10 May 14-20, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Still at the Restaurant This 33-year-old Miami sushi spot has a two-hour wait. BY MICHELLE MUSLERA K atana Japanese Restaurant has always been one of those places people call a “hidden gem.” Even though, at this point, practically everyone knows about it. The revolving sushi spot in Normandy Isles has been around since 1993, starting out as a low-key neighborhood joint and steadily building a following that now stretches well beyond the area. Among the reasons it’s stood out all these years? A fun setup, solid quality, reasonable prices, and wait times that somehow only make locals want to visit more. In all this time, the space hasn’t changed much. It’s a tight room, with 24 seats and just a handful of lanterns serving as decor. It’s sim- ple, a little worn in, and yet somehow feels transportive. For a moment, you almost forget you are in North Miami Beach (or Miami, for that matter). It’s the kind of place where you can charm a first date, or meet a friend and end up ordering more sushi than you planned. Here, dishes float by on small boats along a narrow waterway that circles the bar, and you can grab whatever catches your eye. The food is surprisingly great, spanning colorful rolls, fresh sashimi and nigiri, tempura, and salads. If nothing on the boats catches your eye, or if you want something a bit more elevated, you can order à la carte, with options like Japa- nese seabream, otoro, hand rolls, and gyoza. Dishes start at around $2.90 for tamago or shrimp and go up to about $12 for sea urchin. You can tell the price by the plate’s color, and there’s a handy guide on the wall to help you keep track. As you go, you stack your empty dishes on top of each other, and at the end of the meal, the server comes by, counts every- thing in seconds, and that’s your bill. But the real allure about Katana has never been its reliable menu or its atmosphere. It’s the restaurant’s guaranteed wait time upon arrival. For years, the lines have been legendarily long, and waiting over two hours has become par for the course. Before you even see the res- taurant sign, you’ll probably recognize the place by the crowd standing outside, checking their phones, and waiting for the hostess’s call. There are no reservations here. You just put your name down, leave your number, and wait. And when that call does come, you’d better sprint, as you only have five minutes until the next person takes your seat. If you’re trying to avoid the worst of it, here’s what to do. Arrive at the restaurant 30 minutes before opening, which is often the sweet spot to make it into the first round. Going as a single diner or a duo makes it sig- nificantly easier. Oh, and make sure to stay on top of the list, because getting skipped is not uncommon. There’s also a ru- mor that regulars somehow get priority. How- ever, the owner’s daughter, Shizuno Furuya, has debunked this entirely. (She jokingly told New Times that even she has to wait in line if she wants to eat there.) Speaking of time, there is one big rule at Katana: you can eat all you want, but you have 75 minutes to do so. Service starts off friendly, but it does get pushier as you get to dessert. Even if you attempt to extend your meal by ordering another sake or a second round of mochi, there comes a point where you’ll be pressured to wrap it up. And it makes sense: there’s likely a dozen people outside, watch- ing and waiting for your seat to open up! On a recent Thursday at 7 p.m., I showed up with a full contingency plan. Start with a drink at Bob’s bar next door, maybe move on to a glass of really good French wine at Normandy Gourmandy, and, worst case, pivot to Turkish food at Sumac or a burger at Silver Lake Bistro. (Both are solid options down the block.) Instead, I was quoted 45 minutes and ended up waiting closer to 30. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe it’s the beginning of the slow season in Miami. Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised. Dinner for two, including 12 plates, three hand rolls, a round of beers, and des- serts, came out to just over $80, which, by Mi- ami standards, feels like a steal. With the sheer number of fancy omakases these days, and fancy prices to match, it’s easy to see why Katana is still packed. The good news for fans is that the business is expanding. The owners already operate sis- ter property Shima Japanese Restaurant in Hialeah, and they’ve teased another sushi go- round location on Instagram last week. Dur- ing our visit, that expansion was confirmed, with a new spot, further south, expected to open sometime in May, pending permits. So yes, you’ll probably still have to wait. You’ll still be on a clock once you sit down. And nothing about the space is trying to impress you. But it’s still worth it. Because even now, there’s really nothing else like it in Miami. Katana Japanese Restaurant. 920 71st St., Miami Beach; 305-864-0037; katanamiami- beach.com. [email protected] ▼ Café Café Katana Japanese Restaurant photo At Katana, dishes float by on small boats along a narrow waterway that circles the bar, and you can grab whatever catches your eye. WHEN THAT CALL DOES COME, YOU’D BETTER SPRINT, AS YOU ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES UNTIL THE NEXT PERSON TAKES YOUR SEAT. ▼ FLORIDA GUNS OUT Publix, the Florida-born grocer with locations across Miami-Dade and Broward counties, ap- pears to have quietly reversed its open-carry pol- icy without an announcement or press release. The new stance appears to have been rolled out via customer service reps and its own chatbot. The news arrives one day after Publix dropped to fourth on America’s most trusted grocer ranking, behind Whole Foods, Kroger, and QuikTrip. The Tampa Bay Times was the first to flag the change, and Orlando’s News 6 confirmed it after reaching a customer service representative who explained that new guidance had been issued: only law enforcement would be permitted to openly carry firearms inside Publix stores. The company’s online chatbot backed that up. “Publix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores,” it reads. Publix originally aligned with Florida’s open carry law when it took effect in September 2025, following a landmark court ruling that found the prior prohibition violated the Second Amend- ment. The company’s position at the time was that it followed all federal, state, and local laws and would engage law enforcement if any cus- tomer created a threatening or dangerous shopping experience, “whether they are openly carrying a firearm or not.” That was eight months ago. The policy is apparently different now. For a city where the Publix run is as routine as a cafecito, more than 60 locations stretch across Miami-Dade and Broward, from the Brickell out- post with a lunchtime sandwich line that doesn’t quit to stores in Little Havana, Kendall, and Doral that function as community anchors as much as they do as supermarkets. The company hasn’t issued a formal state- ment. Whether the chatbot update reflects a full, company-wide policy change or a mis- | TASTE TEST | >> p11 Katana Japanese Restaurant photo
