Restaurants

It’s been years since Phuc Yea debuted as a rogue pop-up, bringing one of the most inventive culinary concepts to the Magic City. Inside the former Moonchine Asian Bistro space (7100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami), the eatery is now a brick-and-mortar, which opened in September 2016. Specializing in Viet-Cajun cuisine, Phuc (pronounced fook) Yea marries Vietnamese and Cajun flavors popular in Houston and New Orleans, where the cities’ large Vietnamese populations melded with traditional Southern and Cajun flavors.

Miami is getting its very own Italian food hall. La Centrale is slated to open this fall inside Brickell City Centre. The name was revealed earlier this week, along with some other details about the three-story, 38,000-square-foot concept.

Geoffrey Zakarian’s latest concept, Point Royal, is slated to open Sunday, February 12, at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood. The restaurant is the fifth concept to launch as part of the property’s estimated $100 million renovation.

As work trudges along at The Citadel, a sprawling Little Haiti food hall and boutique center being developed by Conway Commercial Real Estate, a handful of the dining options have begun to solidify. Owners of Myumi, the beloved omakase food truck long stationed at the Wynwood Yard, will take up in the 10,000-square-foot food hall, as well as a smaller outpost of Phuket Thongsodchareondee’s Cake Thai, which late last year opened its second location in Wynwood.

A new taste of South Africa will arrive in South Florida when Spatch Grilled Peri-Peri Chicken opens in Fort Lauderdale this Thursday, February 9. The Restaurant People (TRP), the South Florida-based hospitality group behind Fort Lauderdale’s Tarpon Bend, S3, and Boatyard, has announced its partnership with South African-born restaurateur Stavros Florias to create a fast-casual restaurant they’re calling the first of its kind.

Stephen Starr knows how to put diners at ease so they can relax and enjoy the show. The man responsible for Makoto, the Continental, and Le Zoo has a new Miami Beach eatery, Upland. Located south of Fifth Street, it is arguably his most comfortable place yet. Indeed, the modus operandi is “to make guests feel like [the restaurant is] lucky to have them, not that they’re lucky to be here,” explains Upland’s top toque, Justin Smillie.

After 37 years, Michio Kushi’s Japanese Market and beloved Sushi Deli will close on March 20. A sign went up on the perpetually crowded place’s hostess stand and some of its shelving over the weekend.

Trader Joe’s, the vacation-themed grocery store, is finally making its way to Miami Beach.

Executive sous-chef Brooke Mallory may be working alongside Chopped champion executive chef Adrienne Grenier to create exquisite new dishes at the heralded restaurant 3030 Ocean, but that hasn’t stopped the self-described “drink nerd” from letting her creativity run free behind the bar.

After a soft opening over the past week, Tacology, Brickell City Centre’s new marketplace-style taqueria, has officially opened. Perched on the fourth floor of Brickell’s gleaming new shopping mecca, the restaurant is sectioned off into a variety of kitchens and features an open terrace. The eatery mimics a traditional Mexican mercado, with eclectic and vibrant fare served in a relaxed, hip atmosphere. Each area of the market has its own focus – veggie, salads, and juices in one; desserts and coffee in another; craft cocktails at the bar; and a hot grill where chicharrones hang from clothespins.

Long before Cesar Gonzales opened Bocas House (10200 NW 25th St., #101, Doral), his culinary creations had a strong following on social media. “I didn’t have a restaurant, but I cooked at home and uploaded images of what I made on Instagram. People gave me great support.” Gonzalez has amassed more than 750,000 followers on Instagram, who clamor for the chef’s food porn.

If you’re into all things Instagram, you might be familiar with Mela Torres. Known as compassionately.mela on IG, the 21-year-old vegan boasts a following of more than 50,000. Plants and positivity are her jam, and she serves as host of a series of local plant-based bike crawls that help introduce folks to Miami’s veg scene.

This year’s Global Nutella Day falls on Sunday, February 5, which means your brunch should be a bit sweeter than usual this weekend (preferably with thick smears of Nutella atop breads, pastries, and fruits). Created in 1946 in Italy, Nutella was made out of necessity. Because of a shortage of cocoa during World War II, Nutella rose in popularity because it can be made with mostly hazelnuts, sugar, and just a sprinkle of cocoa, unlike other chocolate products. In 1983, it was imported to the United States and has become a staple of American food.

Chef and restaurateur Michael Schulson once planned to become an architectural engineer, but then he dropped out of school to cook instead. “It turned out well, though, because now I’m not only a chef; I’m also building restaurants,” Schulson tells New Times. “Most people don’t have the ability to close…

Inside the Avalon Hotel, the upscale restaurant A Fish Called Avalon lures diners via local seafood married with Asian and Caribbean flavors. But for nearly 30 years, the space has remained empty during the day. Craft Café, a new java joint, now gives it life. Occupying the chic art deco locale, the concept brings artisanal brews and bites with European flair to South Beach.

The Miami Dolphins didn’t make it to Super Bowl LI, but that doesn’t mean the parties won’t happen. Super Bowl Sunday is upon us. Though almost every watering hole will host a viewing party, there’s nothing better than kicking back at home with a few cold ones, friends, and family in front of the big-screen.

Welcome to the end of the first month of 2017. As the weather cools, Miami’s restaurant scene is heating up, with more than two dozen establishments opening in January. Both Mignonette and Pubbelly Sushi opened second locations, and chef Paula DaSilva returned to Miami-Dade with the opening of Artisan Beach House at the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour. Plus, New York and New Jersey favorite Son Cubano opened in Coral Gables.

James Seyba’s new healthy, fast-casual spot, Jamie’s Juice Bar & Kitchen, is stocked with a hodgepodge of fresh fruits and vegetables. Behind the counter, Seyba whips up fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, and wheatgrass shots, as well as an assortment of small plates to curb customers’ morning or midday hunger.

Milly’s Empanada Factory has opened in Kendall, bringing a much-needed injection of Venezuelan food to the area.

Real ramen has arrived in Miami – not to be confused with any college student’s pastime, Cup Noodles. After Baby Jane debuted in Brickell in early May last year, owner Jason Odio decided to take the contemporary dishes east. Shimuja, meaning “With No Wicked Thoughts in Mind,” by acclaimed founder and master chef Keiichi Maemura is taking over Baby Jane for a whole six months.

Each Saturday morning, Tawin Thongsodchareondee rose early in his hometown of Phuket, Thailand, and loaded a tall dented pot with a pig’s backbone, mounds of pork trotters, and chicken feet. As it boiled, he made fresh rice noodles before cleaning pigs’ livers, stomachs, and kidneys. Then he’d stuff pig intestines…

CREAM, which stands for “Cookies Rule Everything Around Me,” has opened its second South Florida location, in Weston at 4448 Weston Rd. CREAM, based in Berkeley, California, figures everyone loves warm homemade cookies and premium ice cream, so why not offer them together in one jumbo sandwich?