More is more when it comes to high-end Nikkei restaurants in Miami—we seem to get a new spot every season and it’s always a packed house. Places like Osaka, the internationally renowned eatery from Lima, make it obvious why there’s such an appetite for the Peruvian-Japanese trend, with its approachable up-market dining room and an exhaustive menu that runs the gamut from strictly sushi and seafood to traditional anticuchos and coal-fired meats dressed in spicy pepper sauces.
You bet there’s ceviche on the list, but there are also less-obvious winners such as tender, fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs covered in a citrus-pisco glaze and buttery truffle nigiri that’s torched tableside. The showmanship of the latter doesn’t quite justify the price—two pieces clock in at around $15—but the explosion of flavors that follow the single decadent bite (assuming you’re sharing an order) almost does.
Dinner is served in both the airy main dining and in the sexy bar/lounge area just behind the hostess stand, which is an excellent spot for drinking your way through Osaka’s vast selection of Pisco-infused cocktails. Whether it’s a margarita, a sangria or even an old fashioned, classic mixed drinks feature the staple Peruvian spirit and are flavored with yuzu, togarashi and other Asian ingredients.