Hollywood’s most storied sushi spot just landed in Miami, and it’s every bit as cinematic as you’d hope. Yamashiro, the legendary Los Angeles restaurant that has appeared on a variety of films and TV shows, officially opened its Miami outpost atop the Gale Miami Hotel & Residences earlier this week.
The original Yamashiro is a cultural landmark, looming large in the Hollywood Hills since 1914. Its pagoda-style architecture, koi ponds and city views have made it one of L.A.’s most recognizable spots. It’s been in everything from Memoirs of a Geisha to Kill Bill, and the new Miami location carries that same flair for drama—with a distinctly tropical accent.
Spread across 9,000 square feet of rooftop space, Yamashiro Miami channels Japanese tranquility and Miami swagger in equal measure. It features reclaimed wood, unpolished stone, flickering fire pits and bonsai trees for good measure. A massive floor-to-ceiling mural greets you at the entrance, and the wraparound bar, anchored by a miniature replica of a Japanese temple, is the spot for an early-evening photo op.
At the helm are chef Charbel Hayek, Top Chef MENA champion, and executive chef Gustavo Montes, who have built a menu that bridges Tokyo precision and Miami indulgence. Highlights include Japanese fried chicken tossed in a spicy gochujang buffalo sauce, a wagyu tomahawk drizzled with bone marrow teriyaki, Iberico pork in black garlic mojo and a Chilean seabass roasted in mandarin dashi with shiso flower. It's bold, balanced and built for bragging rights.
The drinks are just as theatrical. Yamashiro’s cocktail program leans into Japanese ingredients with a tropical twist, like Dragon Pearls, made with gin, lychee shrub and beet air, or the Samurai Negroni, a smoky mix of mezcal, nigori sake and Lillet rosé. The Fortune Teller, on the other hand, glows with blue spirulina, yuzu and Japanese whisky, while the Beso Robado layers clarified rum, nori and passion fruit for a beach-meets-Tokyo vibe. The highlight, however, might be the tableside martini cart with liquid nitrogen frozen crystal glasses.
For a more serene experience, there’s the Sakura Bloom Tea Ritual, a nod to Japanese tradition. And coming soon is The 400 Club, a hidden lounge reviving the spirit of Yamashiro’s original 1920s Hollywood private society.
With Yamashiro's legacy, indulgent crossover cuisine, dramatic cocktail program and skyline views, Miami just got itself a new icon.