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There’s so much happening in the way of food and drink in Little River, and there’s about to be more coming your way. Next week, the up-and-coming neighborhood welcomes KURA Sake Bar, a speakeasy tucked behind popular ramen restaurant Hachidori. Located just past the back curtain in the dining room, the intimate space has no more than a 14-seat counter and a couple of couches, so prepare to get cozy. It’s at once private and inclusive—a welcome paradox in the world of hidden watering holes.
Conceived as a sake bar, KURA also serves wine, beer and a selection of sake-based cocktails curated by local mixologist Gio Gutierrez of ChatChowTV. And in that same spirit of collaboration, KURA welcomes Kajin as its first food pop-up. Chef Pedro Mederos—most recently of innovative dim-sum spot E&P DMPLNGS in South Miami—helms the Washoku concept set to open on June 22. “The [E&P DMPLNGS] pop-up was a success and further motivated me to focus on curating guest experiences while showcasing aspects of Japanese cuisine,” says Mederos. “Our goal is to make unfamiliar cuisines comfortable and fun for everyone.” Desserts are in the very capable hands of pastry chef Katherine Randolph, who launched Smile, a beans-to-bar chocolate company, in 2020.
The tiny space means guests will have the opportunity to see food and drinks get made right before them. It’s like omakase without any of the pomp and circumstance and much more laid-back. “We want the experience of coming into Kojin to be unlike anything else you can find in Miami. We want to form a bond with each guest on a personal level,” Mederos adds.
Kojin at KURA opens Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 10pm and Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight. Walk-ins are welcome till 5pm, but reservations are required after that and can be made via DM to @Kojin_Miami.
