Miya’s Building History Explored At Miya’s

Karina Encarnacion had long admired the warm wood paneling, stained glass windows, and bamboo boat suspended above the door of 68 Howe St. Since arriving at Yale to study architecture, she had only seen the building from the outside, locked and empty.

On Wednesday evening, the former home of Miya’s Sushi reopened as a venue for student presentations — including Encarnacion’s, which was all about the building that once housed Miya’s.

Inside, students in Field Methods in Architectural and Urban Research, a seminar taught by Yale School of Architecture Associate Professor Elihu Rubin, gathered to share their research on New Haven’s urban landscape. Topics included the Oak Street Connector’s role in disconnecting the neighborhood and Yale’s plans to demolish a historic house at 337 Crown St.

The ex-restaurant space was warm and damp, with research displays hung along the walls and lit by scattered stage lights.

Encarnacion focused her research on the building itself. 

Built as a single-family home, it remained residential until 1930, when it was sold to The Great Atlantic and Pacific Trading Company and converted for commercial use – first for groceries and laundry, later as a restaurant.

In 1985, Yoshiko Lai purchased the property and moved Miya’s Sushi there six years later. Over the next three decades, the restaurant became known nationwide for its use of invasive species, sustainable seafood, and plant-based ingredients. It closed at the end of 2020.

Her son, Bun Lai, who ran Miya’s during its final decade, attended Wednesday’s event. He shared how strange it felt to be back in the building, bereft of string lights and a sushi-making station.

His mother, he said, wanted to be independent. ​“Her father once told her, ​‘If you were a boy, you’d be a great businessman.’” Nonetheless, she opened Miya’s in 1982.

After a 40-year run, he closed the restaurant to focus on other work and spend more time with his family. He is now developing an invasive species-based menu designed to ​“rewild the biome,” part of his broader effort to contribute to the conversation about the relationship between food, nature, and sustainability.

“Being disconnected from nature has damaged humanity and the world,” said Lai. ​“Capitalism, consumerism, industrialization, and modernity have led to more chronic disease and addiction.”

Two Yale College alumni recalled Miya’s Sushi as a ​“staple” during their undergraduate years, especially with Rudy’s Bar nearby.

Imagining the next iteration of 68 Howe St., Encarnacion – with the caveat that she is ​“not a long-term member of the community” – said that she would like to see ​“an affordable grocery store with fresh produce.”

Bun Lai has not decided what will become of the building. ​“I’m not in a hurry,” he said. ​“I just don’t want a Subway in it.”