They started off as two separate eateries, but Mikado and Thai Pepper have joined forces to become Mikado Thai Pepper, 64 E. Lancaster Ave., offering Ardmore an interesting array of sushi and Asian fusion dishes.
The tranquil décor gives diners the option of the traditional Japanese floor seating or the standard table or bar setting. The menu also gives you diverse choices.
Sushi enthusiasts have numerous choices of rolls and sashimi. The sashimi platters are available in varying sizes (appetizer $17, regular $18, deluxe $27 and sashimi for two $55), each with a very fresh selection of fish.
When it comes to sushi rolls, some like them simple, others complex. Fortunately, Mikado does both very well. On one hand, you have the flamingo roll ($8.50), which, with spicy tuna on the inside and butterflied cooked shrimp on the outside, had clean, uncomplicated flavors. On the other side of the spectrum was the Ardmore roll ($10), a house favorite, with complex flavors and textures, crunchy tempura flakes and sliced avocado atop a roll of spicy tuna and aoli.
Bridging the gap between Japan and Thailand is a small plate and house favorite, the beef nigimaki ($9.50). The dish is served up like sushi but is comprised of tender, cooked beef in a teriyaki sauce. If you have dining companions who are sheltered in the culinary sense or are weird about the concept of raw fish, this is the dish with familiar-enough flavors to ease them gently into the world of sushi.
On the Thai fusion side of the menu, Mikado Thai Pepper delivers the goods. The spicy calamari salad ($9) was bright, spicy and balanced. The crispy Chilean sea bass ($24) was high art in looks and taste, with an excellent crunch on the outside and tender on the inside. Its sauce was sweet and spicy, highlighting the steamed kale and asparagus on which the bass rested. The spicy noodle with chicken ($13.50) is a great comfort dish, a somewhat sweet and savory dish of ground chicken, wide noodles and spicy peppers.
Desserts at Mikado also walk the line between traditional and fusion. We had the pleasure of trying the ginger crème brûlé ($6), which falls into the latter category. It has the feel and taste of a traditional crème brûlé but the addition of ginger to the caramelized crust, and the custard gave it a familiar cookie-like taste that was very enjoyable.
Mikado and Thai Pepper tore down their literal and culinary walls and we can’t argue with the results — as it really is the best of two worlds.