Phil C.
Yelp
Highlights:
* Second location of Ke-Uh at the Acqualina Resort in Sunny Isles Beach (original location is in Weston)
* Creative collaboration of three former Nobu Chefs
* Far above average food
* Elegant setting with indoor or outdoor seating
Ke-uh's first location is in Weston, and with no disrespect to Weston, the town is not renowned for fine dining so our expectations were not high. Boy, were we surprised to the upside. First of all we hit the lottery with our server, Alfie, a veteran of several fine dining venues, including Nobu. We weren't sure what the signature dishes were and asked if they offered an Omakase menu. Although they don't he didn't hesitate to offer to put one together for us. After a few questions about our preferences (we like everything our only allergy is to bad food), we left the meal in his hands. 14 dishes later we were riding in the clouds.
We're not Japanese experts never having been to Japan however we have dined at some of the best spots, Naoe, Sushi Nakazawa in New York, Nobu, Zuma many times, Makoto too many times to mention, Azabu, Osaka, Novikov, Etaru, Kuro , and many many more. We were expecting a neighborhood sushi joint but after a sampling of a good portion of the menu can attest that Ke-uh is on par with some of the above names I've mentioned. I used to think that Makoto had the best crispy rice spicy tuna but we agreed that Ke-uh has a leg up with theirs.
Chef Oscar Noborikawa from Peru and Chef/Founder Carlos Delfino with Nobu pedigrees are the culinary talent responsible for the good food. I don't know how much the two are still involved with Ke-Oh but Executive Chef Edwin Delgado is responsible for this location and he also worked at Nobu and Tanuki prior to here. Co-owner Daniel Fernandez and his partners from Venezuela are the behind the scene backers with some staffing and operational assistance from Acqualina. The name Ke-Uh is a play on the Spanish phrase que hubo which means "what's up". In addition to the Weston location they are also responsible for Kazumi in Key Biscayne. Sai Jones is the Manager who makes sure everything is running well.
The wine list consists of about 36 bottles with 14 choices by the glass, from $14 glass/$55 bottle Prosecco to $40 glass $160 bottle Billecart Salmon Champagne. We started with a bottle of the Billecart which pairs so well with almost every dish. Here's what Alfie created for us:
Madai with dry Miso hand crispy garlic
Toro cilantro
Nori Taco
Truffle Edamame. This was the best edamame we've had, the truffle treatment and buttery flavor really made a simple dish special
Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice. Among the best and just the right size
Nigiri Madai
Salmon
Nigiri Tuna Avo
Botan Ebi
Scallops
2 Negi Toro
Eggplant Kushiyaki skewers
Beef Kushiyaki Skewers, not as good as the Makoto Wagyu Robata but for regular beef and only $12 excellent
Asparagus Kushiyaki
I realize most people don't eat like this, and you don't have to have 14 dishes and Champagne, you can eat quite reasonably here for a lot, lot less than our $500 bill for two including 18% service and tax. Our average dish was only $12-20 each. But if you want to have an epic experience or a special occasion you can create that here too. If you want the "Grand" experience I would recommend you ask for Alfie. He is the consummate professional server, he not only selected each of the best dishes, he served us creations that were not even on the menu, including a fabulous one with Osetra caviar. Not only that, he made sure the timing of each dish was perfect.
We are thankful that Ke-uh joins the limited fine dining options on Sunny Isles Beach and encourage you to try it whether you live close by or not. There is no reason to wait two hours for a table on a weekend night at Makoto when you can get food on the same level at a place before the crowds learn about it.