New Miami Restaurants to Try This Week: Minty Z, Pez, and Omakai

Plant-based dim sum, sushi, and Mexican food are on the menu this week.

May 22, 2023

Image: Omakai has opened its third location in Coconut Grove.

Omakai has opened its third location in Coconut Grove. Omakai photo

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Miami's latest round of restaurant openings includes a second location of Minty Z, the popular plant-based Coconut Grove restaurant, a third location for Miami-based Omakai, and the reopening of Pez from Baja Restaurant Group.

Know of any openings that aren't on our list? Email [email protected].

click to enlarge

Minty Z has opened a second location in Midtown Miami.

Minty Z photo

Minty Z

3451 NE First Ave., Miami
786-623-5904
mintyz.comA plant-based Coconut Grove favorite since its debut in 2021 has expanded with a second location. Chef/owner Alex Falco, his wife Huimin Zhu (AKA "Minty Z" and the restaurant's muse), and partner Ignacio Lopez-Mancisdor recently launched a spot for fans to enjoy dim sum in the heart of Midtown Miami. The restaurant is open daily for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. The menus, designed for sharing, feature a variety of meat-free dishes from bao buns filled with "prosperity beef" — plant-based "beef" glazed with hoisin sauce and a side of coconut yogurt dipping sauce — to sesame seitan wings with a sweet sambal sauce or Thai curry cauliflower with coconut massaman, peanuts, pickled herbs, and chili oil. Wine, beer, sake, and sake cocktails are also available, and an online shop offers up many of the restaurant's most popular housemade signature sauces and dishes, including black sesame caramel, cauliflower kimchi, dragon sauce, ginger tamari sauce, and frozen bao buns. Sunday through Thursday noon to 4 p.m. and 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5:30 to 11 p.m.

click to enlarge

Omakai, an omakase-inspired restaurant, has opened its third location since launching in 2019.

Omakai photo

Omakai

3304 Mary St., Coconut Grove
786-644-6494
omakai.com Omakai recently expanded outside its Wynwood and Aventura locations with the opening of a Coconut Grove restaurant. Omakai is best known for its various tasting options and signature "homeakase" boxes, which allow guests to enjoy Omakai offerings at home. Sunday through Thursday noon to 10:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday noon to 11:30 p.m.

click to enlarge

Baja Restaurant Group has expanded with the reopening of its flagship concept Pez.

Baja Restaurant Group photo

Pez

20 W. Flagler St., Miami
305-570-3440
pezmiami.comA casual seafood restaurant from Baja Restaurant Group that originally opened its doors in December 2018 has reopened in the city's historic Flagler District of downtown Miami. Pez — located adjacent to sister restaurant Tacos El Porky—offers diners a menu of mariscos chingones. (The slang word chingón is used to describe something that stands out as the best.) Dishes inspired by Mexico's Baja region feature a variety of ceviches, tostadas, and aguachiles that can be paired with a half-dozen agave-based signature cocktails, including the "Caguama Venenosa," a 32-ounce Mexican beer with a made-from-scratch Michelada mix flavored with chamoy and Tajin and topped with spicy gummies. Tuesday through Sunday 1 to 9 p.m.

Nicole Danna is a Palm Beach County-based contributor who began covering the South Florida food scene for New Times in 2011. She began covering food and beverage news as the entertainment editor and reporter for the Colorado Daily. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times, the New York Post, New York Moves, and her hometown newspaper, Darien Times, among others.

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