Tokyo’s Michelin-starred wagyu kaiseki makes its Miami debut
- Jake Nicholas
- 13 hours ago
- 2 min read
Spicy Hospitality Group, the team behind The Joyce, Le Specialità, and YASU Omakase, has just upgraded its Miami portfolio with the U.S. debut of KARYU in the Miami Design District. The intimate 12-seat restaurant marks the first American outpost of Tokyo’s Michelin one-star Oniku Karyu and introduces a highly focused wagyu kaiseki experience rooted in Japanese craftsmanship, seasonality, and precision to one of the country's most vibrant cities.
Led by Chef Haruka Katayanagi and brought to life in partnership with Spicy Hospitality Group, KARYU centers its entire tasting menu around wagyu as both ingredient and cultural expression.
The restaurant is the only destination in the United States sourcing wagyu exclusively from Ueda Chikusan, a family-run, full-cycle cattle ranch in Hyōgo Prefecture dedicated to raising Tajimaguro cattle—one of Japan’s rarest and most prized wagyu lineages and the genetic origin of Kobe beef.
Image courtesy of Spicy Hospitality Group, World Red Eye
Rather than adapting the concept for the American market, KARYU maintains the discipline and structure of its Tokyo flagship. The Miami opening is led by Chef Katayanagi’s protégés relocating from Japan, including Head Chef Hiroshi Morito, Sous Chef and Sommelier Seishiro Tatsukawa, and Service Director Akiho Saito, ensuring continuity across technique, service, and execution.
At just 12 seats, the experience unfolds as a multi-course progression that explores wagyu through both traditional and contemporary preparations, guided by the principles of kaiseki. Dishes range from nikusui, a clear beef broth designed to open the palate, to a refined chateaubriand and a traditional sukiyaki course served with Japanese white rice, raw egg yolk mixed tableside, and miso soup. The menu evolves monthly in response to Japan’s micro-seasons, emphasizing balance, temperature, and texture alongside the depth of the beef itself.
The beverage program is intentionally restrained, built to complement the richness and umami of Japanese wagyu. A concise selection of approximately ten sakes—many rare or limited—anchors the list, supported by a focused wine program of whites and reds selected for structure and acidity rather than scale.
Image courtesy of Spicy Hospitality Group, World Red Eye
Design plays a central role in the experience. Created by Rockwell Group, the space draws from the Tokyo original while responding to the Miami Design District’s contemporary context. Guests move through layers of white oak, linen scrim, and softly illuminated parasol-inspired fabric before arriving at the chef’s table. Inside, materials such as cedar-inspired millwork, hay-embedded plaster, raku pottery, indigo linen, and terrazzo flooring establish a palette rooted in restraint and craftsmanship, with subtle contrasts between traditional and modern elements shaping the room.
Visit KARYU at: https://www.karyu-mia.com/
