The sushi counter at Mottai in Coral Gables.
Mottai
A new Japanese restaurant from a Brazil-based hospitality group is open at The Plaza Coral Gables.
From the Attivo Group, the force behind 13 restaurants throughout Brazil, comes Mottai, a contemporary restaurant with a main dining room, bar and separate sushi counter. Mottai seats 150 diners in an elegant setting of marble tables and blue velvet seating, with arresting white crane art on the wall.
Marcelo Simoes Abrao of Attivo calls the restaurant, the brand’s first concept in the United States, “an important step for our group.”:
“When we expand into a new market, the goal is always to create something that feels authentic to both our values and the city itself,” he said. “Miami’s international energy makes it a natural place for this next chapter.”
The interior of Mottai Japanese restaurant in Coral Gables. Mottai
Created by chef Brian Nasajon, executive chef Moritz Esser and sushi chef Hiroshi Shintaku, the menu is heavy on seafood, of course, with items like sugi katsu, a breaded, deep-fried cutlet of cobia. Starters include hamachi with white soy ponzu and jalapeño hirame (flounder) with spicy pomelo and lemongrass as well as steamed clams with sake, chive oil and furikake.
But there are other starters, like Japanese eggplant or crispy chicken with pickled watermelon and chili sauce. Entrees include such dishes as pork belly with hatcho yaniniku, Bibb lettuce and shallots and black garlic chicken with carrot puree and charred scallions. Grilled items include American wagyu ribe eye with shiso tempura, filet mignon and U4 prawns with garlic ginger sauce.
The interior of Mottai, a new Japanese restaurant in Coral Gables. Mottai
Nasajon, who is also a partner in The Sylvester Bar in Miami, said that the Japanese idea of cuisine is “built on discipline and respect for ingredients” and that the team used those principles to create the menu.
“The goal wasn’t to reinvent anything but to understand why these techniques work and apply them in a way that feels honest to where we are,” he said. “Being from Miami, I understand that people want lighter, more shareable and more ingredient-driven options, so the menu reflects that balance between tradition and a contemporary perspective.”
The bar at Mottai Japanese restaurant in Coral Gables. Mottai
Chef Shintaku, who has worked at Japanese restaurants like Makoto in Bal Harbour and Hiyakawa in Wynwood, helms the sushi counter, where diners can order nigiri, sashimi and maki like the salmon tataki maki with snow crab, cucumber, avocado and salmon.
At Mottai, he said, the focus is on simplicity, “allowing the flavors to stand on their own while delivering the same level of care with every service.”
“Sushi is about balance, timing and attention to ingredients,” he said. “Every detail matters, from the sourcing of the fish to the temperature of the rice.”
The entrance at Mottai Japanese restaurant in Coral Gables. Mottai Mottai
Where: The Plaza Coral Gables, 2881 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 5:30-11 p.m. Friday; 6-11 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday
Reservations: Open Table
More information: mottaimiami.com
Connie Ogle loves wine, books and the Miami Heat. Please don’t make her eat a mango.