Simple, warming green tea was served in elegant ceramic cups, alongside our orders of sake, Japan's famous rice wine. The sake was offered in an attractive sake set decorated with a traditional Japanese motif.

We began with six gyoza or potstickers. Lined up uniformly on a narrow serving dish, the dumplings, made of won ton skins filled with a mixture of pork, cabbage, garlic, ginger and green onion, were light and flavorful. The accompanying dipping sauce was happily heavy on the rice vinegar, bringing tang to the tender appetizer.

We may have gone a little overboard on our sushi selections, but if you're going to truly experience a Japanese restaurant, I say go all the way. Individual prices for sushi are quite fair (between $2.75 and $8 for portions ranging from two to eight pieces), but if you're too liberal with your choices, you can be hit with a high bill. For a party of four, the sushi tab alone came to nearly $30.

It was worth it.

It's a widely held but utterly incorrect assumption that sushi means "raw fish." Sushi actually refers to the marriage of rice and vinegar. (For the record, sashimi means raw fish.) Sushi is available in a myriad of varieties, including many that do not contain raw fish.

After a short wait, a large crackle-finished plate was brought to our table covered in a variety of colorful, uniform groupings of sushi. From octopus to ahi tuna, the colorful creations were all appealing, unfailingly fresh-tasting and savory.

Wasabi is the Japanese version of horseradish and comes from the root of an Asian plant. This green condiment has a sharp and decidedly fiery flavor. Mixing the wasabi with soy sauce, then dipping each bite of sushi into the mixture, produced taste sensations unlike any I've experienced. rice and miso soup.

The yardstick by which any Japanese restaurant can be measured is its miso soup. It's a simple dish, but if prepared with quality ingredients and proper attention to detail, it sings. Miyoshi's tasty version was served in a small bowl that rested comfortably in the hand.

My chicken teriyaki made its presence loudly known as it was brought from the kitchen. Spitting and hissing and spewing steam, the cast iron dish cradled a sliced boneless chicken breast atop a mound of sprouts and a light teriyaki sauce. The tender strips of chicken soaked up the teriyaki sauce, melding the two flavors.

A friend's "Deluxe Makunouchi Bento Box" consisted of assorted seafood and vegetables fried in a light batter, also known as tempura. Ice water is the most important ingredient in preparing tempura, as the cold temperature prevents the batter from absorbing too much oil.

Miyoshi managed the feat finely; serving a fried food that is fresh-tasting and light, not greasy or heavy.

Another dining companion ordered the "3-B Udon," a mix of spicy stir-fried udon noodles, zucchini, carrots, green peppers, seasonings and several large prawns. The plump noodles swirled together with the fresh veggies, while the prawns balanced on the flat rim of the shallow bowl.

My husband had the chicken katsu, a lightly breaded, deep-fried chicken breast served with a red sauce that tasted similar to a traditional shrimp sauce.

As with the chicken teriyaki, the quality of the chicken was superb, resulting in a flavorful, pleasing dish.

Although I don't normally mention a restaurant's washroom, the art covering the walls of Miyoshi's restrooms is so charming, it deserves a mention. Pages from a Japanese coloring book have been carefully (and not so carefully) colored by children, then hung as