Photo by James Jackman Photography
Audio By Carbonatix
When EntreNos shuttered its Miami Shores pop-up last summer, it felt like a premature finale for a restaurant that had just nabbed a Michelin Star and a Green Star from its pop-up inside a coffee shop. Chefs Osmel González and Camila Salazar promised they would be back, and they are finally delivering; this time with a permanent, 16-seat Cuban spot in West Palm Beach’s Flamingo Park district.
Opening February 3, 2026, Emelina is a partnership with restaurateur and APM Restaurant Group founder Álvaro Perez Miranda, an industry veteran who currently oversees award-winning Miami staples like the upscale Hiyakawa, Midorie (winner of New Times‘ Best Sushi 2025), and the Michelin-starred omakase counter Ogawa.
Photo by James Jackman Photography
Imagining a Different Future for Cuban Cuisine
The restaurant takes its name from the grandmother of González, who, he says, her grace and glamour reflected the Havana that once was. Rather than serving nostalgic Cuban cuisine, the ten-course tasting menu, priced at $235, asks a “what if” question: imagining the path Cuban food might have taken if the island’s chefs had been allowed the freedom to travel, study abroad, and return with new techniques.
“When I was in Cuba, we didn’t have the freedom to go out, learn, study, and bring back knowledge,” González says. “If Cuba were like any other country where you could just… go work in Latin America and Peru, Mexico, and then bring this knowledge back to the island and use the local ingredients… that is what makes [cuisine] move forward”.
A signature dish on the opening menu is a reimagined rabo encendido. Instead of a traditional heavy oxtail stew, the kitchen uses Spanish “creamy rice” techniques to create a texture González describes as having the “bounciness” of a gummy bear.
The menu also highlights Salazar’s heritage with Pusandao, a dish from the Pacific coast of Colombia. This course bridges Colombia and Florida by featuring poached tilefish served with namuah fufu, Florida clam escabeche, wilted greens, and crispy curry leaf. On the side, plantain and Cuban oregano chips provide a bright, crunchy contrast. Another course is served on wood plates designed by Salazar to evoke González’s memories of eating fried fish under a coconut tree on a Cuban beach.
Photo by James Jackman Photography
Transparency at the Counter
The intentionally small space features a 12-seat chef’s counter and two tables for two, designed to eliminate the barrier between the cooks and the guests. There is no back kitchen or hidden prep area; every part of the meal is done in front of diners.
“With this really counter seating, you are able to communicate with them and connect with them so they can understand what the story is behind every dish,” González says. “We just don’t want a restaurant that you eat, and then you go, ‘Oh, my God, that looks cool,’ but it’s not really telling you anything.'”
The move to West Palm Beach happened when the landlord at Midorie’s Palm Beach location, Greg Welteroth, offered up a space that fit the intimacy required for their vision. “Everything was super organic,” says partner Perez Miranda. “I thought it was perfect for what Osmel and Camila wanted to do.”
Photo by James Jackman Photography
“We’re incredibly excited to bring this concept to West Palm Beach,” says chef and operator Camila Salazar. “Emelina is our way of honoring where we come from while rooting ourselves in this place — working with local producers, telling personal stories through food, and creating the kind of intimate, intentional experience we’ve always dreamed of sharing with our guests here.”
The chefs bring a pedigree that justifies the experience. González’s resume includes training in Spain at legendary spots like Disfrutar and La Botica de Matapozuelos, followed by a stint at California’s three-Michelin-starred SingleThread, where he worked his way up to Sous Chef. He also did stages in Japan at Kikunoi and L’Effervescence before returning to Miami as Chef de Cuisine at Ariete.
Salazar, a Colombian chef and hospitality professional, followed a similarly impressive track. After studying in Bogotá and Buenos Aires, she also trained at Disfrutar and SingleThread, where she worked closely with the restaurant’s farm. At EntreNos, she served as COO, managing the sustainability program that earned the team a Green Michelin Star.
Photo by James Jackman Photography
Merging Japanese and Cuban Traditions
Perez Miranda, a veteran who has managed more than 70 restaurant projects, sees this partnership as way more than a business deal, viewing himself as a mentor to González and Salazar. He was first drawn to the pair as a regular at EntreNos, citing their discipline and their support for local producers as reasons he wanted to work with them.
To support this next chapter, Perez Miranda is bringing his service philosophies, including omotenashi (hospitality), komakai (detail), and sensai (sensitivity), to the space. “We’re combining that Japanese structure with the Latin charm,” Perez Miranda explains. “The three of us being Latin, we feel very proud to show a good level of Latin cuisine and Latin service and bring it to Florida.”
“I believe Emelina will redefine what Cuban cuisine can be — not just in South Florida, but on the world stage,” Perez Miranda adds.
The restaurant will also feature art by Miami-based artist Antonio Ugarte, curated by Perez Miranda’s Black Ship Gallery. Wine pairings for the meal are priced at $150 and focus on sustainable, grower-driven producers.
The restaurant will host two seatings per evening. Seating times for the counter are 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., while the tables for two are seated at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m..
Emelina. 424 Park Pl., Unit 101, West Palm Beach; exploretock.com/emelina-west-palm-beach. Opening February 3, 2026
