This chef led a restaurant to a Michelin star. Now he’s opening a spot in Coral Gables
The latest addition to the Miami omakase explosion is opening this week in Coral Gables.
Shingo, an intimate Japanese restaurant with 14 seats and big ambitions, is ready to serve guests at the historic La Palma building.
Led by chef and owner Shingo Akikuni, formerly the executive chef at Hiden in Wynwood, the restaurant will offer an 18-course tasting-style menu of nigiri (a small ball of rice topped with raw fish or shellfish). The menu will also feature wine and sake pairings for an additional cost.
Akikuni, a third generation sushi chef from Osaka, Japan and a former sous chef at The Den at Azabu in Miami Beach, said his previous work helped him learn how to create memorable dining experiences.
“I’m very thankful for all of the experiences I’ve had working in different restaurants,” he said. “I think the biggest difference for Shingo is that I was able to be a part of all of the decisions for the restaurant from its conception, and I intend for this restaurant to be more accessible for guests who are seeking out an authentic omakase experience.”
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Hiden, which you enter through an unprepossessing taco shop, was one of 11 Miami restaurants to earn a Michelin star in 2022. Shingo aims to bring that quality to the new restaurant, which will feature a seasonal menu of sushi and Yakimono dishes, which are grilled over high heat. Think Japanese Binchotan charcoal-grilled eel topped with caviar and fresh wasabi, for example.
Woodworkers built the 850-square-foot space in Kyoto, Japan, before they took it apart and shipped it to Miami to be reassembled. The style is classic Japanese omakase den with an L shaped counter made of rare Hinoki wood.
Fish will be sourced locally in Florida and imported from Japan. Akikuni is working with a vendor in the Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo to have fish shipped overnight four days a week. He also plans to work with local farms and other vendors to take advantage of seasonal ingredients.
Akikuni says he’s thrilled to become one of the few authentic Japanese restaurants in Coral Gables.
“Coral Gables is an incredibly beautiful city, and the surrounding area has quickly become a dining destination for Miami residents,” he said. “We’re happy to be in good company.”
The opening of Shingo is part of a retail and restaurant whirlwind in Coral Gables. Shingo is the first of two highly anticipated spots to open in the La Palma building. The other is Bouchon by Thomas Keller, a version of his famous Yountville restaurant. The restaurant from Keller, whose restaurant The Surf Club Restaurant in Surfside won a Michelin star in 2022, will feature French bistro cuisine.
“We looked at it and fell in love,” Keller said about Coral Gables last year to the Miami Herald. “We don’t look at market research. It was strictly because of the location and its history. . . . Bouchon is a neighborhood restaurant, and we want it to be part of the Coral Gables neighborhood.”
Shingo
Where: 112 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables
Opening: May 11
Hours: 6 and 9 p.m. seatings Tuesday-Saturday
Price: $180 per person excluding tax and gratuity; wine and sake pairing $95 per person
Reservations: shingomiami.com
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