Luckily for us, there's a waitlist for the event, as well as multiple dates and times to book the restaurant in February as of the date this article was published — therefore, try to do so as soon as you read this today.
Shingo, the 14-seat Japanese omakase restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Shingo Akikuni, opened in May 2023 inside Coral Gables’ historic La Palma building, bringing a brand new omakase experience to the City Beautiful. It’s been such a sought-after reservation since its opening that it's nearly impossible to book a reservation.
And this might even be more true in 2024. Akikuni, who was the former executive chef of Hiden in Wynwood, has invited chefs from across the U.S. to join him for exclusive one-weekend-only collaboration dinners.
Chef Masaya Shirai of Michelin-recommended restaurant Towa in New York City will join Chef Shingo on Wednesday, January 17, and Thursday, January 18, for the first of the Shingo & Friends dinner series.
There will be two seatings nightly – at 6 and 9 p.m. – with reservations running $250 per person via tock.com. Although seatings have since sold out, there is a waitlist that is available for entering.
The freshest catches from Japan's best fish markets are a staple at Shingo in Coral Gables.
Photo by Salar Abduaziz
"Whereas I am more of a sushi chef, Masaya is a master of Kaiseki cuisine, or seasonal Japanese dining," chef Shingo says. “This dinner will be more about an intersection of the two. It will be interesting to do something together and really support each other this way. To share techniques and recipes between us is special.”
While the chef wasn’t keen on revealing specific menu items for his collaborative dines, guests who are able to book a reservation will experience traditional Japanese nigiri, Yakimono dishes, and seasonal sashimi, all of which have been staples at Shingo.
According to Shingo, the crowd favorite thus far has been a tuna nigiri creation with line-caught bluefin tuna. When speaking of the dish, he explains, “There’s truly no better quality of tuna in the world, and we’re getting it – and others – directly from the best fish markets in Japan."
Although hard-to-book restaurants aren't rare in Miami, with upscale restaurants such as Papi Steak, Carbone, Casadonna, and Rao's Miami Beach taking months of planning to book, it's rare for a Coral Gables restaurant to enter this caliber.
However, Shingo is worthy of having this title.
In an increasingly crowded Japanese omakase space in Miami, Shingo plans to keep things fresh in 2024. He alluded to additional collaborations with chef friends from Denmark and Brazil this year, though dates and names are yet to be confirmed. By 2025, he hopes to venture out to join other chefs for joint experiences at their restaurants.
As for his Miami competition, he says, “I never really look at other restaurants as competitors...we constantly want to be improving on our own. One thing is we are constantly going to new restaurants, too, and brushing up on new techniques based on what we feel is great service and great food. With that, we strive to be better every single day and really do believe that ‘simple is best.’”
An insider tip: Shingo announces when reservations are available at the beginning of each month on its Instagram account. You're welcome.
Shingo and Friends Volume 1: Shingo x Towa. 6 and 9 p.m. Wednesday, January 17, and Thursday, January 18, at Shingo, 112 Alhambra Cir., Coral Gables; shingomiami.com. Reservations cost $250 per person via exploretock.com.
