10 February 22-28, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | news | letters | contents | Miami prides itself on being flashy so it’s no surprise that the menus at the city’s high-end Japanese restaurants often include glitzy accents - think caviar, gold leaf, and torched bone marrow. Álvaro Perez Miranda is bucking that trend, though, focusing not only on serving authentic cuisine at his four restaurants but also on representing Japa- nese culture as a whole. Clearly, he has succeeded. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries named him a Goodwill Ambassador for Japanese Cuisine. A mere 187 people hold this honor worldwide, only 21 of those are in North America, and Perez Miranda is the first Latino in the US. Perez Miranda took a unique path to get here. Born into a modest family in Venezuela, he left home to study art - first in Italy, then Los Angeles. He began working in the restaurant industry to pay the bills and as he rose through the ranks he landed an op- portunity to open Italian restaurants in Tokyo. Over the course of nearly a decade, he would go on to build a 33-restaurant empire in the Land of the Rising Sun. Eventually yearning to reconnect with his Latin American roots, Perez Miranda made his way to Miami, where he first opened a restaurant in the emblematic Vagabond Hotel. Upon the suggestion of his teenage son, he decided to pivot to Japanese cuisine with his next venue, Wabi Sabi, which opened in 2018. Now his Miami portfolio includes the fast-casual Midorie, the high-end Hiyakawa, and the new omakase restaurant Ogawa, which debuted in late 2023. No matter which of these restau- rants they’re visiting, diners are immersed in three Japanese principles: ometenashi (selfless hospitality and anticipation of guest needs), komakai (attention to detail), and sensai (delicate balance of flavors). Perez Miranda is very much aware of the weight his ambassadorship carries. “It is a great honor to have my restaurants recognized by the Japanese government,” he says. “The goal has always been to edu- cate not just the U.S. but South America, as well, on the nuances of Japanese cuisine and culture - to transport the diner, as if they were in Japan, keeping it as authentic as possible.” ADVERTORIAL TRADITION OVER TREND How Álvaro Perez Miranda Became the First Latino Goodwill Ambassador for Japanese Cuisine Álvaro Perez Miranda Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | the emergence of local teenage artist Crome, whose distinctive style and relent- less urge to leave his mark transformed South Florida. His highly publicized legal battles alongside partner Crook in 1999 pro- pelled Miami into the spotlight as a hub for the rebellious art form. Now, 25 years later, the Museum of Graffiti honors Crome’s in- fluential legacy with the exhibition “A Mouth Full of Crome.” The show displays his street-art prowess alongside vibrant studio works capturing encounters from decades of urban painting. Enjoy an open bar cour- tesy of Voli 305 vodka during Saturday’s grand opening. 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, at the Museum of Graffiti, 276 NW 26th St., Miami; 786-580-4678; museumofgraffiti.com. Dona- tions are encouraged via eventbrite.com. ASH- LEY-ANNA ABOREDEN ▼ HOLLYWOOD RUMOR HAS IT On TikTok, Gen Z almost makes it seem like they were the ones to discover Stevie Nicks and her witchy allure, anointing her a style icon. Newsflash, kids: Nicks has been a style and music icon for decades, both as a solo art- ist and as part of Fleetwood Mac. The legend- ary singer-songwriter stops at Hard Rock Live on Saturday to deliver her rock and pop catalogue to an adoring audience that will surely span generations. 8 p.m. Saturday, at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; 954-797-5531; myhrl.com. Tickets cost $155 to $505 via ticketmaster.com. JOSE D. DURAN SUN 2/25 ▼ NORMANDY ISLE GRAB AND GO While not as glitzy as South Beach, the North Beach neighborhood of Normandy Isle has character in spades. On Sunday, the Nor- mandy Fountain Business Association invites you to find out for yourself when it hosts the Taste of the Fountain Walking Tour. Starting at 5 p.m., you can stop and enjoy bites at local es- tablishments like Karnitas 71st, Bob’s Your Uncle, 7ty One Bistro, Bodegon 71, and Donut Cream. There will also be a free concert by Latin Grammy winner Robbie Elias. 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, at Normandy Fountain Plaza, 7802 Rue Vendome, Miami Beach; normandy- fountain.com. Tickets cost $30 to $200 via eventbrite.com. JOSE D. DURAN ▼ DOWNTOWN HIGHER POWER On Sunday, the Adrienne Arsht Center cele- brates the 15th anniversary of its Free Gospel Sundays series with Music From the Bottom. Hosted by WPLG Local 10 anchor Calvin Hughes, the event pays tribute to Miami’s gospel music heritage with performances by Dwight Moment & Symphony, Johnny Sand- ers & the Faith On Full Ensemble, Corey Ed- wards & the Florida Fellowship Super Choir, and Rev. Melvin Dawson & the Genesis Fel- lowship Delegation, alongside special guests Bishop Marc & Lady Joy Cooper and Gia Wyre. Bring the whole family for an uplifting evening of soulful gospel favorites. 5 p.m. Sun- day, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Per- forming Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-949-6722; arshtcenter.org. Admission is free with RSVP. ASHLEY-ANNA ABOREDEN MON 2/26 ▼ WYNWOOD SLOPPY SECONDS New York punk band Cumgirl8 stops at Shir- ley’s, the backroom at Gramps, for a set that promises to be both chaotic and catchy. The quartet came together in 2019 and quickly de- veloped a reputation for its boisterous live shows. The collective has also delved into fashion, with Vogue highlighting its collection in 2021 that melded Y2K aesthetics and a DIY sensibility. The band’s last release was 2023’s Phantasea Pharm, a six-track EP that Pitch- fork’s Madison Bloom described as “gothic pop and scuzzy dance-punk studded with horny prose.” 8 p.m. Monday, at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., Miami; gramps.com. Tickets cost $15 via eventbrite.com. JOSE D. DURAN TUE 2/27 ▼ SUNRISE SLAP SHOT Spend your Tuesday night at the Amerant Bank Arena and maybe throw a rat or two for the Florida Panthers to slice. The Panthers go head to head with the Buffalo Sabres as they get deeper into this hockey season, gearing up for the playoffs. The team is currently in good shape, ranked second in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division. Sabres, on the other hand, find themselves near the bottom. 5 p.m. at Amerant Bank Arena, 1 Panther Pkwy., Sunrise; 954-835-7000; amerantbank- arena.com. Tickets cost $12 to $731 via seat- geek.com. ASHLEY-ANNA ABOREDEN WED 2/28 ▼ SOUTH BEACH SHAKE THE CHILL OFF Every winter, the Winter Party Festival lands in Miami not only to party but to raise funds for the National LGBTQ Task Force and its mis- sion of supporting the LGBTQ community. The weeklong festival starts on Wednesday with a welcome reception at the Royal Palm South Beach. The events continue throughout the week with parties at Nathan’s Beach Club, Mad Club, M2, and Oasis Wynwood. It all comes to a climax on Sunday with a beach party right on the sands of Miami Beach. Wednesday through Monday, at various loca- tions; winterparty.com. Passes cost $310 to $725; tickets for individual events vary. SOPHIA MEDINA ▼ MIDTOWN TRENDY FLAVORS On Wednesday, marketing agency Glutton- omy takes over Maty’s for a special dinner highlighting 2024’s anticipated food trends. Curated by chef Valerie Chang and guest chef Paola Carlini, Gluttonomy’s Food Trends Din- ner 2024 allows you to taste some of those soon-to-be-everywhere flavors. The dinner includes a drink, aji pasta chips, tequeños, a Turkish wet burger, and more. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, at Maty’s, 3255 NE First Ave., Mi- ami; 786-338-3525; matysmiami.com. Tickets cost $80 via resy.com. ASHLEY-ANNA ABOREDEN ▼ FORT LAUDERDALE EXPLOSIVE LAUGHS Comedian Maria Bamford has always been an open book, tapping into her struggles with mental illness as a source for her material. Her Netflix comedy series, Lady Dynamite, is a per- fect example of this; Bamford plays a fictional- ized version of herself in which she tries to rebuild her life while recovering from bipolar disorder. On Wednesday, she’ll stop by the Parker to deliver a stand-up set that is both hi- larious and thoughtful. 8 p.m. Wednesday, at the Parker, 707 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222; parkerplayhouse.com. Tickets cost $35 to $55 via ticketmaster.com. JOSE D. DURAN [email protected] National LGBTQ Task Force photo Winter Party Festival Wednesday
