My youngest son was having a landmark birthday and it was his girlfriend’s birthday too. Where to go? New York foodie friends told me about COTE Korean Steakhouse— the restaurant’s Michelin star (the only Korean steakhouse in the world to get one), the memorable food, swanky décor, top notch service. But nothing prepared me for how exceptional it is. Miss Picky couldn’t find anything she didn’t like in  COTE Miami, nor did the family. So what is special?

Let’s start from the beginning. The sleek yet understated contemporary façade with the name COTE in shocking pink lights gives an inkling of what’s to come. After going down the main entryway in the same dramatic pink lighting you open the door and come upon rich, dark wood that lines the walls and creates individual dining areas for 100 with leather banquettes. The tables are inlaid with bespoke, state-of-the-art charcoal grills.

The centerpiece of the spacious room is an oval shaped bar to see and be seen. Strategically placed are pieces of contemporary art by major players including Ed Ruscha, Louise Bourgeois, Alec Soth and Do Ho Suh among others. Though there’s a lot of grilling going on, there’s no smoke or smokey aroma as the grills were carefully engineered and custom designed.

The beverage quality and offerings are top notch. The extensive wine cellar features biodynamic, sustainable, vintage depth selections from both classic wineries and rare producers including the restaurant’s own private collection from Europe with bottles dating back to the 1870s. We each had a cocktail, with Mr. W and I opting for a classic Negroni and Martini that were expertly prepared. If you’re looking for a signature cocktail, don’t miss the delicious COTE Green Bull with Belvedere Vodka, Fallen Pony, Korean Red Ginseng, Taurine, Guarana, and champagne. It was invented by principal bartender Sondre Kasin, featured in Esquire magazine’s 2019 “Best Bars in America”

Want to have the Cote Miami restaurant wine experience at home? They recently launched their COTE Wine Club. The monthly subscription is curated by Director of Beverage Victoria James and Master Sommelier Mia Van de Water of both COTE NYC and COTE Miami’s locations in partnership with Convive Wine & Spirits.

At the heart of the menu are two not to be missed tasting experiences. We opted for the delectable Butcher’s Feast ($58 per person) tour of COTE’s finest plates featuring four selected cuts of COTE’s most notable USDA Prime and American Wagyu Beef. Each meat becomes an experience in itself, lovingly and perfectly grilled tableside – lightly charred on the outside and inside oh so tender. Then there are the accompaniments—mini rice cakes, romaine lettuce to wrap the pieces of meat, mushroom caps that fill with their own water making for a natural tea.

The meat is complemented by a novel array of pickled seasonal vegetables which I could eat everyday, they’re so tasty and healthy. And there’s more – as in salads of fresh red leaf lettuce with Ssaam-jang, egg soufflé, and two stews with rice.

Dessert is a whimsical retro touch – a small paper cup filled with soft serve ice cream blended with soy sauce caramel, and a flat wooden spoon to scoop it up.

For the even more serious meat eaters, there’s a 10-course Steak Omakase™ ($165 per person). Not a meat lover? An exclusive for Miami is COTE “Ceviche” ($28), featuring Amberjack, snapper, cobia and trout roe with thinly sliced pickled fennel and chojang vinaigrette, an ode to the city’s Latin and South American influences. The new ceviche also debuts on the Grand Plateau ($155), an elaborate seafood tower topped with one dozen east and west coast oysters.

While you’re there, check out the red-light dry-aging room. There’s also PK Room, a private dining space equipped with a private AV system and an ode to the developer T.V. Moore (nicknamed the “Pineapple King”), who turned his pineapple farm in the 1920s into the neighborhood known today as the Miami Design District.

A final note. If you’re a connoisseur of salt, check out their signature Gastronome’s Salt™, a proprietary salt blend, carefully composed of British Maldon salt, Himalayan pink salt, and Korean thousand-day sea salt. I’ll be first in line if they ever decide to sell it.

Valet parking is available throughout the Miami Design District for $5+. Self-parking is $3+ at parking garage locations in the Miami Design District. Metered street parking is also available

COTE Miami, 3900 N.E. 2nd Avenue, T.305-434-4668. Lunch and dinner are offered with a special reduced price on the butcher’s feast at lunch.