14 November 21-27, 2024 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 | foster a sense of community, to create a place where people can sit face to face or even share a table with others,” she explains. Marble counters, fresh flowers, and baskets of baguettes add to the understated charm, and the tinted windows bring a hint of mystery while helping maintain a cool environment to keep the pastries fresh. For Gonzalez, Lastra, and Julien, Façade is about more than just serving food — it’s about creating a space that reflects their shared pas- sion for quality and simplicity. “A lot of places focus only on one side—either it’s just about the bread or just about the food,” says Lastra. “Here, we have both a top-notch baker and a chef working together to bring everything to life.” In a city brimming with trendy French bakeries, Façade’s quiet confidence is refresh- ing. As they gear up to open their Wynwood location later this month, the team is excited to continue evolving their vision. “We wanted to create a space that feels universal but rooted here. A taste of something familiar yet elevated — a place to gather, connect, and lin- ger,” says Gonzalez. Façade. 271 Giralda Ave., Coral Gables; ins- tagram.com/facademiami. Daily 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. MICHELLE MUSLERA ▼ BAL HARBOUR RETURN OF CHINA GRILL Twelve years after the closure of the iconic South Beach establishment China Grill, the famed Asian restaurant will reopen within the next two years at Bal Harbour Shops. According to a report by Commercial Ob- server, in 2021, renowned restaurateur Jef- frey Chodorow and his company, China Grill Management, secured a deal for a “first-floor unit at the exclusive Bal Harbour Shops in the greater Miami area,” according to public doc- uments and state records. “It’s going to be one of my classics,” Chodorow told Commercial Observer at the time. Now, more than two years after this initial announcement, New Times can confirm the restaurant in question is none other than the once-shuttered China Grill. China Grill will reopen within the next 12 to 24 months at its new home at Bal Harbour Shops. New Times can also confirm that it will replace Stephen Starr’s French bistro Le Zoo on the first floor. However, it is important to note that Starr’s hospitality group, Starr Restaurant Group, will oversee the new China Grill. In 2012, China Grill, the restaurant that es- sentially started Miami Beach’s dining renais- sance in 1995, closed its doors after 17 years in business and announced a move to Brickell. In 2014, Chodorow and China Grill Man- agement decided to halt the plans for the re- opening in Brickell once Chodorow was presented with the opportunity to open a Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant in part- nership with Miami hot spot restaurateur Da- vid Grutman — and the rest is history. The pair instead opened Komodo in 2015, which has been a mainstay in Miami’s dining scene ever since and essentially kickstarted Brickell’s fine-dining renaissance. China Grill Management was established in 1987 by Chodorow, who founded the first China Grill in Midtown West Manhattan. After the restaurant’s success in Manhattan, the group leaped to open China Grill in 1995 on the corner of 404 Washington Ave. in South Beach. Little did the restaurant group know then what impact it would have on Miami’s dining scene nearly 30 years later. Noted as one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the Magic City throughout the 2000s, even securing its throne as New Times’ Best Restaurant Decor in 2005, the restaurant pushed Miami’s former perception of what an Asian fusion restaurant could feel, taste, and look like. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, China Grill was the place to see and be seen. Pa- parazzi swarmed the restaurant for snaps of the city’s heavy hitters like Sly Stallone and other former Star Island residents. Thanks to its “global-inspired” menu, high-end flare, and nightlife atmosphere, China Grill was a major pioneer in the Asian fusion space. It can even be seen as the inspiration behind the nightlife-inspired restaurants that have be- come such a huge part of Miami to- day, including Ko- modo, Papi Steak, Gekko, and others, many of which are still Asian fusion- inspired today. (This review by then-New Times restaurant critic Lee Klein from 2002 is a blast from the past and describes his experience at the restaurant in a manner that could be used to describe so many flashy res- taurants popping up today.) Although the chain, which at one point had locations around the world, closed in South Beach 12 years ago, Chodorow never lost sight of a reopening. Soon, Miami will get a taste of China Grill 2.0, and once it reopens, New Times will be the first to report on whether its opulent magic is still there. China Grill. Inside Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour. NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR ▼ WESTCHESTER A FAREWELL TO LUCKY ORIENTAL MART A family-run Asian market beloved by the Westchester community of Miami will close its doors after two decades in business. On Sunday, December 8, Lucky Oriental Mart will close its market doors after serving as a family-run community market selling Asian groceries to longtime customers and new customers in search of imported Asian specialties for more than 20 years. Owned by Chinese immigrants Alejandro and Isa Cheong for more than two decades, the Cheongs bought the store from its previ- ous owner upon arriving in the United States. Today, the couple (who told New Times they would like to be referred to by their first names because their longtime customers know them as such) are looking back on the legacy and community they will leave behind come their retirement in December 2024. The small mart was a family business through and through. So much so that their daughter, Ana Cheong, and her sibling would help stock the shelves and assist with checking out patrons during their college years before moving away from Miami. Ana tells New Times while she’s glad her parents will have a chance to slow down and enjoy retirement, knowing the mart will no longer be in the family is bittersweet. “It’s one of those places that was always there,” she says. “We would go when we came back home and visit, just hang out there since that’s where they were most of the time. So, it’s kind of weird, but at the same time, we saw them work so hard, and we always wanted them to be able to take time off and enjoy all their hard work. Now, we’re all just trying to help them kind of navigate through that process.” Ana helped translate her parents’ words from Chinese to English for New Times. For Alejandro and Isa, it’s hard to part ways with Lucky Oriental Mart because the mart became a place where families do their weekly grocery shopping and where their own friends and family gather when visiting, and the familiar faces became a part of their daily lives. Yet, it’s hard to deny the hard work it took to maintain it. “As many of our customers described, we are a well-stocked store with plenty of variety and flavors, and we made sure to keep it that way,” says Alejandro. “It was definitely hard work to manage the entire store with only a small team of three over the last few years. Because of the store hours (in order to serve our customers), we only close one day out of the year, Christmas day, so it’s hard to step away. It will be a nice change, a good change, and we look forward to traveling and visiting friends and families in their cities.” Ana tells New Times that while Alejandro is a little more reserved, Isa handles the ma- jority of customer interactions. “We will miss seeing the familiar faces of customers who have visited us for so many years,” says Isa. “Hearing their stories and seeing their children grow up. One of the most exciting things we do is introduce new ingredients to those who are unfamiliar with them but willing to try. The best is when they come back to tell us how their dish turned out last time and with a new recipe or list of items for us to help them find and explain how to use! It’s great to see the love for Asian food in this community.” The news of the market’s closing has come as a shock to the community. While the store will be missed, there are still ways to show support. In addition to coming to terms with the closure, Alejandro and Isa’s minds are still tied up on having to sell and vacate everything. From now until the final day of business, December 8, the mart will have a variety of sales. Currently, patrons can find 50 percent off cookware, dinnerware, beauty, and per- sonal health products; 20 percent off sake and kitchen knives; and everything else is buy two, get one free. Deals will be adjusted weekly. As the mart approaches its final day, Ale- jandro and Isa want to share a final message with the community: “It has been a joy to serve this wonderful community. We want to thank all of our cus- tomers for their support and loyalty over the years. We will treasure the memories and friendships we’ve built.” Lucky Oriental Mart. 8356 SW 40th St., Mi- ami; 305-220-2838. Monday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. RACHEL COSTA LITTLE DID THE RESTAURANT GROUP KNOW THEN WHAT IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON MIAMI’S DINING SCENE NEARLY 30 YEARS LATER.
