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Miyagi's magic prawns are the most popular dish at Firehouse Grill. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)
spicy

Signature Dish: Firehouse Grill’s Miyagi Magic Prawns

Jun 25, 2021 | 9:34 AM

NANAIMO — The top seller at a popular Nanaimo restaurant always keeps the customers coming back for more.

The Miyagi magic prawns from Firehouse Grill bring the spice, with panko-breaded flash fried prawns tossed in a scintillating in-house molten mayo and spicy sauce served on a bed of sushi rice.

Even the kimchi salad as a side is spicy

Co-owner Dean Andrichuk said the dish is their most popular.

“They absolutely love it. We’ve had so many people just rave over it, they can’t get enough. It’s got a sushi flare to it that caters to seafood lovers because of the prawns, but the sauce is a hit.”

Andrichuk said making the miyagi magic prawns appealing to the eye is a critical aspect of the dish’s success.

“We eat with our eyes first. It’s got to eat pretty before it tastes pretty. I give a lot of freedom to my staff to create and present those dishes…It’s about colour, textures, flavours. Presentation is huge.

Andrichuck described the Firehouse Grill menu, which has grown and evolved in the last 14 years, as west coast Cajun cuisine.

While he said sushi will always be a front-runner at Firehouse Grill, especially in the spring and summer, they have a diverse menu to suit a variety of tastes.

A range of seafood, burgers, sandwiches, pastas, soups, jambalaya, chicken wings and salads pack the Firehouse Grill menu. There’s also kid options for young ones who can’t handle the spice.

“We can do everything, we can make everyone happy. We can give one person raw salmon and we can give the other one a well done steak,” Andrichuk said.

A bulk of Firehouse Grill’s produce is direct from Vancouver Island suppliers.

A deep list of beverage offerings are also available, including martinis, cocktails, local craft beers and several types of Caesars.

Firehouse Grill located at 7 Victoria Rd. first opened in 2007 in an iconic old firehall from the late 1800s.

Andrichuk said they still have a few staff members who helped launch the restaurant.

“I pay a lot of our success to the staff and to the clientele, they keep coming back for more. You give them what they want and they’ll come back.”

Firehouse Grill is open seven days a week between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. for dine-in and takeout.

Signature Dish is brought to you by Island Savings – A Division of First West Credit Union, learn more at https://www.islandsavings.ca/.

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