It’s been over 10 years since Makoto opened in the high-end Bal Harbour Shops. So much more than a mall eatery, restaurateur Stephen Starr’s and chef Makoto Okuwa’s Japanese restaurant garnered great acclaim with its superior sushi (Makoto’s spicy tuna crispy rice is the gold standard for the dish in Miami) and excellent service. Though some time in the last couple of years it seems Makoto just couldn’t keep up with its growing popularity as its outdoor dining area literally spilled right into the center of the shops. While there are worst backdrops for a meal than a Goyard storefront, something had to give—and it has.
Last week, Makoto debuted a new and much-improved location on the third floor of the Bal Harbour Shops—a completely new build in a recently developed area of the retail center. Trading in its dark, rustic Japanese interiors for a bright and breezy French brasserie design, the new Makoto is a little softer, more feminine and decidedly more Palm Beach than Tokyo. Parisian-based architect and designer India Mahdavi conceived a color scheme of corals and pinks replete with floral motifs and vintage-inspired furnishings. Think of all the colors in a sunset—or the perfect salmon roll. Both visuals work well here. It’s also much, much bigger with 244 seats indoors and outdoors, plus a 16-seat sushi counter where Okuwa, known as a master of Edomae-style sushi, will occasionally pop up.
Below is a glimpse of the freshly updated space, which Starr calls “stunning” and Mahdavi refers to as “a more feminine experience of Japanese dining.” We can't help but agree.
