The chef posted the following message on Instagram Saturday:
Esteemed guests and friends,It's unclear why the two left or what they will do next.
Sadly, Caroline and I have been forced to disassociate ourselves from all aspects of Hiden, effective today, February 9. While it was painful for us to do, rest assured the decision was not made lightly and not without a great deal of thought.
Hiden opened about a year ago and is accessible only through a key-coded door inside the Taco Stand.
The owner is Showa Hospitality, which belongs to restaurateurs Julian Hakim, Aram Baloyan, and Edo Lopez, who also runs Edo Kobayashi, a prominent Mexico City hospitality group known for Japanese restaurants. The Taco Stand has a handful of locations in Southern California.
Hiden quickly became known for expertly sourced and prepared fish used in nigiri and other small dishes that changed almost nightly. Its most recent menu was a 15-course, $150 affair. Seats in the small space regularly sold out months in advance. A February 1 social media post announced that May reservations would soon become available.
Several diners have expressed concern on Hiden's Instagram page. @sarajennbader posted, "Without Tadashi, there is no more magic." @caridiaries noted, "Tadashi is the whole experience at
A spokeswoman for Hiden wasn't immediately available to comment on whether the restaurant was closed Friday or who would run the sushi counter in Shiraishi's absence.
Update: Hiden posted the following statement on its Facebook page in response to parting ways with Shiraishi and Martinez:
Hiden has always been far more than any one chef. We respect our craft, and designed our guest experience with the highest of standards. We have different ideals and ultimately worth ethic [sic] and therefore have parted ways with Chef Tadashi. We wish him the best in his future endeavors. The Hiden experience continues and we are excited for our future in the South Florida community.Hiden. 313 NW 25th St., Miami; 786-208-9959; hidenmiami.com.
