Michelin Chef Yasu Tanaka Opens New Handroll Spot in Wynwood

A new handroll bar called Pari Pari has arrived in Wynwood with a sushi menu curated by none other than Michelin-celebrated chef Yasuhiro "Yasu" Tanaka — and it already looks like one of the hottest openings of the year.

Pari Pari's story begins at the locally beloved and Michelin-acclaimed Sushi Yasu Tanaka when three lifelong friends from Paris, Benjamin Chemouny, Hugo Dayan, and Edouard Benitah, fell in love with chef Tanaka's sushi. "From that moment, we dreamed of building something with chef Yaso," Dayan tells New Times.

Three years later, and Pari Pari is no longer just a dream project. "The way we structured and designed the space is that everyone can be happy at Pari Pari; you can have lunch, a quick bite in 20 minutes, or even be by yourself, having a good time. You can come on a Saturday night with some friends, have some sake with handrolls, and some good music. Pari Pari is from our hearts, and seeing people enjoying the food and the space, it's a dream."

With chef Tanaka's minimalist yet meticulous style, the trio's Parisian soul meets Japanese tradition in Wynwood.

A Simple Menu and a 24-Seat Sushi Counter

The restaurant is simple: upon arrival, guests get to pick a spot in the 24-seat sushi bar and mark everything they want to taste from the menu. After handing their selections to the staff, each appetizer and handroll will be made fresh and hand-delivered by the experts behind the sushi bar.

The menu curated by chef Tanaka begins with sashimi appetizers such as hamachi jalapeño with ponzu and chimichurri, salmon carpaccio with passion fruit, shiso, and crispy onion, and tuna carpaccio with negi garlic oil and kizami wasabi. Once all appetizers are served, guests will receive their selection of handrolls one by one. Options range from classics like salmon avocado, akami tuna cucumber, and toro taku, to signature handrolls including A5 wagyu aburi, toro bourbon, spicy scallops cucumber, toro caviar, uni toro, and uni wagyu.

"Pari Pari means crispy in Japanese," says chef Tanaka. "That is the most important thing for us. Handrolls are something we make at home back in Japan, but the most important thing is that the seaweed needs to be crispy on the outside, while the rice is soft inside, with the other ingredients. The menu is very simple, but we focused on this key part and trained our staff every day to serve the best handroll."
With the à la carte menu, guests can order any options, but for those looking for a set experience, Pari Pari offers "The Three," "The Four," and "The Five" for three to five set classic handrolls.

For caviar lovers, any handroll can be paired with a caviar bump at an additional cost. Guests can also pair the handrolls with chef Tanaka's signature sauces, including a spicy mayo, and a curated list of sake and beers.

Ending the visit with a sweet touch, renowned Parisian pastry chef Yann Couvreur created exclusive French-Japanese fusion desserts, including the mango, coconut, and passion fruit cake, along with black sesame ice cream topped with matcha, served with the local favorite Liger's signature chocolate chip cookie.

Pari Pari. 127 NW 27th St.; pariparimiami.com.