I See London, I See France…Miami Sees Zuma

If love is a battlefield, and you love Japanese cuisine, then prepare yourself for a food fight because Zuma is emerging from The Big Smoke. When word rang out that internationally acclaimed, London-based Zuma restaurant brand was aiming at Miami for its next location, our initial reaction was to grab our Burberry plaid umbrella to shield ourselves from the Miami showers while waiting in line for the opening to experience the Izakaya dining style that has earned Zuma accolades around the world, including being named one of the World’s Best Restaurants by the prestigious S. Pellegrino awards. After all, who wouldn’t want to be caught in a downpour of house specialties such as miso-marinated black cod, sweet potato robata skewers, fresh grated wasabi, dessert baked by a French pastry chef, and more than 40 varieties of sake?

The dust has settled, and since Zuma Miami opened on May 24, the U.S. coast has been cleared for a unique dining experience where guests are offered a steady shooting of starters and main course entrées and an exciting and innovative range of drinks. Epic Hotel & Residences is a respectable ally welcoming the first Zuma in America to its ground level, providing a sexy waterfront setting for the discerning diners who have packed the establishment nightly.

“We wanted our first Zuma in the U.S. to be located within an energetic, vibrant, multicultural, and popular city; that to me is Miami,” Zuma co-founder Rainer Becker said. “Furthermore, the bay views from the restaurant terrace and the river that runs alongside it make it a perfect location.”

If you’re waging an attack on Zuma Miami’s flavors, loaded with hints of tradition and the East via the Biscayne Bay, then battle it out for a slip at the edge of one of the only restaurants in the Downtown Miami/Biscayne Bay area with boat accessibility. The Epic Marina features a private dock available to restaurant diners, so you and your fellow marines can opt for more sophisticated delights than the usual rations of raw bar grub and frozen Miami Vices.

Mild apprehensions are cast aside once you walk through the Zen-like ambiance of Zuma Miami’s interior.  You’ll see natural earth tones, granite, Japanese rice paper panels, tables topped with natural wood imported from Indonesia, and a design concept, created by Tokyo-based Noriyoshi Muramatsu of Studio Glitt, emulating Zuma’s original London restaurant, complete with lounge bar, sushi counter, bar-side seating, and Robata Grill, Zuma’s Japanese open-fire barbecue inspired by the age-old cooking style of northern Japanese fishermen. Zuma Miami also provides guests with a private dining area for up to 18 of your trendsetting friends, and a sun-soaked outdoor seating and lounge area overlooking the Miami River.

For a feast fit for the Royal Family outside of the Buckingham Palace, queue up at Zuma. Through the London fog, the restaurant has seen the likes of glam couples such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Victoria and David Beckham, and respected individuals including Lady Gaga, Tony Blair, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Keith Richards, Antonio Banderas, and Sarah Ferguson, among many others.

So fellow Miamians, if you hear noise in the distance, breathe easy knowing that it’s not thunder related to bullets, or a storm hailing from the tropics, because it’s London calling. Harrods, Prince William, the Spice Girls, rugby, Big Ben, Paddington Bear, Keira Knightley, double-deckers, Great Expectations, Notting Hill, high tea…we can’t resist anything in UK armor. Ready, aim, fire-up the Robata Grill; Zuma Miami is bulletproof and overtly inviting you to give it a shot.

Call 305.577.0277 for reservations and more information.

Read more on HauteLiving.com:

• Welcome to the Neighborhood: The Haute 5 New Restaurants in Miami
• Zuma Is Coming to Miami
• ZUMA To Bring London Cool and Japanese Fare to Miami