There are about three weeks left of Miami Spice, when more than 200 restaurants offer discounted lunch, brunch, and dinner menus. The program, which traditionally runs August 1 through September 30, was extended through October 31 to help local eateries recoup days and even weeks of lost revenue from Hurricane Irma. Miami Spice offers a three-course lunch or brunch for $23 and dinner for $39, plus tax and tip.
Before time runs out, try some of these restaurants that highlight sushi, sashimi, and unique raw-fish mashups.
1. Pubbelly Noodle Bar. The Spice menu, which lists shiitake or pork belly bao buns, short-rib gyoza, duck dumplings, and udon bolognese, offers a $10 sushi add-on that brings a surprise assortment of sushi and maki pieces made from the day's catch and other fresh ingredients. 1418 20th St., Miami Beach; 305-532-7555; pubbelly.com.
2. Dragonfly. During dinner, opt for the sushi moriawase, or mixed platter. It includes a four-piece chef's choice of nigiri and mikimono depending upon what's available that day. If you're up for more raw seafood, order the Scottish salmon crudo as an appetizer, flavored with coconut milk, red onion, and herbs. 5241 NW 87th Ave., Doral; 305-222-7447; dragonflyrestaurants.com.
3. Blue Ribbon. Though Blue Ribbon, the famed New York City brand's first Miami outpost, offers its Spice dinner menu only Sunday through Thursday, the lineup of sushi and sashimi is one of the most generous. Menu highlights include spicy tuna crispy rice with avocado and eel sauce; kanpachi usuzukuri, where thinly sliced amberjack is topped with yuzu pepper and yuzu ponzu; a sushi plate featuring tuna, salmon, yellowtail, albacore, whitefish, mackerel, shrimp, and a choice of one roll; and a sashimi plate made with three pieces of tuna, salmon, mackerel, and whitefish. 336 21st St., Miami Beach; 305-800-0404; blueribbonrestaurants.com.
Courtesy of Sushi Garage
5. SushiSamba. During lunch, brunch, and dinner, SushiSamba offers a mixed sushi plate as an entrée. It includes the Sobe roll, made with ebi shrimp, spicy crab, avocado, and queso crema wrapped in soy paper, and a selection of spicy salmon, spicy tuna, ebi shrimp, and scallops. Vegetarians can opt for the Amazonian roll, made with tacuwan, cucumber, avocado, shiitake mushroom, and collard greens, and a selection of cucumber, avocado, tacuwan, and asparagus. 600 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; 305-673-5337; sushisamba.com.
6. NaiYaRa. This Miami Beach restaurant is serving its signature Miami Heat roll during Spice. It's made with hamachi, jalapeño, kimchee, sour cream, black caviar, and yuzu soy. Otherwise, the dinner menu offers salmon tacos — stuffed with spicy mayonnaise, avocado, and truffle oil — crispy garlic whitefish, and other dishes. 1854 Bay Rd., Miami Beach; 786-275-6005; naiyara.com.
7. K Ramen Beer Burger. Tucked inside the basement of the Townhouse Hotel, K Ramen gives diners plenty of options, including tuna and salmon poke with spiced cucumber, avocado mousse, and sweet soy; lobster ramen blended with green onion, golden chives, and a marinated egg in a kimchee-and-lobster-butter broth; and a half-pound double-patty burger stuffed with caramelized onion, tomato, American cheese, and the restaurant's spicy cream sauce. You won't find any run-of-the-mill sushi and sashimi items here; K Ramen is known for exceptionally fresh cuts of fish, which are used in the restaurant's raw seafood bowls. 150 20th St., Miami Beach; 305-534-7895; sbe.com.
8. Makoto. Stephen Starr's Japanese restaurant in the Bal Harbour Shops offers a selection of sushi plates during lunch and dinner, including hamachi ponzu with a dash of serrano chili; tuna crispy rice topped with soy butter; and a sushi and maki plate with servings of tuna, salmon, whitefish, shrimp, and tuna maki. 9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour; 305-864-8600; makoto-restaurant.com.
9. Komodo. At dinnertime, the Brickell restaurant rolls out salmon truffle honey bites with shaved truffle and shiso leaves, as well as tuna and toro sushi, containing tuna tataki, spicy tuna toro, avocado, sesame, and eel sauce. 801 Brickell Ave., Miami; 305-534-2211; komodomiami.com.
10. Hakkasan. While it's not quite sushi, Hakkasan, located inside the Fontainebleau, whips up a spicy mayo spiny lobster plate served with seasonal fruit. Dishes are served family-style, making it a great alternative for larger parties. 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-276-1388; fontainebleau.com.
