Eight-Seat Omakase Restaurant to Open in Miami Design District

Miami has no shortage of omakase counters asking you to sit quietly and pay up. However, chef Yasu Tanaka built his following by doing the opposite: serving Michelin Guide-recognized nigiri at Sushi Yasu Tanaka (winner of New Times‘ Best Sushi 2023) inside Mia Market, a fast, casual, and wallet-friendly restaurant.

Now, Tanaka will open Yasu Omakase, an intimate, eight-seat omakase counter in the Miami Design District on Wednesday, January 14. The new restaurant is the creation of Spicy Hospitality Group, the team behind Joyce and Le Specialità, who teamed up with Tanaka on the space. Expect the experience to be priced at $250 per person (before pairings).

And don’t fret — Sushi Yasu Tanaka at Mia Market remains open as the quicker option that made him a household name in Miami.

Two Versions of Yasu, Two Different Paces

The Michelin Guide praised Sushi Yasu Tanaka for delivering “exquisite bites” without the usual omakase trappings. It highlighted the counter’s simplicity, top-quality fish flown in several times a week, and the speed of the experience. Diners can be out the door in under 20 minutes.

Yasu Omakase aims for the opposite rhythm. Dinner lasts approximately two hours, featuring 14 to 16 courses served directly by Tanaka. “It’s a completely different experience,” he said. “At Mia Market, people come for amazing sushi that they can eat in twenty minutes. At Yasu, I want them to slow down. Every bite has meaning.”

Service runs Tuesday through Saturday, with two seatings nightly at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

An Omakase Counter That Pushes Boundaries

Tanaka partnered with longtime friend chef Raymond Lee on the project. “Our concept is to create something truly original, not a copy of anything that already exists, honoring tradition and pushing boundaries with creativity and passion,” Tanaka says.

The menu changes often but keeps a similar structure. It begins with a small starter, followed by ceviche made with fish cured in kombu-jime, paired with Miami-fresh produce. It moves into a short run of nigiri, then a salad. The second signature dish, ankimo monaka, pairs Japanese monkfish liver with guava jam. “When we finally completed it, my partner, chef Lee, and I just looked at each other and silently high-fived,” Tanaka says.

From Creative Starters to Out-of-This-World Nigiri

After that, the meal moves into more nigiri, including tuna, nodoguro aged in saikyō-zuke, uni, wagyu sukiyaki nigiri, and a stone-crab hand roll, before finishing with miso soup and dessert. Fish arrives four times a week from Japan, accompanied by local seafood and vegetables.

Tanaka prepares multiple rice seasonings nightly, adjusting the ratios of vinegar, sugar, and salt to match each fish. “For delicate, lightly flavored fish, we use a rice seasoning that gently complements it,” he said. “For richer cuts like toro or nodoguro, we use a rice preparation that can stand up to their intensity.”

Tanaka curates the sake list himself, focusing on Shichiken sake from Yamanashi, his hometown. “I really connect with their mindset of never settling for the status quo and always striving to evolve,” he said.

Design Details From Around the World

The centerpiece is a 600-year-old hinoki counter sourced from Kii-Nagashima in Mie Prefecture, Japan. This grade of timber is usually reserved for temples and shrines and not sold publicly. The staff polishes it daily with rice bran instead of sealing it to preserve its natural texture.

The interior combines Japanese craftsmanship with Nordic minimalism. Most materials, from the kumiko woodwork to ceiling panels and flooring, were made in Japan and shipped to Miami. Ceramics are from Kamahachi Studio, a studio in Yamanashi, a Japanese prefecture to the southwest of Tokyo on the island of Honshu, led by potter Mutsumi Ohashi, whose pieces are fired in an anagama wood-fired kiln using local red pine. Absolutely one-of-a-kind.

Yasu Omakase. 151 NE 41st St., Ste. 137, Miami. yasu-miami.com. Opens Wednesday, January 14.