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There's also Little Lotus in downtown. The team there consists of a former Yakko San chef and a sushi chef used to work at Morimoto.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Little...›8 Replies-
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re: Frodnesor
I like Little Lotus a lot. The rock shrimp tempura, crispy bok choy and pork belly are very good. The spicy crunchy tuna roll (I add avocado) is very good and very cheap ($4.50 I think). That said, there are some real misses. The Beef Rendang was very mediocre and I really disliked the Mi Goreng (noodle dish), which had a very off-putting smell and taste.
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re: Fineas
taiga
Jul 27, 2011 10:10 AM
I at lunch at Little Lotus yesterday with one of my homies. I had the rendang and he had a tofu laksa. Both were on the money for me and the laksa was especially delicious. Having spent extended time in Indonesia, I thought the tastes and seasons were authentic. Their homemade sambal was particularly delicious. The place was full, the feeling was friendly, and the space pleasant though the Singapore style food court ambience of the mall was a bit creepy. I suspect the Japanese things, having spied them on the plates of others, are also great. I will return soon.
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re: taiga
I think the rendang is much better at Bali Cafe, which is just a few blocks away. I haven't spent any time in Indonesia so I am not saying it is more authentic there, just that I like it better. Have you been to Bali Cafe? Do you think Little Lotus' rendang is better or more authentic?
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re: Fineas
taiga
Jul 29, 2011 10:56 AM
It has been a while since I ate at the Bali Cafe, but in the huge world of rendang, there is quite a variety of ways with which to play with the spices. What surprised me at Little Lotus was the subtlety. Often, Westerners (I'm seriously stereotyping here) like their Asian foods with powerful flavors -- wasabi, chilies, Szechuan peppers, etc. So I liked it because it was done so -- I don't know tenderly -- and I believe it was intentional. The Laksa had richer flavors, but I liked the rendang.
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Frodnesor
Jul 17, 2011 08:48 AM
Miami has a couple real izakayas though not terribly trendy (both have been open here several years, before the recent izakaya trend) ->
Hiro's Yakko-San in North Miami Beach
Su Shin Izakaya in Coral Gables
Yakko-San was a true hole-in-the-wall izakaya until a recent move to a newer, fancier, larger space (which also included adding a full sushi menu), but the food has stayed true. Su Shin is more modest, also has a sushi menu as well as a pretty expansive izakaya menu + many blackboard specials.
More trendy, and serving some izakaya style food, you could include ->
Zuma in Downtown Miami
Makoto in Bal Harbour
Zuma is a large hotel restaurant and not at all a "pub" and the food (and prices) are higher end than what you may be thinking, but they do have several small dishes, robata items, some noodle dishes, plus a sushi menu. Makoto, though not a hotel restaurant, is similar. Both have good food, I prefer the feel, and the food, at Makoto. Neither would inspire the word "quaint" to come to mind.
If you want to be even more expansive, and include places that are not exclusively Japanese but feature some izakaya style dishes, you could also add ->
Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill in Midtown Miami
PubBelly in South Beach
Sakaya Kitchen in Midtown Miami
None of these are Japanese, though Sugarcane has sushi (not the high point of the menu) and an extensive robata selection using real bincho-tan charcoal (though when I say extensive, this is more contemporary, updated stuff and not like the lengthy list of chicken parts you'll find a real robata-ya). Very good food, though perhaps not what you're looking for.
PubBelly styles itself an Asian influenced gastropub (though it feels more like a Spanish tapas bar than an English pub to me) and though the food is a contemporary east-west mashup with strong Momofuku influences, the feel of the place and the menu is actually quite izakaya-ish.
Sakaya is also not particularly Japanese, the menu is more grab-bag contemporary Asian with a Korean tilt (ssams, buns, Korean fried chicken, etc.) and it's very casual (fast-food style counter service), but in spirit may also sort of fit the description.
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The Chowfather
Jul 16, 2011 12:41 PM
Yakko-San
On a side note, if you want outstanding sushi while you are here I would highly recommend paying a visit to Naoe. 100% omakase and reservation only.
Sushi Deli (closes early 7) and Makoto would be two additional very good options.
http://www.japanese-market.com/
http://www.makoto-restaurant.com/
