114 June 27- July 3, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times b e s T o f m i a m i ® 2 0 2 4 BEST ASIAN FUSION RESTAURANT La Mar by Gastón Acurio 500 Brickell Key Drive Miami, 33131 305-913-8358 mandarinoriental.com/en/miami /brickell-key/dine/la-mar-by-gaston-acurio IYKYK: Peruvian-Japanese cuisine is the dar- ling of Asian fusion these days, and with good reason. At the helm of bringing this marriage of flavors to the world is Chef Gastón Acurio. The Brickell Key outpost of his beloved Lima- based restaurant, La Mar, was opened by Di- ego Oka just over a decade ago. The menu’s dishes are inspired by Oka’s travels around the world — many of which were in Asia. Oka takes this fusion to another level with simple nigiri, or Peruvian-style sushi, and more com- plicated dishes like a tableside chaufa made with Wagyu skirt steak and vegetables, cov- ered with a shrimp omelet. Pair it with a pisco sour or a sake-based cocktail, like the “Yasashi Mariposa,” and enjoy a waterfront view of the Magic City. BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT Long Gong Chinese Restaurant 11920 SW Eighth Street Miami, 33184 305-553-4644 longgongchinesemiami.com Miami is not the city you think of when you think of legit Chinese food. But for more than 20 years, Long Gong has been serving up a dif- ferent version of the Magic City deep in La Sowesera. You’d never guess one little kitchen in a forgettable strip mall could crank out so many delicious varieties of authentic dishes. But this is the real deal. If you’re adventurous, ask for the Chinese menu, and if not, grab the other one. A tip: The scallion pancakes and noodles in chili sauce have more flavor than you’d think possible. Omnivores will have a tough time running out of options with sautéed duck, hot and sour sweet potato noodles, spicy intestines, and so much more. Long Gong is open noon to 10 p.m., six days a week, but closed on Wednesdays. BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT Ogawa 7223 NW Second Avenue Miami, 33150 ogawamiami.com Plenty of restaurants try to create a facsimile of Japan, but at Ogawa, you’ll feel like you stepped through a portal to the real place. Miami fades away as you become immersed in the remark- able meal, prepared kappo-style to allow for ex- tra food orders and pleasant conversation with Chef Masayuki Komatsu and his diligent kitchen staff. A seat at Ogawa is very expensive and highly sought after, and once you walk through the door at this luxurious, sumptu- ously decorated omakase next to the train tracks in Little River, you’ll instantly under- stand why it’s worth every penny. BEST SUSHI Uchi 252 NW 25th Street Miami, 33127 305-995-0915 uchi.uchirestaurants.com/location/miami James Beard Award-winning chef and owner Tyson Cole opened the original Uchi — the name means “home” in Japanese — inside a re- furbished bungalow in Austin, Texas. Now, he has locations all over the place, including in Wynwood, where he serves the best sushi in town. Much of the menu is dedicated to deli- ciously fresh makimono (sliced sushi rolls), su- shi and sashimi, and Toyosu selections — an extensive list of fresh fish flown directly from the Tokyo market of the same name. With a sin- gle sliver of kamasu (red barracuda), ebodai (butterfish), kisu (Japanese whiting), or kurodai (black bream), Cole manages to carry you off to the streets of Japan with each and every bite. BEST OMAKASE Shingo 112 Alhambra Circle Coral Gables, 33134 shingomiami.com Although there are plenty of new omakase res- taurants in Miami, one truly stands out from the rest: Shingo in Coral Gables. Helmed by fourth-generation master and award-winning sushi chef Shingo Akikuni, the 14-seat counter in Coral Gables is like a teleportation device to Osaka, Japan. Here, the premium fish sourced entirely from Japan is sliced in uniform preci- sion and dressed with barely just a swipe of sea- soning like nikiri. Here, Chef Akikuni and his second-in-command handle the group of 14 without missing a beat as they seem to glide while serving each dish. Plus, the servers ever so gracefully pour sake from Japan and even of- fer to hold your belongings so you can give yourself over entirely to the experience.
