Miami's Moodiest Sushi Spot Just Opened in Design District

Think about an intimate space with dimmed lighting that captures the seductiveness of a moonlit evening, designed to conjure an evening when waiting for someone special. That's what the team behind the acclaimed Nami Nori envisioned for Matsuyoi, now open directly above it in the Miami Design District.

For those unfamiliar with Nami Nori, it's a Japanese temaki restaurant located at 156 NE 41st St. specializing in open-style hand rolls by Lisa Limb, Taka Sakaeda, and Jihan Lee from Launchpad Hospitality. It gained popularity in New York City before announcing its expansion to Miami in partnership with Grammy Award-winning musician and Creative Director of Louis Vuitton Pharrell Williams.

In 2024, New Times wrote about the restaurant's arrival in the city. The Miami outpost mirrors its New York City namesake signature style, but the main difference is that we also get its new counterpart, Matsuyoi, which is finally open this April. "With Matsuyoi, we get to show a different side of our creativity and go back to our roots of refined and intimate Japanese food," says Lisa Limb, Managing Partner of Launchpad Hospitality. "We are excited to offer a fresh approach to the Japanese culinary landscape with a tasting menu that highlights our temaki but offers many other composed dishes beyond that, as well as a stellar beverage program offering rare sake and highly crafted cocktails."

A Sexy Cocktail Bar Leads to a Chef's Counter

Aligned with its atmosphere, the space features an intimate cocktail bar and lounge, serving sake, wine, and cocktails, highlighting Japanese ingredients and fine spirits. Examples include the "Aura" made with Mizu Shochu (a Japanese spirit), Fleury champagne, and Sakura bitters; the "Get Lucky" made with Suntory Roku, Midori (a melon liqueur), green apple, and shiso bitters; and the "Dream Vacation" made with Diplomático rum, Kinako, coconut cream, brown sugar, and brûléed banana.

Past the bar and through sliding doors, guests will find the exclusive ten-seat chef's counter. (Matsuyoi, from the Japanese characters Matsu, meaning "to wait," and Yoi, meaning "evening," conjures an evening when waiting for someone special to arrive — so this sliding door reveal goes hand-in-hand with the name.)

At the chef's counter, expect a seasonally rotating, multi-course menu from chef Takahiro Sakaeda, centered around Nami Nori's signature open-style temaki. Highlights include starters like "Potato Pavé" with caviar and ao nori; the "Matsuyoi Caesar" with bottarga (a salted and dried roe) and hallabong vinegar; temaki variations like one with toro and caviar; and desserts like the "Tropical Sundae" made with Hokkaido milk ice cream and hojicha (a Japanese green tea) "pocky."
"As a sushi-loving city, Miami felt like a great opportunity and natural progression for growing the Nami Nori brand," says Limb. "It seems like people are hungry for something new, and we've been excited about delivering on what we do best: bringing a creative and fun approach to temaki at a high-quality level."

The restaurant's design was inspired by the prolific woodblock artist Kawase Hasui, who aimed to capture the seductiveness of a moonlit evening on Japan's secluded seaside. Limb designed Matsuyoi in collaboration with NYC-based architecture firm MN Design Professional Corporation, the same team responsible for the designs of Tatiana, Crown Shy, and the infamous Cote.

Reservations for the temaki counter are available from Wednesday through Saturday, with seatings at 6:45 and 9:30 p.m. The lounge is open for walk-ins from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Matsuyoi. 156 NE 41st St., Miami; matsuyoi.co.