Best Restaurant (Brickell)
Within the chaos of Brickell’s traffic and drawbridge, Kaori offers a serene escape embellished with clean wood accents reminiscent of a modern art museum except with thought-provoking dishes in lieu of abstract paintings. The Asian-inspired menu is visually complex and ingredient-driven, including the wagyu and foie gras gyoza with doubanjiang sauce, goma sauce, and leeks, the beef tenderloin paired with Japanese sweet potato, and the bluefin tuna sashimi, which is served with crisp sunchoke, coconut-lime sauce, spiced coconut gel, and Thai basil oil. Come for the restaurant’s happy hour, which runs Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m., for elevated cocktails and $1 oysters served with a shiso mignonette.