{"id":220243,"date":"2026-04-06T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T09:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/220243\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T09:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T09:00:10","slug":"cho-funky-asian-bistro-opens-in-miami-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/220243\/","title":{"rendered":"Cho Funky Asian Bistro opens in Miami Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

A window on 17th Street in Miami Beach\u2019s Sunset Harbour neighborhood pulls you into the vibe of the new Cho Funky Asian Bistro.<\/p>\n

Gary James<\/p>\n

When he decided to take over the former space of Paya on Miami Beach, restaurateur Mohamed Alkassar knew he was going to make a big change.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to take a risk, you want to do something that 100 percent feels like you and matches what you value and what you love to eat and how you like to dine,\u201d he says. \u201cI think your best work comes out when you\u2019re putting out a product that represents who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alkassar has taken a big leap in the Sunset Harbour neighborhood, transforming the former island-forward restaurant into a completely different place with Cho Funky Asian Bistro. Everything is new, from the menu to the music to the look and feel of the space.<\/p>\n

Alkassar, who managed Paya along with chef Niven Patel, his partner in Feal Hospitality, managed a startling change in a short time. Feal closed Paya on March 2,<\/a> and Cho opens April 9, a quick turnaround for a complete makeover.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a good month and a half of prep pre-flip,\u201d he says, \u201cbut still! I can\u2019t believe what we accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018I just wanted it to be everything I love\u2019 \"Restaurateur Restaurateur Mohamed Alkassar at his new restaurant Cho in Miami Beach. Gary James <\/p>\n

Cho arrives with the motto \u201cEat Vibe Drink,\u201d giving off the atmosphere of a cozy but cool Asian restaurant tucked away on a dark alley in a big city, maybe Tokyo, maybe Bangkok. The restaurant doesn\u2019t represent a single Asian cuisine but touches many cultures, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian among them.<\/p>\n

The menu, the Syrian-born Alkassar says, is quite simply based on what he loves to eat.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsually when you stick to one cuisine, you\u2019re from that country bringing what you know,\u201d he explains. \u201cAt Cho, it\u2019s my personality on display. I just wanted it to be everything I love. For example, I love to eat cabbage salad with wasabi green apple vinaigrette. It\u2019s not a traditional dish at all, but the flavors are Asian. I wanted to give people a chance to eat all their favorites.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dumplings Dumplings at Cho Funky Asian Bistro in Miami Beach. Gary James <\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also find scallop crudo with red curry oil and miso beef tartare, Khao Soi lam neck, Korean fried chicken and bone-in short rib with lemongrass soy glaze. There are wok dishes like pad Thai and pad see ew, duck fried rice and shrimp nasi goreng, an Indonesian fried rice dish that\u2019s one of Alkassar\u2019s favorites.<\/p>\n

Diners can also snack on shareable plates like dumplings and bao buns. And if all you want is to order a couple of cocktails and dumplings, that\u2019s just fine.<\/p>\n

Cocktails are a big part of the Cho experience, too, with drinks like the Golden Triangle (gin, Pisco, Thai basil, yuzu and prosecco); Ume Blossom (rum, sake, plum and ube); or the Silk Thai Manhattan (with Thai tea, banana and cardamom bitters). There will also be frozen cocktails and shareable drinks like Spill the Tea, a punch with vodka, nigori sake, lychee, jasmine and citrus.<\/p>\n

A new experience \"The The bar at Cho, the new restaurant in Miami Beach\u2019s Sunset Harbour neighborhood. Gary James <\/p>\n

Cho marks the first time Alkassar has opened a Miami restaurant on his own. As part of Feal, he and Patel will continue to work together on Ghee Indian Kitchen, which recently opened its third restaurant in Atlanta and is looking for a fourth location there. But opening Cho has been a new experience.<\/p>\n

There are pros and cons to going it alone, he acknowledges. When your partner is a chef, the menu takes on that chef\u2019s qualities, so building the Cho menu by himself was new. But there are also benefits, especially if time is short.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s easier about it is you can not waver on your vision and make quicker calls,\u201d he explains. \u201cYou don\u2019t have someone to check in with, so you can move faster. The hard part is Niven and I have worked together for seven or eight years, and there are things I\u2019m used to him doing and not even thinking about. Then I realize, \u2018Oh, no, he\u2019s not here, I have to be the one to do this!\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

\"The The entryway into Cho Funky Asian Bistro in Miami Beach. Gary James <\/p>\n

Alkassar calls Cho a \u201chigh-energy\u201d restaurant, but don\u2019t expect DJ sets (although he has spent a lot of time creating the playlist, he says). To him, \u201chigh energy\u201d means a potent blend of warmth and hospitality, with an invested staff and a vibrant, interesting space that offers eye-catching surprises without coming off as tacky or trying too hard.<\/p>\n

Co-designed by Cuban American artist Mokibaby<\/a>, Cho has many such devices designed to catch your eye. The restaurant is lit with neon and filled with eye-catching vintage cultural artifacts, many of which are highlighted on a light-box art wall to grab your attention.<\/p>\n

A window on 17th Street now allows passersby to peer into the busy restaurant, inviting the question: What\u2019s going on in there? A camera captures guests entering the restaurant and projects them onto a TV, a more imaginative selfie moment than the usual wall of flowers. There will even be a photo booth because who doesn\u2019t love a photo booth?<\/p>\n

A reason to come to Miami Beach \"Signs Signs at Cho Funky Asian Bistro in Miami Beach. Gary James <\/p>\n

Always, though, the food comes first.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to become just an entertainment spot,\u201d he explains, adding that he does intend to continue the block parties that Paya became known for, possibly next season or next year.<\/p>\n

What Alkassar, who lives on South Beach, does hope to do is lure not only Miami Beach residents and tourists but locals who have in recent times proved reluctant to cross the bridges from the mainland.<\/p>\n

\u201c \u201cYou have to give people a reason to cross the bridge these days, a little bit more than just great food and great cocktails,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need to offer a little bit of an experience, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The The dishes at Cho are influenced by Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese flavors. Gary James Cho Funky Asian Bistro<\/p>\n

Where: 1209 17th St., Miami Beach<\/p>\n

Opening: April 9<\/p>\n

Hours: 6-10:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 6 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday<\/p>\n

Reservations: OpenTable<\/a><\/p>\n

More information: www.choasianbistro.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Connie Ogle loves wine, books and the Miami Heat. Please don\u2019t make her eat a mango.\n <\/p>\n