Japanese Robatayaki Etaru to Open Second Location on Las Olas

Etaru, Zuma's sister restaurant in Hallandale Beach, will open a location in Fort Lauderdale this summer. The expansion comes less than a year after the modern Japanese robatayaki debuted in August 2017.

Located inside the Icon Las Olas, Etaru Fort Lauderdale will offer many of the same features from Hallandale, including a robata grill, a robust menu of sashimi and maki, and craft cocktails. However, Las Olas will boast a distinctly different atmosphere, according to Etaru's group executive chef, Hamish Brown.

"Both restaurants share menus and our spirit of hospitality," he says. "But they will offer different experiences. Etaru Hallandale embraces the ocean and beach culture, while the Las Olas location will offer a vibrant dynamic of city living and dining.”

The indoor/outdoor, multifunctional space will include touches of wood and pops of color mixed with industrial design elements. A treelike structure will be the centerpiece of the restaurant, alongside the robata grill, which will be housed in an open kitchen to allow guests to watch Etaru's chefs in action.

On the menu, expect sashimi, maki rolls, salads, and tataki presented on handmade dinnerware imported from Japan. Highlights are yellowtail sashimi with yuzu truffle dressing; Japanese Wagyu tartare with ponzu pearls and nori crackers; and tuna tartare with scallions, wasabi, and Osetra caviar. Grilled on the robata, selections include salmon teriyaki, black cod marinated in yuzu miso, and spicy tobanjan-glazed pork ribs. In Hallandale Beach, rices range from $5 to $45 for à la carte items and $75 to $95 for tasting menus.

Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney, who cofounded Zuma in 2002, are behind Etaru. Before the Hallandale restaurant opened, the restaurateurs debuted Roka in London, which specializes in robata dishes comparable to Etaru's. Waney is also behind the popular La Petite Maison in Brickell and Dôa in South Beach.

In Las Olas, corporate executive chef Luca Spiga will lead the kitchen. He's spent the past seven years at Roka in London and moved to Miami for the forthcoming restaurant.

Etaru Fort Lauderdale. Opening summer 2018 inside Icon Las Olas, 500 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; etarurestaurant.us. Dinner nightly; lunch Monday through Saturday; brunch Sunday.