Sumi Yakitori - A Delicious Reason To Visit Brickell

How do you get chefs and other food lovers to venture into the heart of Brickell?

Start by opening a ramen joint with excellent noodle bowls. Then debut a destination-worthy yakitori next door. Jeffrey Chen has done exactly that, first with his elegant Momi Ramen, and now with his adjoining Sumi Yakitori.

As you would expect, Sumi's menu focuses on skewered meats grilled over Japanese bincho-tan charcoal. The skewers include yakitori standbys like chicken wings ($4), and smoky shisamo (smelt) with roe ($5). Sumi also serves small plates like simply grilled hamachi kama ($10), and braised tofu ($8), simmered in a compelling shoyu broth with sweet tofu skin and a thin slice of chashu pork.

Typical of Miami dining, the prices are higher at Sumi than one would pay in cities with deeper, more varied Japanese dining choices.

That shouldn't keep you away. Approach Sumi as a launch pad or landing strip for the evening. Drink a pre-dinner glass of smooth barley shochu like Ichiko Kurobin ($10), paired with tender duck thighs ($4). Or end your night with a midnight snack of pork belly so caramelized, it calls to mind a roasted marshmallow ($6).