Ikigai Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Miami

I recently heard about Ikigai and decided to stop by on a weeknight. They’re still in their soft opening phase, so I expect there will be some refinements in the coming weeks before the official launch.

The space is spacious and inviting, with the ambiance of a traditional sushi restaurant.

Overall, the food was solid, especially the sushi. We ordered several nigiri, all of which were excellent—the fish-to-rice ratio was spot on, and everything tasted incredibly fresh. Some pieces were topped with yuzu kosho, but otherwise, the presentation was fairly traditional, lacking much creativity in how the nigiri was dressed. The uni was a standout of the evening.

We also tried the smoked hamachi plate, which was enjoyable but came topped with grated parmesan cheese—an odd choice that didn’t seem necessary. Another dish, the beef tacos, was disappointing. The bulgogi-style beef in peanut sauce inside a tortilla felt out of place on the menu, and its presentation wasn't particularly appetizing.

Seated at the sushi counter, we noticed that the nigiri came out very quickly. Personally, I appreciated the pace, but some diners may find it a bit rushed. One suggestion for the restaurant: provide warm towels for guests at the sushi counter—it’s a small touch that enhances the experience. Service overall was decent, though there are still some kinks to work out during the soft opening.

The final bill for our two-person meal exceeded $400, including tax and tip. Frankly, that feels steep for a local, no-frills neighborhood spot. While nothing about our experience was bad, it also didn’t feel like a $200-per-person meal.

That said, Ikigai is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, and I look forward to returning after the soft opening period to see how...

We came to check out Ikigai through Miami Spice, and were impressed before we even walked in the door by the offerings that they had for the special Miami Spice menu. Parking was easy in the garage right next door to the restaurant. Upon entering Ikigai, the hostess greeted us warmly and took us to our table. We asked if we would be able to sit at the sushi bar and we're quickly seated there. Our server Katsumi was very knowledgeable and a great addition to our entire experience. Both of us ordered the Omakase off of the special Miami spice menu and supplemented it with items on the regular menu and suggestions from Katsumi. Every dish was crafted with precision and beauty. The Sushi is all incredibly fresh, the selection of fish is diverse, and the skilled chefs put together some beautiful tasting plates. There's a bar on the right when you enter a large dining room in the center and on the left there's another room with some larger tables for private parties. The design and decoration of the restaurant is very tasteful. Although it was quite full when we were there it did not feel loud or overpowering at all. The owner, Jose, came by to introduce himself and check on us to ensure that we were having a great evening. The food at Ikigai Sushi Bar is incredible, however the nuanced aspects of the evening are what really made an exceptional night for us. The friendly, knowledgeable Katsumi, Jose's warm greeting, the choices of Sushi and the presentation were really great. We came to check the place out on a whim, and by the end of the meal we both agreed that we have found a Gem 💎, that we'll return to time and time again. Thank you Ikigai! Oh! I almost forgot to mention the matcha green tea...

I went with a group of my friends to this place to try the Miami Spice, I won’t lie the ambience and the environment is really nice and peaceful until it came to the food, I’d say for $35 I won’t expect much but for what happened is what I’m upset about. Firstly there was a bug that was swimming around my friends water that they charged us $24 for. I had my glass refilled once but we were charged $24 for 3 bottles of still water. We did not get an apology but instead the glass was just taken from us immediately and replaced, fine we let that slide, things happen and there’s always going to be bugs. Until I got my salmon bowl that had a piece of plastic in it. I gave the benefit of the doubt to be nice and just kindly let them know there’s a piece of plastic but then again they took it from me and offered me something else, again no apology or anything, and the piece of plastic was a sharp one. Our bill came up to $300 for 6 people which is an ok price but we were upset by the genuine lack of communication this resteraunt had. The food was also very mid, the yuzu whitefish we had was extremely sour and the eel bowl was drenched in sauce. Everything tasted like it could be made at home. Very...