"The chef here introduces this salad as his take on a Flanigan’s caesar—if it studied abroad in Japan and fell in love with nori. The fact that they’ve given the salad an entire fictional backstory is already a good sign. It starts with buttery whole lettuce leaves mixed with nori, trout roe, and dried bonito. Then it’s blanketed with a snowstorm of shaved parmesan. This is a fancy caesar that can proudly stand side by side with the foie gras, crudo, and parmesan foams on Kojin’s menu." - virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer
"Editor's note: Kojin is currently closed, and working on opening a new location. You can keep up with their Instagram for the latest info." - Carlos C Olaechea
"It’s hard to pin down the food at this small restaurant on Ponce—a place where Japanese flavors and modernist cuisine meet. It’s easier to say who this food is for: people who create scrapbooks from restaurant menus and get excited about espumas. If you’re one of those people, come here for the $150 tasting menu, one of Miami’s most exciting ones. It’s an eight-course meal full of totally unique dishes like tuna cut into noodles, dry-aged squab with its leg stretched out like a can-can dancer, and a truffled cheese starfish you have to drown in fluffy foam to enjoy. It’s all visually mesmerizing, but Kojin also backs it up with incredible textures and flavors. They have a la carte options as well, but some of those dishes are hit or miss, so come here ready for the full tasting menu experience." - virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer
"Kojin 2.0, the latest from chefs Pedro and Katherine Mederos, has opened in Coral Gables after a successful Little River pop-up. The 30-seat spot in the former Eating House location offers three tasting menus: a six-course starter for $85, a 12-course option for $145, and a premium all-inclusive menu with wine pairings. Daily-changing dishes have featured carpaccio with fried Capers, maitake mushrooms with wild rice porridge, and langoustines in brown butter sauce. An a la carte menu includes the Kojin Caesar, brown butter brioche with truffle honey butter, and Niman Ranch short rib with curry." - Laine Doss
"Chefs Pedro and Katherine Mederos are back with Kojin 2.0 and it's not just the Coral Gables location that's new. This iteration's contemporary menu has clear Japanese influences and whether you swing for the tasting menus or order a la carte, expect bold cooking that takes risks while delivering approachable dishes. Foie toast—rye bread topped with a round of goose liver ganache and a dot of strawberry preserves—captures the culinary spirit of this place, where you may encounter equally creative dishes like bone marrow panna cotta finished with a stunning house-made coffee shoyu; a savory-sweet goat cheese cavatelli in a thick butternut squash sauce; or a creamsicle ice cream sandwich." - Michelin Inspector