Sushi update: Tacoma's Kabuki closes, Miyabi opens in its place

Attention sushi eaters - a soft opening alert. Lacking a sign and a full menu, Miyabi Sushi quietly opened in the location that formerly housed Kabuki, a longtime Tacoma  sushi destination that operated from 1992 until late 2013.

A server noted that Miyabi's soft opening will last a few more days before the restaurant extends its menu to include dinner items. Right now, diners will find a lunch menu at both lunch and dinner.

The menu mirrors Kabuki in concept - a mix of maki, nigiri, sashimi, bento, donburi and heartier Japanese entrees. I'll have a first-bite report soon, but an early look showed plenty to make Miyabi a sushi destination, including mirugai (geoduck) nigiri, which I haven't seen recently around town outside of Gari of Sushi (Tips for mirugai? Message me. Don't bother messaging me about Kanpai - it's off the  menu).

At Miyabi, sushi chefs are on display at a counter that anchors the rear of the restaurant, as it was at Kabuki. What has shifted is the seating perspective. With a very fitting name, Kabuki felt like sushi theater, with seating stacked to provide a view of the sushi counter from just about any corner of the room. Miyabi's seating, most likely because of the long, cushy banquettes, shifts the perspective to wall murals or tatami rooms (glad they kept those) - less attention on the chefs, more attention on your dining partners. A handful of seats at the counter provide a view of the chefs at work, though.

As it is now, the decor looks transitional, as if they're still adding to it (a server confirmed they are). The dining room, entry and bathrooms received a fluff and buff.

Miyabi is new to the South Sound. The restaurant has outposts north of here - a family style sushi restaurant in Southcenter and an upscale bistro in Wallingford of a similar name, Miyabi 45th.

Miyabi TacomaWhere: 2919 S. 38th St., Tacoma, 253-474-1650, miyabisushi.com (Note: Miyabi is in the same plaza as Marlene's, Michael's and Guitar Center).

This story was originally published January 30, 2014 at 5:13 AM with the headline "Sushi update: Tacoma's Kabuki closes, Miyabi opens in its place ."