Kaori – Come for the vinyl, stay for the food!

Kaori is an Asian restaurant located in Brickell in Miami. Its in the Michelin guide but I found out about it through an email that landed in my inbox promoting their listening bar. Coincidentally at the time, I had just started getting into listening to music on vinyl so the email caught my attention. Music, bar, and Asian food? Sign me up! Anyway, we arrived about an hour early so I could check out the bar, have a drink and listen to some music. The bar is gorgeous and the cocktails were pretty good. I started with a sesame one which was a take on a whisky sour. I liked the savory notes but the sesame oil on top was a bit much and overpowered the drink. It would be better with just 2-3 drops of oil so you get a whiff of the essence with each sip. The second one I had was a take on a gin and tonic. It had a perfectly clear piece of ice in it that ran the length of the glass.

The bar did have music and some turntables but there was no DJ that night. When 9PM came around, we headed up stairs and were sat at a nice table by the window where we could see all the action in the street down below. Its definitely a lively neighborhood with a lot to do in the area after dinner. The meal started with a couple amuse. A beef tartar and a corn one. Presentation was nice and the flavors were bold and delicious.

The second course was a hamachi crudo with a nice broth that was very bold. I could taste a lot of fish sauce. It was very delicious though a touch salty.

Next, wagyu and foie gras gyoza. Well executed. The foie gras came through nicely but didn’t overpower, and the skin was cooked well.

A milk bread, and butter with honey. Very delicious and I liked that the bread portion was small.

The fish course was a local fish and it was delicious.

The last savory dish was a delicious steak. It was so tender and perfectly cooked that we didn’t need steak knives. The sauce had a really unique taste to it that I could not put my finger on, and it had TONS of umami.

Next a palate cleanser with some unique texture, not just icy.

Lastly, key lime pie with an Asian twist.

Overall, service was impeccable. I am talking outstanding. The food was delicious. The place is really nice. What more could one want? I was a bit worried about going to a modern Asian restaurant in Miami. Would the flavors be executed well, would it be trying too hard, would it be too Westernized and numerous other potential issues. None of them were apparent. This is a well done concept and I would return and highly recommend.