11 June 13-19, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | Hanging Out With Shingo Sushi chef Shingo Akikuni discusses his Michelin star, his favorite Miami restaurant, and his love of Coral Gables. BY NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR U pon walking into Shingo, lo- cated inside the historic La Palma building in Coral Gables, guests may feel as if they have stepped into a restaurant in the heart of Japan. This is all thanks to critically acclaimed sushi Chef Shingo Akikuni, a fourth-generation sushi chef from Osaka, Ja- pan, whose namesake restaurant is one of only three restaurants in Miami to be awarded one Michelin star in 2024. Since opening in May 2023, the 14-seat omakase restaurant has become one of the most sought-after reserva- tions in Miami — and for good reason. Upon entering Shingo, guests feel as though they’ve been transported to Ja- pan’s classic omakase dens thanks to its tradi- tional Japanese design elements, authentic materials, and bright lighting, including the use of hinoki and sugi woods on the counter, ceiling, and entrance. The 14-seat counter of- fers the perfect front-row seat to watch Chef Akikuni and his team seamlessly execute the 18-course omakase experience, featuring tra- ditional Japanese nigiri, seasonal sashimi, and Yakimono dishes with fish flown in daily from Japan. The experience is simply one of a kind in Miami. Chef Akikuni spoke to New Times about growing up making sushi at his family-owned restaurant in Osaka, how he is able to source such fresh fish from Japan, his thoughts on Miami’s ever-evolving Japanese scene, and his favorite restaurant in Miami (other than his own). New Times: What does it mean to be a fourth-generation master sushi chef? Was your great, great-grandfather also a sushi chef? Chef Shingo Akikuni: Sushi has been a part of my day-to-day life since I was a child, and I’m honored to carry on the profession and legacy of my family. My great-grandfather was a sushi chef. How did you make the connections to source incredibly fresh fish every single day? How do you ensure the quality of each piece of fish is so incredibly high and fresh? When I was training in Tokyo, I would go to the fish market every morning with my sushi chef, and I was able to establish the relation- ships that I have now from that time. The rela- tionships that I have with my purveyors allow for honest conversations about what the best catches are in the market that day, according to season. I trust them 100% on the catches they say are the best; they’ve never let me down! I know you’ve taken all of your experience from Japan and have brought it to Miami, includ- ing the hinoki wood used for the sushi counter. Would you say the experience at Shingo is exactly like the kind of experience guests have in Japan? I loved how clean everything was and how helpful the servers were, as well — even taking our bags to make for a clean and seamless experience. I would say about 80 percent of the overall experience is something you would find in Japan — the rest are the experiences I learned from in New York, Miami, and what my team brings to the table. You’ve been in Miami for six years or even more now. How has Miami’s omakase and Japa- nese scene changed since you started here? Are you excited to see it evolve? I came to Miami about seven years ago, and I remember that about half of my customers at the time were first-time omakase custom- ers. I also remember only about half of the guests actually liked uni and some of the more exotic bites. Since then, I feel that Japan, in general, has become more popular with the people who live here, who travel there, and ask for my recommendations on where to dine. There seems to be a greater appreciation for Japanese cuisine now, which is why we also see a lot of Japanese restaurants opening. I’m very excited to see the dining scene evolve, as one of my main goals is to continue to spread Japanese culture through my food. How did it feel to receive a Michelin star? Were you surprised? I started working when I was around 16, and since then, it has been one of my dreams to earn a Michelin star. It feels amazing to have earned the star in my own restaurant, and we are working diligently towards the next step. When you opened Shingo in 2023, Coral Ga- bles wasn’t known for good Japanese food or su- shi. Were you concerned about the location, or did you know deep down it would be a success? I have a lot of amazing customers who have been dining with me from the other res- taurants I used to work in. This made me confident that no matter where I would open, if I worked hard, people would hopefully continue to support me. Besides this, I really love the location and was quite confident that my customers would love it, too, especially because we saw the restaurant scene in Coral Gables skyrocket over the last couple of years. What do you look forward to for the rest of the year? Do you have any upcoming projects, or is Shingo your main priority? We have a collaboration in August in NYC that I am excited about, and we will also take a trip to Japan towards the end of August, which I am excited about, as well. At the end of the day, all of these things that I do are to make the experience for our guests better! Last question: What is your favorite restau- rant in Miami (besides Shingo)? Boia De! Shingo. 112 Alhambra Cir., Coral Gables; shingomiami.com. [email protected] ▼ Café Shingo photo A delicate piece of nigiri by Chef Shingo Akikuni at his namesake restaurant, Shingo, in Coral Gables. THE EXPERIENCE IS SIMPLY ONE OF A KIND IN MIAMI. ▼ MIAMI BEACH BROTHER’S KEEPER WILL OPEN ON ALTON ROAD, GIVING A NOD TO THE ‘80S If you know Miami, you know Lost Boy Dry Goods, the rugged, old-school bar in downtown Miami that serves fire cocktails. You may also know QP Tapas, the tapas pop-up that has taken the city by storm. Now, the hospitality veterans behind the two spots are coming together to open Brother’s Keeper, a new cocktail bar on Al- ton Road in Miami Beach. Founded by Chris Hudnall and Randy Alonso of Lost Boy & Co. and husband-and-wife team chef Josh Elliott and Ellie Groden of QP Tapas, the new bar will open this Friday, June 7, at 5 p.m. Although this may be their first joint ven- ture, they are not new to the industry or the neighborhood. Chef Elliott began his career in Sunset Harbour back in 2011 when he joined Jose Mendin as sous chef for Pubbelly Restaurant Group. He then moved on to join the ranks as execu- tive chef of the Raleigh Hotel in its heyday before Hurricane Irma caused it to shutter in 2017. It was during this time that he met Groden, his now wife and business partner, who was no stranger to Miami Beach, having worked at the likes of Faena Hotel, amongst other local institutions. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Hudnall and Alonso were busy open- ing the beloved watering hole Lost Boy Dry Goods in 2017. They then opened Tropezón in 2021, the lively Andalusian-style bar and restaurant inside the Esme Hotel on Española Way. As for how the culinary pros all met? It was fate. Through an act of Miami industry kismet, Hudnall, Alonso, Elliott, and Groden all met in early 2024 when QP Tapas, Elliott and Groden’s Japanese-style, Spanish tapas pop-up, was doing its residency at the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden. “The director of food and beverage for the hotel also happened to hold the same position for the Lost Boy & Co. group, so he introduced us to Chris and Randy,” explains Elliott. “After a casual conversation in the kitchen, we knew there were plenty of synchronicities in what we all stood for and wanted to accomplish.” Hudnall and Alonso, known for their handcrafted cocktails and thoughtful bars and lounges across Miami, had been conceptualizing what is now Brother’s Keeper for almost three years before meeting Elliott and Groden. “We had been kicking around this idea for a while, and when we met, we knew we were in good com- pany and could create something special to- gether,” adds Alonso. Lost Boy & Co. photo Lost Boy & Co. cofounders Randy Alonso (left) and Chris Hudnall have teamed up with Chef Josh Elliott and Ellie Groden of QP Tapas for this new venture. >> p12
