Miami’s Ultimate Secret Omakase Den, Hiden, Debuts New Chef + Enticing Seasonal Menu

Photo Credit: Showa Hospitality

Tucked behind an unassuming, trendy Wynwood eatery, The Taco Stand lies Miami’s greatest hidden gem that brings guests a memorable and authentic omakase experience: Hiden. It’s so exclusive, you need to enter through a secret, speakeasy-style door with a padlock combination that expires 15 minutes after your reservation start time.

Following its debut in 2018, it quickly became the city’s most in-demand reservation to secure, oftentimes booking through three months in advance. Backed by San Diego-based hospitality powerhouse, Shōwa Hospitality, the coveted omakase destination is bringing forth a new chef with a mouth-wateringly adventurous menu that spans 15 courses.

Photo Credit: Showa Hospitality

Helming the sushi counter is now Chef Tetsuya Honda, who hails from Japan, but has worked in award-winning establishments throughout the globe including Monterey, Calif.; London; Tel Aviv; San Diego; and now, Miami. Joining him is his ultra-talented Sous Chef James Weinlein, who brings his expertise in fine dining and his love of Italian and Japanese cuisines to create magic with chef Honda’s incredible Japanese Edomae-style sushi.

While the format of the dining experience and the unparalleled attention to detail and service remains the same, Chef Honda has put his own spin on the unique menu, drawing inspiration from local ingredients and seasonal menu items to keep his diners coming back for more.

Photo Credit: Showa Hospitality

“As a chef, it’s important to us that we don’t stick with the same thing every time. That’s why we like to change up the menu. We keep the same formula but we like to open up our guests’ eyes to what’s new and fresh, what’s available, what we can get vs. what others may not be able to get,” chef Honda explains. “That’s what makes a restaurant stand out. We want to always offer the best possible fish for our guests so we are very particular with our suppliers.”

From the first dish that’s presented until the last, chef Honda proves that dining at Hiden is a unique experience. His expert precision shines as he balances flavors to create dishes that are both beautiful to look at and incredible to taste. He features a range of diverse ingredients that are oftentimes flown in fresh from out of the country.

Photo Credit: Showa Hospitality

Embodying the term “I’ll leave it up to you,” the omakase menu can change on any given night of the week, depending on what is available at the moment. Chef Honda opens the meal with a fresh oyster—on the night we’re dining, it’s a light, refreshing and balanced oyster with the perfect complement of sweet taste from a small strawberry and blackberry with shaved ice—and ends with two warm, melt-in-your-mouth, simply-seasoned pieces of A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Beef. In between, the menu includes standout dishes ranging from a creamy Hokkaido Uni atop cold, vinegared angel hair pasta and raw potato; indulgent, fatty pieces of fresh fish like otoro, chutoro or lean marinated tuna; and rotating seasonal pieces like horse mackerel, hotate (scallop) or perch.

Photo Credit: Showa Hospitality

Additionally, both chef Honda and Weinlein differentiate themselves with unique kaiseki-style dishes throughout the meal. Most notably, Weinlein has concocted an extraordinarily memorable bite that fuses both Italian and Japanese cuisines with three perfect slices of Madai atop a warm, Italian-style ratatouille.

“This dish is definitely interesting because it’s not something you’d traditionally find at an omakase restaurant. It features a special type of miso from Japan—with sashimi-style madai on top and warm vegetables underneath. It is a dish that is special to me because it reflects influences from my own heritage being Italian but developing a passion for Japanese cuisine,” explains Chef Weinlein.

Photo Credit: Showa Hospitality

Of course, the meal is complete with an extensive sake and wine list curated by the expert team to complement each bite. And the final pieces round out the experience including the traditional Tamago (egg-based dessert bite), as well as two dessert dishes.

Dinner at Hiden is unequivocally a must-try journey that incorporates incredible cuisine, expert hospitality and a team whose heart and passion is palpable.

Photo Credit: Showa Hospitality

“You have to really love and enjoy what you’re doing because no chef’s job comes without stress. They make it easy here. I love working with my team. I never thought it would be this good, but we’re extremely lucky. This team and restaurant are better than I could have wished for, so I’m very happy,” notes Chef Honda at the end of the meal with a big smile on his face.

Hiden is located at 313 NW 25th St, Miami, FL 33127. Dinner starts at $170/person. Reservations must be made and prepaid in advance via the reservation booking system, Tock. For more information, please visit its site here.