Fusion spices up Chotto Matte
Chotto Matte
1664 Lenox Ave., Miami Beach, 305-690-0743, Chotto-Matte.com
The owners of the 4-year-old London original have unveiled their second location off Lincoln Road, featuring the Japanese-Peruvian fusion of Nikkei cuisine.
“We are a fun, lively restaurant,” founder Kurt Zdesar says. “We took the opportunity to use local artists to embed themselves in our concept rather than being a copy-and-paste import. The weather allows us to offer a more open experience with the retractable roof and open wall features.”
A 19-ton Sicilian boulder in the middle of a central bar anchors the trendy surroundings, which include palm trees, a wraparound abstract mural representing the city’s diversity, a bold black-andwhite tile floor and Ocher furniture.
Small plates include beef tataki ($14.50), tempura wild shrimp with ponzu butter ($15), Nikkei sashimi with yuzu truffle soy ($16), spicy octopus chargrilled over coal ($19.50), smoked lamb chop in Peruvian chili miso ($16.50) and black cod in yellow chili miso ($28).
Three prix-fixe menus include tastings of several dishes ($50-$75).
Japanese whisky laces the Peruvian chocolate crema with honeycomb and dulce de leche for dessert ($8).
An extensive cocktail menu ranges from classics to Peruvian and Japanese concoctions, such as the pisco sour ($12) and yuzu martini ($14).
Lunch and dinner are served daily, and Sunday brunch will launch this summer. DJs spin from Wednesday through Sunday.