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Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
175 Sunny Isles Boulevard
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I was scared to go, I was a weenie for exotic fish. I feared I would insult Kevin. What if I had to spit something out because I didn't like the taste? How could I do that in such an intimate Japanese setting?
I had the most amazing meal in my life, NAOE. I straight up refuse to each sushi/nigiri at any other locale. My grandmother was obsessed with Japanese culture, I grew up in a Japanese inspired Connecticut home. I was channeling my late Nana as I ate at NAOE. She would have been so impressed.
Kevin is a magician. Never have I seen a person communicate through knives. Watching him cut and prep was magic. Sharing sake with him was a pleasure. But above all, this dinner was an experience. From the glassware, the placement of the glasses an the bento box, to the flavors exploding on your tongue and the family brewed sake, to the taxi ride home...I cannot wait to return.
I've uploaded a couple of pictures to add to the current collection. If you are a little weary, like I was, put faith into Kevin, he's not going to make you food that doesn't taste good. Where else can you have monk fish liver? It's possibly better than foie. Need I say more?!
It is hard to find innovative and interesting dining experiences and glad I did this for my birthday. Choices are not yours to have, until you get to the nigiri portion of the meal and can opt out of anything you choose. The cocoon feeling of the space and the friendly attention of what I assume is his wife. It was a great experience and one I can't wait to return to!
Chef Kevin also made a point of giving me a small bottle of sake as a gift. Class act.
You don't need me or any of the other reviews here on yelp to tell you that you need to eat here. you do. i'm not going to waste my breath trying to detail the countless qualities that make this restaurant one of a kind. but i will say this:
this was, by far, my single greatest dining experience in miami. ever.
one fair warning about naoe though. it's a chef's menu. that means you don't get to pick what you eat, the chef does. on their website they request that, should you have any "concerns" about the food, you should make your reservation a week in advance.
now, there are only three seatings, and the restaurant only has fifteen seats. so, if you or a family member or a loved one, is vegetarian, a finicky eater, has allergies or doesn't like this or doesn't like that, please please please, find somewhere else to go for dinner.
the food prepared at naoe is one of a kind, masterful expression of the spectrum of japanese food. to go to naoe with a litany of items you can't or won't eat is to handicap your (and by extension, everyone else's) dining experience.
so you, yes, you, capt fatstacks with the finicky girlfriend, stay away from naoe. if you make me (and by extension, everyone else) miss out on the monkfish foie gras, or the homemade egg tofu with dungeness crab or the raw clam nigiri or the, . . or the, . . be grateful that the naoe does not serve up forks or knives, because you'd be in serious danger.
I thought I knew sushi, but I didn't know jack until I stepped foot into NAOE last night. Being my all-time favorite type of food (besides Ethiopian), I thought I understood what Japanese food was all about, but NAOE was truly eye-opening.
The simple, quiet restaurant, seating only 17, is tucked away into a strip mall. The back entrance is actually the one to use, but we entered through the front, not realizing. The front door, facing the main street, is actually blacked out. Never in a million years would you know it was there. Thank God my bBFspoke to Wendy when he made the reservations for our anniversary, and she helped with navigation.
The bento box was extraordinary. The beauty was in the details - shaved pieces of seaweed, marinated Japanese melon, sardine rice. Everything had a distinctive and unique flavor - quite unlike anything I'd ever had before. Delightful. Now that I've had the real deal when it comes to wasabi, I don't know how I'm going to return to the regular stuff. Afterwards, we went through 4 rounds of nigiri sushi - fantastic. Having tried uni before, and not liking it AT ALL, we decided to give it one more shot here. Fabulous. Not mushy and mealy like we'd had at other places, but simply lovely.
Kevin and Wendy are incredible. They take everything with grace and a smile.
Keep in mind, this is a dining experience, not a place to grab a quick meal, or make special requests. Everything is chef's choice, and you won't be disappointed. Prepare to be amazed and delighted. Set aside an entire evening, and save your pennies - you won't want to say no to anything here.
Thanks Maria, for the tip about this place. Best meal ever!!!
First, I want to thank all 9 reviewers on this page.
It was sublime.
Wendy strikes the perfect tone to this restaurant.
Kevin is better than he thinks., (just don't tell him that)
and Ismael helps it all run.
It was great harmony while we were there. They were working together and alone and making it all so authentic.
After that, it all just falls into place. I haven't said a word about the food because it speaks for itself. There is vision and execution and it's great.
Now, who do I talk to about the 2 cabs I had to take to get there? One, having no AC, in the rain, lost, fogging window and he couldn't see so we thought we were going to die, FLAT TIRE, dropped off in the middle of a gas station?! WHAT? True.
Finally another taxi comes and ends up taking us over some bridge and pulling in to talk to some guy in a security booth, only to have to go back again, WHAT? True.
Nevertheless, it all added to the adventure.
NAOE- can't wait to come back soon.
Kevin is an amazing chef! The chunks of monkfish liver in the bento box was delicious. The salmon belly melted in your mouth. I don't even like mackerel, but that was the most amazing mackerel I ever had. Everything was prepared with such care and attention and ultra fresh. Loved it!
STOP READING REVIEWS, AND MAKE THAT RESERVATION NOW~!
I've been a member of Yelp for two years, and I have never felt inclined to post a review. I've been to my fair share of fine dining, and being from Los Angeles I felt that I've "been there done that." Well, I'm happy to say that I was completely wrong. From the moment we arrived, to the excruciating moment when we left, I, along with my party... just didn't want to leave.
I am saddened to know that I wont be able to visit Naoe until another trip to Miami, but I'm grateful for learning through the genuine kindness of Wendy and Chef Kevin, what a truly rewarding dining experience means. From the quality of the service, food, and the intimate setting, Naoe surely sets the bar.
So stop reading reviews....and just make the reservation~! We're talking sushi that was flown in overnight from japan, and some that were swimming in the ocean that same afternoon. You'll feel like you've made new friends in Wendy and Chef Kevin, we know we did. We spoke of our dinner at Noae every day of our vacation in Miami, and you will too. Visit Chef Kevins biography on their website, and youll appreciate your experience even more.
This is a phenomenal, very unique, Japanese restaurant. The decor is absolute minimalist. I would say that the experience is best enjoyed by those who have quite a lot of sushi eating experience. The quality of the preparation and ingredients, imo, may be lost on newer sushi eaters. Reservations are strongly recommended (maybe even required) and I believe there are no more than 17 diners at one time.
This was my first experience in going to a restaurant where there is no menu and you do not choose your food. Everything is chef's choice. While this may cause some initial trepidation... relax - you are in excellent hands!
There are three nightly seatings. You can choose to sit at a table or at the sushi bar. I went there with my wife and we chose the bar. Part of our enjoyment was watching Chef Cory's knife and overall preparation skills. The meal starts with a bento box preparation that is thoughtfully prepared, elegantly (and simply) presented, and wonderfully refined.
The optional nigiri sushi afterward is NOT to be missed. Chef's first choice for us was a luxurious salmon-belly. With a rich, creamy texture, this exquisite opener had us longing for more. Then came the true highlight of the evening. A piece of sushi I had never tried. Mackerel, shipped overnight from Japan. A touch of fresh, real wasabi inside, some finely grated ginger on top, brushed with the perfect kiss of soy sauce - simply the best pieces of sushi my wife or I have ever eaten. The amazing depth and beauty of that flavor is is the new standard which I now seek out in my rejuvenated sushi endeavors.
Chef Kory, I thank you for a wonderful experience.
Went here for dinner on my birthday after reading about it on Yelp and in the Miami New Times (excellent article, search for on the website).
Coming from the North on A1A we had a pretty tough time finding the place. Our normally helpful Garmin GPS led us onto the on-ramp to Sunny Isles Boulevard, but make sure you take the rather hidden local business loop exit instead.
Once we located the to say the least discreet shop sign we entered the small and minimalistic restaurant. Sure brings back memories of the places I used to go in Tokyo when I traveled for work.
Chef Cory prepared the bento box behind the counter, a show worth watching with his excellent knife skills and well choreographed moments. It's a bit like watching the Japanese version of Iron Chef but actually getting to to eat the food.
Charming hostess Wendy kept us busy with beer, sake and fun conversation while we waited. This is not a fast food place so allow some time for your visit, but boy is it worth it.
Fresh top quality ingredients and preparation does make for top quality food. Exquisite, fun and unusual dishes make it a real experience.
We will be back and my only worry for this place is that it will get "discovered" and turn too popular and pricey. Kudos to them for bringing this onto the otherwise somewhat drab Southern Florida scene.
If you're familiar with the private dining scene, NAOE is similar to Momofuku Ko in New York, but only 1/10 of the price--literally. We had made our reservations online last minute and were 15 minutes late for our 7:30 seating time (the restaurant's location was very obscure and we walked past it 3x without realizing it was there, lol), but Chef Kevin Cory was still kind enough to seat us when we arrived. The food was truly refined and unique. I really wish I had more space in my stomach after the main course (chef's choice bento box) because I only got to eat 2 pieces of nigiri sushi after that.
Chef Cory was incredibly friendly and polite (so was his server), and is amazing at what he does. The food is heavenly and is definitely comparable to other big name restaurants in NYC/LA. Barely 3 months old, NAOE is still a hidden gem. I will definitely be back when I'm in town again.
NAOE is a hidden gem, culinary destination in the making. The food is omakase-style, starting with a "mini kaiseki in a bento box" meal that is appealing for the quality and freshness of its ingredients, and the careful attention that has been put into its preparation. It is also reasonably priced at $26/person. Afterwards is a chef's choice preparation of nigiri, served 2 pieces at a time. Chef Cory combines fresh (actually, his slogan is that "It's not fresh ... it's alive.") fish purchased daily from the local fishing boats, to delicacies flown in from Japan, to clams and lobsters from the Northeast. I've visited NAOE twice over the past month, and the second time was treated to sublime uni from Hakkaido (always a favorite item), delicious Shiraebi, Aori Ika, and Aoyagi (from Boston) - I made it through 9 rounds of nigiri, including asking for a repeat of the aforementioned uni.
The restaurant decor is very Zen and minimalist, with low lighting, several spacious tables, and an attractive 5-seat counter seating area, which are the best seats in the house. Actually, sitting at the bar and looking onto the kitchen area, it reminds me a lot of the physical counter at Momofuku Ko.
Chef Cory is very meticulous, skillful and extremely low-key and friendly; we conversed about sushi and kaiseki restaurants in NYC, which we both have extensive experience dining at. He is a one man cooking operation at NAOE.
He is ably assisted at the front of the house by an extremely friendly and hospitable hostess, Wendy. She does practically everything else with a friendly smile, and is also a great conversationalist, even showing charts with the interior design plans for the restaurant (if she only knew how much I am into design!), not to mention even providing a lift back to the hotel (since a taxi couldn't be located)!
The location is very hard to find, in something of a strip mall, without proper signage out front (the main door is actually in the rear, where the parking lot is - if you take a taxi here, tell the driver it is next to Neptune, and Enterprise Car Rental), which is not that uncommon for fine Japanese restaurants. Outsiders have no clue as to what great things await inside.
Perhaps most of their diners currently are foodies, both locally, but especially visitors from afar. I think once South Floridians get a better understanding and appreciation of NAOE's cuisine, they will be beating down a path to Kevin Cory's door! I hope to return during future visits to Miami.
Last July my husband and I took our first trip to Asia. We went to Japan because we figured it was the safest, and probably the easiest foray into the continent. We loved the experience. The culture, the food, the people...everything was so different than our lives back in the MIA.
Last saturday we were craving a meal like one of the many you find so easily in Japan. We wanted sushi without artificial crab meat, without cream cheese, and with REAL wasabi. After searching online for an hour we realized we weren't going to find anything like what we were looking for in Miami and we settled on a good but not spectacular place where the sushi is decent. Come Monday morning my hubby emailed me a review from http://foodforthoughtm... that seemed to describe spot-on what we wanted just two days before.
Well, last night we went to try NAOE. This place is not where you go if you have a hankering for a spider roll. The meal consists of chef's choice - a bento box in four compartments. Last night our meals consisted of 1) snapper mutton (caught that day @ haulover) w/ freshly grated lotus root 2) salmon in white seaweed, freshwater eel & shrimp omelet 3) shitake rice w/ traditional japanese pickles on top and 4) (arguably the best thing of the night) fresh mackerel (flown in that morning from japan) with freshly grated wasabi (yes, NO tube or powder here!) and wasabi greens (think broccoli rabe soaked in rice wine vinegar w/wasabi).
Chef Kevin Cory even prepares his own sauces to compliment the courses. After finishing our bento box, we had the option to continue eating nigiri pieces. He will continue to prepare pieces until you cant anymore. I was pretty full, despite wanting to continue but my husband (who I suspect has more stomachs than a cow) continued on. He was prepared salmon, ika (squid), and kohada (a tiny fish which the chef braids before serving). the last nigiri my husband enjoyed was the uni, which he loved.
i should also note that the only menu you receive is their sake list. the sakes are made by the chef's family in japan and while i cant remember the name of the one we had, it was delicious.
the chef and his second in command, an adorable server named wendy were so pleasant. you really feel like you have just come into their home for a meal. the atmosphere of the small cozy space evokes japan - simple, elegant, relaxing.
it was a night in miami i didnt think i would ever have. the food isn't for everyone, but .... if you are thinking about going to japan, or you have been and you miss it or you just want to try what the REAL fuss about japanese food is about - THIS is your place.
After reading Rob C's review, and this restaurant is so close to my place. I decide to try NAOE this Wednesday night. Although this restaurant can only seat 17 people, but atmosphere and decoration are just perfect. Not too exaggerate, unlike some "Fusion" restaurant. No Menu in here, Chef design the menu at least once a week. Depending on seasonal resource. Sake I had was from Chef's family in Japan. Many of things I had were rare to find in other restaurant. So I am trying to visit this place at least twice a month.
simply put, one of the best dining experiences i've had in miami.
every visit lasts hours at a time, the initial anticipation, followed by amazing gustation and libations. the impeccable service and enjoyable conversation certainly stand out.
Chef Kevin Cory is such a polite, soft-spoken, talented chef.
He serves the freshest fish, and will stay open until you are done.
just look closely at the silverware, and you can appreciate all the thought that went into this place.
NAOE doesn't need advertising...all the people who will like this sort of place will find it (first opened mid Mar)
"Nah Oh Eh" is very unique in miami and serves up an excellent bento box which highlights both local and imported Tsujiki fish market items and organic ingredients. Nearly everything is prepared from scratch and you can tell. He shops daily for the freshest stuff, and puts a lot of care into his food. The meal changes daily based on whatever he finds in the market, so even if you go again a week later, you won't have the same thing. Notice the fresh grated wasabi (no surprise -- this is a foodie place). Various soy is brushed on the nigiri -- no soy sauce drowning allowed.
Nothing is truly off limits (everything can be flown in for a price during the right season -- gotta have the right purveyors)
he usually has sake, aji, kohada, madai, aoyagi, uni, unagi, hotate, various types of ebi, giant ika
price for his exquisite nigiri items can range from $4-30, so good doesn't come cheap -- at $26 for the bento though, you can't go wrong.
maybe we'll be seeing sayori (yep he had it), shima aji, kampachi, kin meidai, kan buri, suzuki, saba?
salmon belly -- yum. aji with ginger -- nice. uni from Hokkaido, so good
FYI: since unique things may be served, it can take a certain level of palate sophistication to appreciate this place, but Kevin and Wendy do make you feel right at home, and that experience alone is well worth it
What you're in for:
*only 3 seating times (wed-sun) -- when you sit down, you will be waiting 20-40 min as the chef prepares dinner in front of you
*online reservations only (opentable, no exceptions so don't walk in)
*2 day advance notice for any dietary restrictions as the chef shops daily
*nigiri will follow the bento box if you want, can be omakase style
*there is no dinner menu (just a drink menu) and nothing to make sushi rolls, noodles, etc. -- sorry
*parking is in the back (look for the small, nondescript back door entrance)
--also, you may be eating things you haven't tried before
keep in mind that the food here is art
and Kevin appreciates the kaiseki tradition
Wendy also does a great job to ensure that you are well taken care of.
some links:
http://www.foodforthou...
http://chowhound.chow....
http://www.lthforum.co...
http://blogs.miaminewt...
http://www.miaminewtim...
http://www.youtube.com...
Like others have said before this japanese restaurant is like no other in South FL. The chef goes out shopping for the day's ingredients so there is no food menu. The only menu is the drink menu which consists of sake, beer, some japanese drinks. The start of the night is the bento box, which changes daily. Theres usually a rice portion, sashimi portion, soup portion, and 2 other compartments that vary. The highlight of the night was definitely the quality of the fish. The scottish salmon belly nigiri was out of this world, melts in your mouth like O'toro would. The aji or mackerel was also excellent with a hint of ginger, and i don't even like mackerel. This restaurant also had shira ebi which is a tiny white shrimp, that was sweet with a buttery texture as well, i have never tried or heard of such a sushi nigiri, but it was absolutely delicious. Me and the Mrs. stopped after 3 rounds of nigiri, we didnt want to stuff ourselves with such decadent and delicious foods. At the end of the night we got fresh cantaloupe with special sauce. We will definitely go back in the near future. Sure its pricey, but worth every dollar.
This is truly a gem of a restaurant, in more ways than one. The moment you step inside, you know that you're in a special place, where every aspect of the experience you are about to embark on has been thoughtfully considered. There are only 3 tables (for 12 diners) plus 5 seats at the bar, even though the restaurant could have been configured to sit 25 or more; the reason is obvious: Chef Kevin and hostess Wendy would not be able to maintain their level of excellence if they had to prepare and serve more meals. This fact alone is a testament to their vision and passion.
The linens (Frette) and glassware (we're guessing Mikasa) are top quality, the bento boxes and serving bowls and plates are beautiful, and, when your bento box is opened, it reveals the true gems of this dining experience, the food that is a true feast for all the senses.
For my wife and I, who have never been to Japan, this was not just a great food experience, but a great cultural experience as well. We will definitely make it one of the restaurants on our short list for very special occasions, or for any time we feel like rewarding ourselves with a most special evening.
plus a few honorable mention-- from my reviews,…
