favorite near the Biscayne Boulevard edge of the 79th Street Causeway dispenses wonder- fully simple and straightforward sushi and in- gredient-based sushi bowls, such as the “Wabi Sabi” (filled with tuna, salmon, crab, tobiko, cucumber, avocado, seaweed, and shiitake mushrooms). The maki, determinedly classic and unfancy, are constructed with great care with the freshest of fixins. Look for daily spe- cials, cooked-fish creations, and, for dessert, six flavors of mochi ice cream (including mat- cha green tea and salted caramel). World Famous House of Mac 2055 NW SECOND AVE., MIAMI 786-636-6967 HOUSEOFMAC.COM Derrick “Chef Teach” Turton graduated culi- nary school in 1998 but got sidelined by his other passion: music. That led to a stint man- aging Pitbull in the early 2000s. But Turton he never stopped cooking, and when he opened World Famous House of Mac, he dis- covered his true calling. Here, you will find mac and cheese in its purest form: as a big, heaping dish of gooey, sloppy, heart-stopping cheesy goodness. If you’ve had a crappy day and need the food equivalent of a big hug from Grandma, go with the chicken parm mac ‘n’ cheese, with hunks of breaded fried chicken mixed in. Sure, it’s big and you meant to share, but one bite leads to another and an- other and it’s gone. Don’t worry. It happens. Just order another. House of Mac is here to comfort, not to judge. Yakko-San 3881 NE 163RD ST., NORTH MIAMI BEACH 305-947-0064 YAKKO-SAN.COM At this izakaya in North Miami Beach, many of the best dishes begin and end in the deep fryer. Try the crispy pork onion salad, which combines savory deep-fried morsels of pork with sliced cherry tomatoes, radishes, red onions, and sprinkles of bitter watercress. Or opt for the crispy bok choy, served with a garlic-soy sauce. On any given night, Yakko- San offers more than a hundred dishes, from soups and rice to noodles, tempura, grilled items, and sushi, including ankimo — sliced monkfish liver known as the foie gras of the sea. Yambo Restaurant 1643 SW FIRST ST., MIAMI 305-649-0203 FACEBOOK.COM/YAMBORESTAURANT This colorful Nicaraguan joint is one of those places you visit to feel like you’re on vacation even if you’re already on vacation. Yambo is as much about the atmosphere as it is about food. On the terrace, folk-art knickknacks — miniature guitars, hats, por- celain pots, even a mounted boar’s head — hang from and cover every possible surface. A larger-than-life statue of a knight guards the tiled dining room. And you’ll hear only Latin music coming out of the jukebox. Lit- tle English is spoken here, but monolingual Anglos needn’t worry: Simply walk along the cafeteria-style counter and point to what you want. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike will find plenty to gorge on — crackly fried tacos de pollo, and pescazones (fried, knishlike potato balls brimming with cha- yote and cheese). Your order is piled high on a Styrofoam plate alongside a generous portion of shredded cabbage and the requi- site sides of rice, red beans, plantains, or yuca. Best of all, Yambo is open 24 hours — a perfect “go to” afterparty addition to your Uber favorites. Zak the Baker Bakery 295 NW 26TH ST., MIAMI 786-294-0876 ZAKTHEBAKER.COM Zak the Baker in Wynwood isn’t your aver- age coffee shop that hawks a few pastries. Zak Stern, a multiple nominee for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker, has found his way into the hearts and bellies of Miamians. If you go to just about any Whole Foods location in South Florida, you’ll find a variety of Stern’s signature loaves, cookies, and other artisan delights, such as chocolate babka. Plus, his mighty wholesale operation provides many local restaurants with the very best bread for their sandwiches. But nothing compares to consuming baked goods directly from their source, which garnered a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022. Zitz Sum 396 ALHAMBRA CIR., CORAL GABLES 786-409-6920 ZITZSUM.COM Zitz Sum chef/owner Pablo Zitzmann mashes up Asian, Mexican, Latin American, and Italian influences. The chef, best known in Miami for his now-closed restaurant No Name Chinese, brings together all these flavors in dishes like shrimp har gow with a minced pork ragout and pork potstickers with a Calabrian chili vinaigrette, meriting a Michelin Bib Gourmand mention in 2022. The restaurant’s menu is succinct, allowing Zitzmann to change it up, so if your favorite dumpling isn’t listed, take it as a cue to explore something new, secure in the knowledge that everything is unique — and delicious. Cafe@MiamiNewTimes 31 31 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | miaminewtimes.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | MIAMI NEW TIMES NEW TIMES MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2022
