In a crowded space of Japanese restaurants in Miami, here’s a winning new concept — a restaurant inspired by Japanese style taverns, izakayas, and a fish market, a nod to the famous Tsukiji Fish Market and popular street vendors in Japan. It’s Dragonfly Izakaya & Fish Market, the creation of Hirofumi P.Leung, a first generation Japanese-Chinese immigrant and Song Y.Kim, second generation Korean immigrant. The restaurant is the third in Florida for the team, located in the new Doral Center, 5241 N.W. 87th Avenue (T.305-222-7447).
Dragonfly has a nautical feel complete with wood paneling and tables that recall the interior of a boat, a chandelier made of iron fish hooks, red and white flags you could imagine flying from a flagstaff, and a large open kitchen.
It’s Japanese cuisine with some Korean influences, but don’t think it’s just about sushi and sashimi. Think Japanese comfort food-inspired dishes. As its name suggests, the menu is mostly seafood, prepared any number of ways – tempura, on a robata grill, in sushi and sashimi, grilled and baked. Of special note is the selection of fish flown in from Tsukiji market including golden eye snapper, striped jack, amber jack and Japanese sea bream served as nigiri, hosomaki or sashimi.
We started with a chicken karaage, addictive, crisp organic chicken nuggets fried in potato starch and served with a rich to die for Japanese mayo (and I’m not usually a mayo fan ) with a piquant shansho pepper.
It was a favorite of the evening. We teamed that up with sautéed edamame that was at once smokey, salty, and piquant thanks to bonito flakes. Delicious though not for the weak of heart. A specialty in the “first catch”, appetizers, is the grilled baby octopus sunomono with pickled cucumber, heirloom cherry tomato, Japanese chimichurri, shiso and tosa zu, though we saved that for next time.
Next on tap was bacon wrapped enoki mushroom, the mushrooms tasting like meat, such was their full flavor and chewy texture. Also in this second course we had the wagyu short ribs which reminded us of a Japanese pot roast, so tender that they fell apart at the touch of the fork. They were served with a mushroom medley.
Do not miss the feather light shrimp tempura cleverly served on a wire rack to drain off any traces of grease and served on a bed of scrumptious fried onions.
The standout of the evening was the chahan, garlic blue crab fried rice with good size chunks of crab, the rice moist and tasting of the sea. I could have made a meal of that.
The nigiri and makisushi we tried were excellent, the latter not needing soy sauce, so well balanced were the flavors. There’s a wide selection of vegetables, several salads and noodle and rice dishes. Most unusual is what they call the neck to tail tasting menu with more exotic parts of the chicken like the tail, skin, neck and liver. Adventurous diners will also enjoy the crispy pig ears simply seasoned with citric salt.
Desserts to order include profiteroles with chocolate sauce and strawberry ice cream and yuzu meringue tart.
Also out of the ordinary in this creative new dining entry is their beverage program which features an award winning Japanese whisky list with eight of the top ten Japanese whiskys, a seasonable Omakase cocktail list and extensive sake and shochu list.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the lovely stoneware from Japan that they’d do well to sell. And speaking about selling, what promises to be a major hit will be the upcoming fish market with market items ranging from house-made rubs and rice mixes, sauces and dressings to unique items like Japanese White Shoyu and Kentucky Bluegrass soy sauces. Also on tap will be seafood including whole local fish and other sourced from exotic waters around the world. For those wanting the Dragonfly experience at home, kits will be offered to recreate Dragonfly inspired meals at home, along with bento boxes to go, salads, rice bowls and educational seafood workshops. Prices will range from $9 to market pricing on seafood.
Most dishes are small and medium size plates designed for sharing, ranging from $6 to under $20. Exceptions are more luxury food items such as ribeye, king crab, and lobster. Wines (a 6 ounce pour) start at $8 a glass; bottles at $30.
Doral isn’t on a lot of usual itineraries if you live in the Beach, Brickell or South Miami. We left Brickell for the restaurant at 7 p.m. and were there in 15 minutes so provided you go after rush hour, it’s easy to get there and worth it.