Makoto is a renowned restaurant located in Bal Harbour Shops. It has served upscale sushi dishes and Japanese cuisine for 13 years, and has become a staple of visiting Bal Harbour. The vibes are an emmaculate mix of families celebrating a special occasion, couples celebrating date night, tourists, and the occasional celebrity spotting. The food (served family style) and drinks do not skip a beat, and although pricey, match the quality one would expect at this institution. This was actually our first time dining at Makoto, so we decided to order from a variety of sections on the menu. Our delightful server, Siripon, gave us several suggestions as well. Here is what we finally ordered:Crispy Rice Tuna ($17): 4 generously sized portions of crispy tuna rice topped with a slice of serrano chili on top of each roll.Japanese Eggplant Robata ($13): thick slices of Japanese eggplant. served with niku chicken miso (a chicken miso topping/sauce).Braised Beef Yaki Noodle ($30): yaki noodles mixed with chunks of steak and mixed with tamarind soy, ginger aioli. Soft Shell Crab Maki ($20): 5 pieces of sushi made with crab tempura tobiko, avocado, scallion, asparagus, and chili aioli.Okinawan Tres Leches ($16): made with roasted pineapple, japanese whisky spiked meringue, soy ice cream.Considering Makoto is widely known for their fresh sushi, I was surprised to hear that my fiancée actually liked the Soft Shell Crab Maki the least out of everything we ordered. Despite the quality ingredients, she thought this roll felt less "special" compared to everything by else we ordered. The Japanese Eggplant Robata was a very unique dish and a good portion size for $13, and the Braised Beef Yaki Noodle was a great example of why Makoto is also known for how they grill their proteins. This dish and the Crispy Rice Tuna blew her away!The Okinawa Tres Leches was a unique twist on a dessert that can be found on other menus in Miami. The japanese whisky spiked meringue and soy ice cream provided a great symphony of flavors that made this iteration of tres leches taste memorable and not as overbearingly sweet compared to other traditional tres leches recipes.We are very excited to return to Makoto the next time we are in the area! We'd definitely order the Japanese Eggplant Robata and the Beef Yaki Noodles again! In addition, I think we may start off our next visit with a sampler to truly experience the freshness and variety of their sashimi/maki choices.
Read More