Bilbao has just a handful of Japanese restaurants, and I was looking to try out a new one this…read moreweekend. I found out about Mao after a bit of poking around on the web, and decided to give it a go for dinner.
The interior of Mao was impressive: a water water gurgled on one side of the room, a large hibachi grill stood in the corner of one dining room, and the decor was minimalistic and modern. The service was quick and professional.
I started off with the miso soup--not hard to mess up, and this one did not disappoint. Later I moved on to some specialty rolls: Hot Philadelphia, Dragon and Kani. The latter two were the best: fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented, while the Hot Philadelphia was just ok. Later I ordered a plate of chicken teriyaki, which I was not impressed with. It was strips of dry chicken breast doused in a watery teriyaki sauce--I've had much, much better. Lastly, I had dessert: green tea ice cream, and fried chocolate-banana rolls. Both were delicious. Washed everything down with a nice glass of house red--excellent for 2.50 a glass!
Overall, the ambience was great, service was good, and there was some nice sushi to be found.