11 July 16-22, 2026 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 | 11 MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Unlikely Japan A new sushi restaurant from Brazil’s acclaimed Attivo Group has opened in Coral Gables, blending Japanese and Miami flavors. BY RACHEL COSTA C oral Gables has a new sushi res- taurant that blends Japanese cuisine, Miami flair, and a touch of Brazilian identity. Mottai marks the first U.S. restaurant from Brazil-based Attivo Group, a hospitality company with more than ten res- taurants across Brazil. Each concept has its own cuisine and personality, but all share the same commitment to creating distinctive din- ing experiences. “Mottai is our first project outside of Bra- zil,” says Marcelo Simões Abrão, founder of Attivo Group. “We did extensive research on how to successfully build something for the Miami market while also keeping our iden- tity. Our team did a wonderful job with the lo- cation, the design, and the menu.” Behind Mottai’s culinary vision is Miami chef Brian Nasajon, who worked alongside the owners, executive chef Moritz Esser, and sushi chef Hiroshi Shintaku to create a menu that respects Japanese tradition while em- bracing Miami’s multicultural food scene. “I wanted to stay within two really specific parameters: really honoring traditional Japa- nese cuisine, techniques, and ingredients while celebrating the fact that we are in Miami,” Na- sajon tells New Times. “We had to really un- derstand the group’s vision, finding the roots of that identity. Once we got there, we just put that against the canvas of what Miami is.” The expansive menu offers plenty for first- time visitors. Among the small plates, standouts include hamachi with white soy ponzu, a crab roll fin- ished with togarashi brown butter, blistered shishito peppers, and rock shrimp served with spicy aioli. For larger plates, Nasajon recommends the black garlic chicken, pork belly, and suji katsu. One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is the Kinoko Hot Pot, prepared table- side with yuzu soy butter, egg yolk, furikake rice, and chili crunch. Behind the su- shi counter, Shin- taku leads the seafood program. “I’m lucky that I have Chef Hiroshi right there next to me, because he gave me a lot of guidance,” Nasajon says. “I have experience with Japanese cuisine, and I’ve always been passionate about it, but there’s a difference be- tween how I interpret it versus how someone who was raised in that culture interprets it.” Guests can choose from an extensive selec- tion of nigiri and sashimi, including toro, akami, kinmedai, sake, ama ebi, hotate, anago, tako, uni, and ikura. Those looking to leave the decision to the chef can order an omakase-style selection of 5 to 12 pieces of the day’s best fish. The maki and temaki lineup includes the salmon tataki maki, layered with snow crab, cucumber, avocado, salmon, micro shiso, and chili garlic mayonnaise. Cocktails range from classic creations to a matcha cocktail, while the beverage program also features an exten- sive sake selection. Although Mottai is Attivo Group’s first restaurant outside Brazil, Abrão says it won’t be the last. The hospitality company began about a decade ago after Abrão, who previously owned a fashion brand in Brazil, joined forces with his children to pursue their shared pas- sion for hospitality and Japanese cuisine. “I remember when my children decided to invest in the first restaurant,” Abrão recalls. “With my experience, I was in charge of the concept and building the brand. We started growing and eventually opened a second lo- cation. Now, it has been ten years since we started Attivo Group. The company now be- longs to my children, but I’m always follow- ing things closely, and I’m really proud of them and how far the group has come.” Mottai Miami.2881 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables; 305-454-2488; mottaimiami.com. [email protected] ▼ Café Café Mottai Miami New sushi restaurant Mottai has opened in Coral Gables at The Plaza from Brazil’s Attivo Group, blending Japanese and Miami flavors. ALTHOUGH MOTTAI IS ATTIVO GROUP’S FIRST RESTAURANT OUTSIDE BRAZIL, ABRÃO SAYS IT WON’T BE THE LAST. ▼ FORT PIERCE BUC STOPS HERE Buc-ee’s still won’t put a store in Miami, but the Texas-based mega-gas station is get- ting closer than it has ever been. The chain announced four new Florida locations, and the nearest one is about an hour north of West Palm Beach. That store, in Fort Pierce, is the prize for anyone in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach who has been road-tripping up I-95 for Beaver Nuggets and brisket sand- wiches. It will sit at I-95 and Indrio Road, run roughly 76,000 square feet, and boast 120 fuel pumps, 18 EV charging stations, and more than 700 parking spaces. If the time- line holds, it is set for a debut in late 2027 or early 2028. For the uninitiated, Buc-ee’s is less a gas station than a roadside event. The bathrooms are the legend that started it all, spotless enough that a New Braunfels, Texas, store won Cintas’ “Best Restroom in America” title back in 2012, with custodians working around the clock to keep them that way. Then there | TASTE TEST | Buc-ee’s photo Buc-ee’s inches closer to South Florida with 4 new stores by 2029, including a Fort Pierce location by West Palm Beach, which opens in 2027. >> p12
