Myn-Tu, a Sprawling Restaurant/Lounge, Opens Next Door to Mynt Lounge

South Beach just got another restaurant/lounge hybrid. Myn-Tu, named for its relation to the nightspot Mynt, opened with walls of lighted mirrors, a DJ, and global fare.

The eatery is the work of entrepreneur Romain Zago, managing partner for sister venue Mynt Lounge, with which Myn-Tu shares a wall. Zago, who was born in France and worked for years in the fashion industry, began at the nightclub as a bartender. Five years later, he took on a leading role, helping turn Mynt into a staple of  South Beach nightlife.

With the opening of Myn-Tu this past November in the former Rokbar space, Zago entered the food game while sticking to the spirit of his original venture: live DJs and drinks. Inside the 2,500-square-foot space, a stretch of bar leads to an 80-seat dining room with white leather booths and LED-framed rose gold mirrors that create walls of light and motion.

Zago oversaw every detail of the year-and-a-half development. “We are targeting a high-end clientele that comes to Miami for a whole experience,” he says. He made Mynt’s doorman José Leonardo a junior partner at the eatery as a reward for his 17-year loyalty to the club. “Mynt is almost a concierge vision, and after 17 years of hearing clients talk about how they went to a place and liked the party but hated the food and vice versa, I decided to give them the whole package. Now they can start the night at Myn-Tu and easily transition to the fun at Mynt.”

Helming Myn-Tu’s kitchen are executive chef Merryl Villacorta and Seiya Noborikawa, a sushi master with experience in restaurants such as Nobu, Blue Ribbon, and Sugarcane. The open kitchen in the dining room allows guests to watch while the chefs prepare a global menu combining Japanese and Vietnamese flavors with a French flair.

The lineup of starters includes crispy rice caviar with maguro or sake, spicy aioli, and Kaluga caviar ($28); sea bass caramelo skewers marinated in sake miso ($24); and exotic mushroom tempura ($22).

Main-course options include truffle spaghetti with wild mushrooms ($28); grilled organic chicken with soy sauce and sesame seeds ($30); sushi signature specials; and a whole section devoted to Japanese Wagyu in dishes such as tacos with avocado, miso, tofu, and truffle oil ($15) and carpaccio with hot olive oil and sesame seeds ($56).

The dessert list includes green tea cheesecake, tartuffo pistachio, and lava cake ($10 each).

Myn-Tu’s beverage program offers champagne, sake, wine, and cocktails such as the Passion Brulé, with Grey Goose vodka, Amaretto, passionfruit, lime, and egg white; and the Love Is in the Air, with Hendrick’s gin, Soho, blackberry fruit, pear jus, and cucumber ($18 each).

Entertainment, Zago says, plays a supporting role at Myn-Tu but is taken seriously. “This is the hospitality business, and at Mynt we are known for being very hospitable,” he says. “Incredible food is the focus at Myn-Tu, but guests should also have fun when they’re here.”

In mid-February, the eatery will launch Tantric, a Monday party that will turn the restaurant into a thumping lounge until 5 a.m.

Myn-Tu. 1905 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-610-4200; myn-tu.com. Thursday through Sunday 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.