Michelin-Starred Sushi Azabu to Open in Miami Beach's South of Fifth

The folks who brought Lolo's Surf Cantina, a Baja California-inspired restaurant, to the Marriott Stanton South Beach are behind Miami's latest sushi restaurant, Azabu Miami Beach.

Slated to debut this October, the Michelin-starred concept based in New York will open inside the Stanton with a hidden sushi counter, a formal dining room, and a snazzy cocktail bar.

Plan Do See, a global hospitality brand based in Japan, created Azabu in New York along with a similar concept, Sushi Kanbe, in Kobe, Japan. In Miami, the restaurant will be led by Tokyo-trained chefs Masatsugu "Masa" Kubo and Kenichi "Ken" Fujimoto.

Unlike the New York City flagship, which is limited to a small underground sushi bar, the Miami Beach space will include a large main dining room with 80 seats, wood decor, and an open kitchen so guests can observe the chefs in action.

Many of Azabu's plates will be cooked on a robata, a Japanese charcoal grill, and served in an izakaya dining style, where guests order a variety of small, sharable items that are served when ready versus all at once.
A sneak peek at the menu reveals yakitori, or grilled chicken on a skewer; fried rice served tableside on a sizzling toban-yaki (ceramic) plate; sukiyaki, or fried meat served with vegetables and sauce; and a variety of udon noodles. For dessert, expect a jelly-based Japanese raindrop cake served with roasted soy beans and brown-sugar syrup.
Adjacent to the dining room, a secluded sushi den will provide a more intimate experience. The 11-seat bar will offer omakase-style dining featuring local and imported seafood, which will be flown directly from Japan.

The restaurant's cocktail bar, helmed by mixologist Davide Borgia, will be stocked with international whiskeys and sakes, as well as a collection of Miami-based whiskey brands.

Azabu Miami Beach.Marriott Stanton South Beach, 161 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach; miami.azabuglobal.com. The restaurant will be open daily for dinner from 6 to 11 p.m. and until midnight Friday and Saturday. Final seating for the sushi den will be at 10 p.m. Bar Azabu will be open daily from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.