Wynwood needs more restaurants like Shiso, a Caribbean-tinged Asian smokehouse that strikes just the right balance of downtown edge and tropical glamour, with a menu that showcases a local chef’s depth of experience and talent for storytelling through food.
Shiso is the culinary vision of Chef Raheem Sealey, known for helming the kitchen at the award-winning KYU Miami and for his beloved BBQ concept the Drinking Pig. At Shiso, he’s teamed up with Forward Hospitality Group to put their biggest and most personal stamp yet on the city’s dining and nightlife scene.
The darkened staircase where you enter Shiso opens onto an expansive open-air terrace of graffitied concrete, tropical foliage, low-slung seating and slatted wood alcoves all bathed in a warm, moody glow. A massive bar stands at its center, where every seat invites you to take in views of Wynwood’s ever-climbing skyline with some of the best cocktails we’ve tried lately. And that’s just Shiso’s outdoor patio.
The full space encompasses 11,000 square-feet—though Shiso still manages to feel intimate and welcoming. That’s thanks in no small part to the big open kitchen that greets you upon transitioning indoors. It’s a beautiful, synchronized chaos of dancing flames and sizzling meats, cooks and servers deftly passing off plates and intoxicating curls of smoky aromas luring you to take it all in, literally.
Chef Raheem’s menu is full of dishes that are both familiar and unexpected, merging his extensive experience at some of Miami’s top Japanese restaurants with his Caribbean roots and love of American barbecue. Miso Corn Bread with uni and ikura; Braised Oxtail Udon Noodles in jus with a cured egg yolk on top; Smoked Pork Belly served temaki-style with BBQ sauce, pickles, sushi rice and wasabi. These highly addictive combinations feel fresh and exciting, and also like they should have existed forever.
You’ll want to try it all. Everything is served family-style, centralized around wood-fired flavors, using Asian ingredients and approaches. And even tough the menu is fairly tight, you might get overwhelmed by the array of enticing options. (At least, we did.) Luckily, your friendly server is happy to take in your preferences and help curate a well-rounded culinary journey, which could be comprised of sushi, cold and hot plates, steak, smoked meats and a selection of sides—plus the Shiso Chicken, Please, a beautiful rendition of chicken and waffles served two ways.
As for the cocktails, they’re presided over by beverage director James MacInnes, a Miami native who cut his teeth around the world before leading up stellar programs at KYU and Klaw. For Shiso’s indoor bar, he’s created a distinct menu with a global sensibility, while the outdoor bar features more casual, elevated standards. Our favorite sip of the night was the Sin Sombrero, an amber-hued tequila reposado highball that’s tart with grapefruit and complex with gochujang, topped with effervescence and a tangle of ancho chile peppers.
Other drink highlights include the Vetus Negroni, a softer rendition than the original made with chamomile and ume plum that’s been aged and married in a solera barrel; and the Kohi Cobbler, a boozy after-dinner treat that combines Santa Teresa coffee cask rum, sake-based Japanese vermouth, sherry and a citrus blend. We can easily imagine posting up here during happy hours, when delicacies like the Smoked Brisket Croquettes go for just $10, to take in the bright orange sunset from the terrace. Or staying late-night, when the party vibes turn up and the Wynwood scene at Shiso hits its peak.