Asian Fusion in Miami

When Michael Pirolo returned to the U.S. at age 25 after four years of staging in Italy, he brought back more than the recipes that helped make Scarpetta and later Macchialina successes. During his time there, he picked up a number of a tricks and lifelong lessons from the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cooks he worked alongside. They all manifest at Bazi, his seemingly unexpected Asian joint that opened in Collins Avenue's fabled Marlin Hotel. Throughout the week, vermilion snapper, hogfish, or whatever's available is delivered from Islamorada. The fish is deboned, dredged in rice flour, and pan-fried until the skin crisps into briny curls. The accompanying green papaya salad isn't for the faint of heart but should be heaped on. The musty funk of the fish sauce dressing is as pungent and awe-inspiring as anything on the streets of Southeast Asia. It's clear Pirolo isn't dumbing down his cooking or the robustness of Asian ingredients to capitalize on his successes.

19 articles

Cafe Oriental

9800 SW 77th Ave. East Kendall/Pinecrest

786-294-3101

Asian Fusion

1 article

Calle Dragones

1036 SW Eighth St. Little Havana

786-722-8370

Cuban, Asian Fusion, Fusion

China Grill

1881 SE 17th St. Causeway Fort Lauderdale

954-759-9950

Asian, Asian Fusion, Contemporary, Sushi

Jeffrey Chodorow's famed China Grill waited 20 years to land in Fort Lauderdale, but now that it has, this glitzy pan-Asian fusion eatery is attracting the young and beautiful in droves. From the infused saketinis and Poire cocktails to the giant platters of spareribs, moo shu duck, overwrought sushi rolls, mountains of toro and Kobe, and bananas in a tuile "box," the food at China Grill is excellent even if the flavors, like a decorating scheme that relies on special effects such as a pair of glow-in-the-dark bars, can sometimes seem a little too outrageous.

China Grill

404 Washington Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-534-2211

Asian, Asian Fusion, Music Venues, Recommended, Menu

This SoBe pioneer is still bold, boisterous, big on a grand scale. Let's use one dish to illustrate: Sake-marinated chicken was a half-bird crisply grilled and sliced into thick, moist wedges imbued with smoke and spice. A mound of vinegary napa cabbage salad countered with an acidic tang, as did a thin, dark sauce based on rice wine vinegar, miso, and soy; thick tempura onion rings were a nice touch on top. This one meal contained enough heft to be tasted by the whole table, and also served to remind that while the food here isn't as exquisite as the elite handful of our best New World/fusion restaurants, China Grill does serve fresher, lighter, smarter cuisine than the glut of muddled global eateries that regrettably followed in the wake of its success.

41 articles

Crazy Poke

312 NW 24th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-401-7542

Hawaiian, Asian Fusion, Readers' Choice

5 articles

Crudos Fusion Art

250 NW 24th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-238-7103

Asian Fusion, Sushi

Duck 'N Sum

3015 Grand Ave. Coconut Grove

786-740-2113

Chinese, Cantonese, Asian Fusion, Best Of

1 article

Est.33 Thai Craft Brewery & Kitchen

701 S. Miami Ave. Brickell

305-425-9266

Asian Fusion, Best Of

If you like beer and Thai food, look no further than Est. 33, the Brickell brewery and restaurant named for the 1933 founding of Boon Rawd Brewery in Bangkok. Here, the brewery and kitchen reflect Thai brewing traditions paired with tropical Miami influences. While the Bangkok-based maker of Singha and Leo beers is the inspiration, head brewer Todd Space is the man behind many of the Miami-based brewery's more experimental brews, with recipes crafted in collaboration with the brewery's Bangkok team. Singha, not surprisingly, is always on tap, along with many other beers, including locally inspired offerings. If you're hungry, Est. 33's menu marries the best of American barbecue — cooked over a smoker and grill fueled by hickory wood — with various combinations of Thai, Japanese, and Chinese flavors.

1 article

Etaru

111 S. Surf Rd. Hallandale Beach

954-271-3222

Japanese, Asian Fusion

10 articles

GoBistro

315 NE 25th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-332-3597

Asian Fusion, Sushi, Ramen

1 article

Hoshi & Sushi

5401 Collins Ave., Miami Beach Mid/North Beach

305-763-8946

Sushi, Japanese, Korean, Asian, Asian Fusion

Chef Dongwook Seo thinks eating fresh seafood is one of life's richest pleasures. His first restaurant, Hoshi & Sushi, serves sushi that's a mix of simplicity and invention. Located on the ground floor of a condo building on Miami Beach's Millionaires Row, Hoshi & Sushi is a two-room, 60-seat eatery filled with hanging lanterns, wooden seating, and Japanese-themed wallpaper. Artistic Asian mirrors and contemporary pop music lend an unpretentious, friendly vibe. Standout signature rolls are the Geisha, a fusion of salmon and avocado drizzled with truffle sauce; and the Gangnam-Style, made with tempura shrimp, eel, tuna tataki, and avocado. Tempura lobster and avocado are crowned with tuna and salmon in the hearty ten-piece Godfather roll, and sushi combos range from 16 pieces to a boat for two. Pair your meal with a bottle of sake, such as the Hana Fuga Peach or Yuki Lychees. Hoshi & Sushi also delivers directly to the sands of Mid-Beach, so you can eat while you sunbathe. Read more about Hoshi & Sushi.

2 articles

Ivan's Cookhouse

14815 Biscayne Blvd. Aventura/North Miami Beach

305-944-4826

Asian Fusion, Haitian, Caribbean, Best Of

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3 articles

Jaya at the Setai

2001 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

855-923-7899

Asian Fusion, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Indian specialties appear on the menu at Jaya, the year-old restaurant at the Setai. The restaurant's top toque is a 2015 Chopped champion Mathias Gervais, who grew up in the South of France but has always been fascinated with Asian food and culture. One of the kitchen's specialties is roasted Peking duck. It's served DIY-style with steamed pancakes, scallions, cucumbers, and bean sauce. But if that's too heavy, try the duck salad instead. Gervais adds blackberries, lychees, and crisp leeks to the mesclun mix, which balances the richness of the bird and the plum sauce dotted around the plate. He also saves the duck trimmings and sautés them in the wok with spices and olive oil to give extra depth to the appetizer. Har gow — Cantonese steamed shrimp dumplings served in dim sum — are commonplace, but Jaya's version is perfect. Gervais' commitment shows in the attention to detail and caliber of cuisine here. It's true that Miami Beach hotel restaurants don't have the best reputation, but there's no reason Jaya shouldn't be as popular as, say, Hakkasan at the Fontainebleau.

35 articles

K Ramen. Burger. Beer.

150 20th St., Miami Beach South Beach

305-534-7895

Ramen, Burgers, Asian Fusion, Japanese, American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu, Slideshow

Down an ominous black staircase that once led to South Beach's beloved Bond Street Lounge awaits K Ramen. Burger. Beer., an Asian-inspired oasis that serves among Miami's best bowls of ramen. Better yet, this manga-inspired joint stays open late. That means fried chicken or pork belly sandwiches and a salmon-skin salad with crisped shards of the fish's flesh and bright strands of tart green papaya. Think French fries but better. Then comes the spicy black miso ramen. It starts with chicken carcasses, boiled with scallions and other aromatics to create a fragrant, delicate broth that by itself would suffice as the base of a fine chicken soup. Then comes the heroic dose of salty black miso that turns the brew an evil ebony hue. Chilies and cracked sesame seeds lend an alluring spice and a nutty flavor that pair smartly with the miso and cling to thin, chewy noodles. The next time the hunger pangs hit after a long night of drinking, you know where to go. Read our full review of K Ramen. Burger Beer.

12 articles

Kaido

151 NE 41st St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-409-5591

Japanese, Asian Fusion, Fusion

Kaido, the Design District cocktail lounge by chef Brad Kilgore and mixologist Nico de Soto, is a lush den of food and drinks. Yes, the menu is filled with decadent items you would expect in a lounge situated above a Gucci boutique, such as grilled foie gras ($23) and Wagyu tataki ($95); however, it's Kilgore's take on old-school favorites that shine. Guilty pleasures, usually found in strip-mall restaurants and street-vendor stalls, are made elegant in the chef's hands. Kaido's fondue is a blend of cheese and creamy uni in a sea-urchin-shaped bowl, along with smaller dishes of vegetables, tiny bao buns, and assorted bits of shrimp, scallops, and calamari for dipping. Kilgore also turns the scourge of Florida's waters — the lionfish — into delicate sashimi, dubbed "Floridian fugu." Insider tip: Be sure to also make reservations for Ama, the little hidden bar inside Kaido. You won't find photos of it online because guests are instructed to refrain from snapping shots and using social media in the bar. That means you'll have to enjoy the company of friends and savor the food and drinks without your phone in your hand. What a novel concept.

8 articles

Kaori by Walter Martino

1250 S. Miami Ave. Brickell

786-805-6006

Sushi, Asian Fusion, New American, Menu

2 articles

Kaori Miami

871 S. Miami Ave. Brickell

786-878-4493

Asian Fusion, Mediterranean, Readers' Choice

7 articles

Komodo

801 Brickell Ave. Brickell

305-534-2211

Asian Fusion, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Readers' Choice

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Miami Beach's China Grill was the place to see and be seen. Paparazzi swarmed the restaurant for snaps of the city's heavy hitters like Sly Stallone and other former Star Island residents. Fast-forward to today, and China Grill honcho Jeffrey Chodorow partnered with David Grutman, the mind behind the insanity at clubs like LIV and Story, to turn the once-dormant ground floor of a Brickell office building into a thumping Asian-fusion oasis. At Komodo, you can find truffled beef tartare, miso chilean sea bass, and king crab lo mein. Yet the high is the restaurant's Peking duck — the apple of Grutman's eye and the first thing you see as you approach the crimson-and-black restaurant. The kitchen took out ads in the city's Chinese newspaper to find its duck masters, and today a trio undertakes the perpetual, painstaking process that gives these birds their crisp skin and succulent flesh. If you ever become a famous DJ, the owners might even invite you into the kitchen to create your own dessert (like they did with EDM wunderkind Kygo).

46 articles

Kyu

251 NW 25th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-577-0150

Asian Fusion, Barbecue, Recommended, Slideshow

TEMPORARILY CLOSED A sizable portion of the menu at Kyu in Wynwood is prepared on the restaurant’s wood-fired grill using a combination of Asian and American barbecue techniques. The meat is simply prepared with Japanese sea salt and black shichimi pepper and then smoked for 12 to 14 hours. It arrives divided into thick slices on a flat wood stump with a bevy of accouterments, such as fresh lettuce for wrapping, pickled cucumbers, red onions, and shiso. There are also three miniature beakers containing sweet/sour, spicy/smoky, and light/spicy barbecue sauces. In a reverse twist, Kyu has opened an outpost in New York City's trendy SoHo neighborhood.

35 articles

Lettuce & Tomato

17070 W. Dixie Highway Aventura/North Miami Beach

305-760-2260

Fusion, Gastro Pub, Latin, Wine Bar, Asian Fusion, Pan-Asian, Slideshow

Lettuce & Tomato is a swank gastropub that offers an industrial yet warm atmosphere tucked away on West Dixie Highway at NE 171st Street. Featuring a juxtaposition of Latin and Asian flavors, the menu lists plates such as huevos rotos, served with hand-cut garlic French fries, sofrito, serrano ham, three fried eggs, and a pinch of sprouts; mantou, known as Asian-inspired steamed buns, stuffed with thick cuts of meat such as short rib or pork belly and drizzled with a homemade ají aioli sauce; and seared corvina with quinoa, slow-cooked mushrooms, piquillo peppers, and red onions.

3 articles

Mai-Kai Restaurant and Polynesian Show

3599 N. Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale

954-563-3272

Polynesian, Asian Fusion, Best Of

The United States was once filled with roadside tiki bars and dinner-show venues. There, your grandparents would dress up to watch fire dancers and hula girls while dining on crab rangoon and pu-pu platters and sipping drinks called the Jet Pilot and the Zombie. These days, only a handful of those places remain. South Florida is lucky to boast one of the most glorious examples. Perpetually lit tiki torches welcome thirsty travelers from far corners. Sure, the Mai-Kai offers a spectacular dinner show, but the real fun is at the Molokai Bar. Here, servers clad in bikini tops and sarongs serve classic tiki drinks. You'll find no foams, dry ice, or other trappings of molecular gastronomy here. Instead, you'll sip grogs, rum barrels, and mai tais the way they were meant to be enjoyed — from shrunken ceramic heads festooned with tiny paper umbrellas and maraschino cherries in an atomic shade of red. Go ahead and add your name to the lampshades that bear the monikers of thousands of people who came before you, and listen to the thunderous beat of the drums while the show goes on in the next room. Then venture out to the tiki garden for a selfie. It's a slice of Americana that's both fantastic and authentic. Insider tip: Be sure to check out the bathrooms. A finalist in the Cintas Corporation's search for the "top toilet" in 2014, the Mai Kai's restrooms are designed to replicate a Buddhist temple in Thailand and feature shell-shaped sinks, gilded columns, and wooden gods. Don't forget to bring a few dollars to tip the full-time bathroom attendant.

9 articles

Mandrake Miami

210 23rd St., Miami Beach South Beach

305-397-8036

Bars and Clubs, Asian Fusion

4 articles

Mila Restaurant

1636 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

786-706-0744

Asian Fusion, Mediterranean, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Readers' Choice

9 articles

Moon Thai & Japanese

11071 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach Palm Beach County

561-408-3011

Asian Fusion, Thai, Japanese

Moon Thai Organic Kitchen

3455 NE 163rd St. Aventura/North Miami Beach

305-974-5129

Asian Fusion, Thai

Nikko by Sunshine

188 SE 12th Terrace Brickell

305-418-0151

Asian Fusion, Menu

4 articles

Nobu Miami

4525 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-695-3232

Japanese, Sushi, Asian Fusion, Recommended, Best Of, Slideshow

This sprawling outpost inside the historic Eden Roc Miami Beach plays the same delectable hits: spicy tuna with crispy rice, miso black cod, and hamachi in a tart dressing adorned with jalapeno rings. For your money, grab a seat at the sushi bar, where one of more than a half-dozen itamae will walk you through an expansive list of expertly curated nigiri that ranges from Santa Barbara sea urchin to the translucent, meaty slices of the amberjack called kanpachi.

43 articles

OBBA Sushi & More Coral Gables

160 Andalusia ave Coral Gables

305-445-7800

Asian Fusion

Ohho Noodles Market

1100 S. Dixie Highway Coral Gables/S. Miami

305-663-5881

Asian Fusion

Asian Fusion in Miami

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