New Asian grill restaurant in Wynwood
By Susan Bryant for southflorida.com
KYU
251 25th St., Miami, 786-577-0150, KyuMiami.com
Former Zuma co-workers Chef Michael Lewis and Steven Haigh have debuted this wood-fired Asian grill in the former Shikany space. The molecular-gastronomy restaurant was housed in a warehouse in the Wynwood Arts District.
“Steven and I have always loved the energy of Wynwood,” says Lewis, who held top chef titles for six years at Zuma, working alongside general manager Haigh. “Growing up in Manhattan and specifically in the East Village, I’ve always been drawn to the rawness of Wynwood. KYU, at its heart, embraces the Japanese mindset of wabi-sabi, celebrating the perfections in imperfections.”
The menu features seasonal local produce and new-style sashimi, such as heirloom tomatoes with red onion and shiso ($7) and hamachi in white ponzu, herbs and chili ($12). Other highlights include spicy snapper tartare over crispy rice ($11), duck breast burnt ends ($26), Wagyu beef brisket with black shichimi pepper ($28) and Thai fried rice stone pot ($8). Slow and low cooking is evidence of the Southern barbecue influence.
The Mojito Posh-Nosh with shiso and lychee is one of the classic cocktails ($13) with Asian twists.