E. Wacker Dr.

312-725-7811