Order 12! The Best Power Lunch in Brickell
KFC and cocktails? A done deal.
Brickell is a neighborhood you either distinctly love or abhorrently avoid. In other words, you’ve either just moved here with an abundant supply of “new city” energy, or you’ve got a fuzzy Facebook album of nights out at Fado’s and the “new” Blackbird Ordinary weirds you out. There is no middle ground. But our metropolitan center isn’t just Grutman concepts and high ticket restaurants. Nope, one need only climb a set of stairs to find Brickell’s best new power lunch – and no one knows about it… yet.
Kaori is a two-story Asian and Mediterranean restaurant in the heart of Brickell with a sleek and sexy cocktail bar on the first floor and an elegantly warm Japandi-style dining room on the second. It’s known for its high quality craft cocktails, insanely delicious dishes and Saturday sound sessions. But there are two additional reasons why this insanely gorgeous restaurant should be on your radar. One, Happy Hour runs daily from 5 to 8pm, even on the weekends. Two, it just launched a lunch menu this month, and every bite is worth the buck.
It’s the perfect place to bring clients when you want to impress them, catch up with a friend over udon noodles and mocktails, or seal important deals over bento boxes and fine wine. Here’s a fun lil Reels of our experience.
We kicked things off with some daytime beverages: a zero-proof Tangerine Spritz and the Ume Tonniko, a gin and tonic with a purple potion-like hue Then, we dove straight into raw dishes. Made with aji amarillo and shiso salsa, the Hiramasa is a creamy ceviche dish that commands the room with a bold, spicy flavor. The Bluefin Tuna Sashimi is much more mild, with a delicate tropical flavors of coconut, lime and papaya. We followed that with a can’t-miss starter: Wagyu & Foie Gras Gyozas, which blanketed our tongues with a savory and spicy bean paste.
For our main dishes, we ordered the two that are poised to be the most popular (and with good reason). First is the Bento Box. For $35, you’ve got the option of katsu (pork belly), chicken teriyaki, Ora King salmon, and seasonal veggies. Plus, all boxes come with steamed rice, Japanese Tsukemono (pickled vegetables), and your choice of salad and kimchi or spicy vegetables.
But the absolute CANNOT miss dish of our entire session was the Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich. It’s double breaded but still incredibly light, and balanced by both sweet and spicy flavors. We paired this with one final zero-proof cocktail: the Chai Pop, a soul-warming spritz with notes of cardamom, kumquat and citrus.
It might seem impossible, but save room for dessert. Specifically, for the Ube Flan. Ube is a Phillipine dessert made from purple yams, and at Kaori, it’s served in a geletin-like block topped with piped icing, edible flowers and shaved white chocolate ganache. Also, it’s incredibly Pinterest-worthy. Truly, a confectionary masterpiece.
Stepping into Kaori made us feel like we were no longer in Miami and instead in some other metropolis – say, Tokyo or New York. The lounge felt intimate and sexy, the upstairs dining room felt hidden, quiet and away from the fray. As we sat there over a leisurely afternoon, we caught ourselves constantly looking out through the floor to ceiling windows, unnoticed by the people hustling and bustling just a floor below and debating whether we should linger around for happy hour.
Go on, get into to some trouble. Here are some upcoming events, openings and things Nat & Ash are excited about in the upcoming weeks.
PADDLES UP FOR PICKLE BALL! Shake Shack is hosting a pickle ball tournament on April 29th at the Miami Shores Tennis Club. It includes lessons, a two-hour tournament and Recess x Shake Shack swag.
Time flies when you’re drinking martinis. The Sylvester is celebrating its 3rd anniversary on April 26th with an open bar from 7-10pm.
Mimo’s favorite breakfast spot Caracas Bakery is hosting a Lebanese dinner this Thursday, April 20th. Head chef Valentina Rodriguez will be collaborating with Chef Paola Carlini on both classic and remixed dishes.
Where better to celebrate Earth Day than with free beers and chicken sandwiches on the beach? Join Chickin Boi at the Orange Pavilion on Virginia Key this Saturday for an Earth Day party with plenty of food, free Unseen Creatures brews, and jamz.
Take a food break and head to Casa Florida for this Saturday’s Little River Flea. Shop over 30 venders as you listen to glorious music and munch on delicious Florida-inspired bites.