We finally got back to Kojin after a shamefully long time (new parent life). Still my favorite place to eat in Miami. We were so lucky to sit at the counter and watch the kitchen in action. Chef's Tasting was out of this world, and our favorites still hit the spot (maybe even more?) with the Caesar salad and milk bread. I'd die happy if this was my last meal. Chef Pedro and Chef Katherine really make it the most welcoming atmosphere, the place is just a cozy & cool vibe, complete with a dash of fun at the end of the dinner. Service was friendly and knowledgeable with each dish and suggested drink pairings. We vow to return hopefully every season when the menu changes accordingly. Forever and always recommend :) read more

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I finally took advantage of Taste of the Gables to check out Kojin. My sister and I arrived a little before 9 p.m. and waited to be seated. The dining room is charming but small, the tables are tiny and packed very close together. I also wasn't a huge fan of the lighting, though I loved the minimalist, Asian-inspired floral centerpieces. They were out of the Albariño, so I asked our server to recommend something similar. He suggested a Riesling, but it just wasn't for me, so I switched to sake instead. In hindsight, I really wish he had mentioned it was $35 a glass. That was a pretty unpleasant surprise when the check arrived. Anyways, my sister & I decided to share a bunch of different dishes. To start, I ordered the Summer Salad and my sister got the Milk Bread. The salad was phenomenal, bright, fresh, and full of interesting flavors. The stracciatella added this creamy, comforting richness that tied everything together. The milk bread with miso butter? Absolutely insane. Easily one of the best bites of the night. We also ordered the Crudo à la carte. The presentation was beautiful, with flavored shaved ice keeping the fish chilled, but unfortunately the fish itself tasted overly fishy. We only had a bite or two before telling our server. His response was basically a shrug. No concern, no follow-up, no offer to replace it. For our mains, my sister ordered the Wagyu Striploin, which she really enjoyed. I went with the Maitake Donburi, and this was probably my biggest disappointment of the evening. I was expecting bold flavors, smoky mushrooms, and some contrast in texture. Instead, everything leaned overwhelmingly sweet. The mushrooms had no char, the rice itself tasted sweet, the egg was runny, and the entire bowl was covered in an almost sickly sweet sauce. It felt one-dimensional, and I ended up taking 2 bites before leaving most of it behind. Again, our server noticed and didn't ask if anything was wrong or if there was something else I'd prefer. It felt very much like, "Oh well." For dessert, we shared the Carrot Cake and the Chocolate Tart. Both were good, but neither really wowed me. My sister loved the chocolate tart, while I thought it was just ok. Overall, Kojin wasn't quite the experience I was expecting. The service felt surprisingly indifferent, especially when two dishes were sent back almost untouched. That said, the Summer Salad and Milk Bread were so creative and genuinely delicious that they're reason enough for me to give Kojin another shot. Next time, though, I'll be ordering very differently. read more

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Made a reservation about 30 minutes before dinner specifically for the tasting menu as I didn't want to have to choose want to eat for dinner. The location is pretty easy to get to, although I'm not quite sure about parking as I took a rideshare and got dropped off in front of the entrance. Upon entering this was a small quaint space, cute bar area and a cozy waiting area that also included a couch and a couple of chairs. I sat at the bar as it was just myself. Peter and April were wonderful in regards to their service and their conversation skills throughout the meal. The tasting menu had several items on it. All of them were absolutely fantastic. A couple of other reviews mentioned that they wish the portion sizes were a little bit larger and I'm not quite sure. Maybe they just have a larger capacity because I left absolutely stuffed. Each dish was explained very well with all of them having a combination of savory, sweet, umami, and the presentation skills were on point. The one thing that was a little bit interesting is seeing that this is an Asian fusion restaurant there were no chopsticks in sight using a knife and fork seemed a little bit out of place. I'm not gonna lie. As this was a tasting menu every course was timed out and at one point Peter and I were having a conversation and April informed me that the next course was gonna be on the way. I ended up having to eat a little bit faster than I would liked to make sure that I could keep on the chefs schedule. At the end of the meal they give you a token to redeem in the cookie gumball dispenser machine. I was curious about this as all night a guests departed. I saw everyone stop at the machine, deposit the token and get something out. April informed me that the plastic balls didn't have to be left there. You could take them with you as I could not eat anything else at the moment. Such a fun idea and nice parting gift as well as a nice memory for such a unique experience. I'll definitely keep this on my shortlist of places when in Miami and would love to come back to try any menu changes as I really enjoyed the variety and again not having to select specific items and being able to try multiple dishes throughout the courses that were offered. read more

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The food is excellent. Menu changes every month, and the chefs' efforts and attention to detail are evident. Solid and fair price point for food and wines. We highly recommend and look forward to going back regularly. read more

This was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had. If you're looking for terrible service, come here. The owner replied to my previous review saying they acknowledge me. LIE ! BIG LIE. Here's what actually happened. I came to the restaurant by myself on a Wednesday night. There was no host, so I sat at the bar. The bar was empty, and I patiently waited. Several servers walked past me, but not one acknowledged me. The restaurant wasn't even that busy. A server asked the man sitting next to me if he wanted another glass of wine while completely ignoring me. No hello. No smile. No eye contact. Nothing. The owner's reply is simply not true. Instead of admitting what happened, they chose to tell a different story. If they lie about this, they can lie about the food you are eating. I will never come back. Save yourself the disappointment and go somewhere that actually cares about its customers. read more

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After hearing only great things about Kojin, I finally decided to give it a try and it definitely lived up to the hype. We went during their special Taste of the Gables menu, which runs only for the month of July and offers a three-course meal for just $50 which is an incredible deal. We started with the Kojin Caesar and the Osaka Chicharrones. The Caesar wasn't your typical salad it had a unique twist that made it stand out. The chicharrones were crispy and flavorful, paired with a ranch/ onion dip that added a great kick. For our mains, we chose the duck which was on the small side but very taste and well cooked . We also got the maitake dish, which was like a mushroom risotto with apple. The flavors were unexpected but worked beautifully together was rich, earthy, and slightly sweet. Dessert was just as impressive. We had the key lime pie and the triple chocolate cake a d again both were indulgent and a perfect end to the meal. read more

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FOOD*SERVICE*VIBE As always, Kojin 2.0 fulfills all of the above. Great music sets a fun vibe, pleasant servers like Mike and Ashley, are attentive without being intrusive, and the spectacular food from Pedro and Katherine's kitchen is creative, delicious, and beautiful, The use of sauces, the char on chicken and cabbage, and the tender, moist, and scrumptious short rib are outstanding. read more

I was hoping this place met the hype from the Miami Herald review & Michelin mention, it didn't. I won't bother to detail all the disappointing aspects of our meals from our group of four including the tasteless fish and chicken dishes. The only items worth a strong mention were the summer salad and milk bread which were both outstanding. The desserts were average. Sorry but with the abundance of restaurants in south Florida, I don't see this place staying around. read more

The bread/rolls were delicious and the staff was very friendly and attentive. Unfortunately that's the end of the nice things I have to say. I went with 3 friends and only one enjoyed their entree. Even the deserts weren't good unfortunately. read more

Kojin was a great discovery as I walked by coral gables. The restaurant isn't that big. I didn't know what to expect but was blown away. It has small tables but seating is comfortable and soft music allows you to have a conversation. The staff is ever attentive even and knowledgeable about the menu and drinks. We started with a glass of sake and ordered most of the appetizers in the menu. The west coast oysters had a green sauce that was so tasty. The foie toast with the strawberry preserves on the bottom was to die for. The kampachi crudo just melted in your mouth. Oh and let's no forget the delicious and out of this world Osaka chicharrones with onion dip. I truly enjoyed every appetizer and can't wait to go back to try the main dishes. read more

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Food is amazing. You must try it. Service is also top notch. They make you feel at home while having a fantastic meal

We came here on recommendation for a birthday. We had a large party and made a reservation for a Thursday night. I struggled to find the restaurant from the street, but luckily there was plenty of parking on the day we went. The restaurant is super cozy with a very clean aesthetic. Most of us went with the "Detour" tasting menu. Part of the experience is that you don't know what the dishes are until they are placed in front of you. The attention to detail was phenomenal. Every dish's presentation was superb and was its own stand alone event. There were six dishes in total on the "detour" and all were fun or innovative and very different from each other. We enjoyed all of them, not one complaint among the 10 people present. The waitstaff, owner, and sous chef all were so attentive it really did make for a superb dining experience. read more

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A Miami Herald Miami Spice emphatic review is what led us to Kojin. First thought, how can The Herald even give this place an honorable mention? It is a lame attempt at a sophisticated meal. The restaurant is bare, not sleek-just bare with little ambiance and warmth. We ordered the Summer Salad and it was excellent. That's when we should have asked for the check and called it a night. The fish with chorizo and chicken were boring and tasteless; the sides were no better. Michelin mentions are becoming more and more difficult to take seriously. Coral Gables has a long list of phenomenal restaurants, this is not one of them. read more

In search for a different exposure we came to Kojin and were not disappointed. We had the Chef Menu which provided a wide range of flavors and texture with a satisfying experience. Having an early dinner provided the opportunity to see the staff and kitchen area first hand in preparations. The ambiance was relaxing and at no point did we feel rushed. The Sake selection happened to be limited as the restaurant ran out of two of the options but in no way was our Sake disappointing. As more dinners arrived Chef Pedro made sure to visit each table providing an opportunity to engage. Thank you! Will I return to dine ... of course. Small restaurant with a bigger personality. Enjoy! read more

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One of the most talked about restaurants in Miami and we finally got to try it. We went with their Detour menu for $95. Which includes 5 magnificent bites. Their bao bao is pure wow wow with a delicious short rib and crunch on top. The raw course was incredibly refreshing with a delicious fish (shima aji) swimming in a tangy gazpacho. It made me wonder why I haven't had more of the shima aji. The dumplings was the favorite course with a surprise bite. The black cod in a beautiful potato leek veloute, not sure what veloute is but if it has anything to do with this sauce, I wanted to lick the plate. Now the Wagyu... all I'm going to say it's Wagyu, it's tender and gorgeous and the chef stood it up with an amazing sauce on the side. I almost licked this plate too. The chef is genius. To end on a Miami Note a key lime pie. Kojin marks their one year anniversary, and though this is our first time trying them out, I know I'm going to be back to try more. PS: they're on Miami Spice this year so if you want to try them out for brunch or lunch. This is the move. read more

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My husband and I had heard incredible things about Kojin from both friends and clients, so we decided to make reservations for this past Friday night -- and it did not disappoint. From the moment we arrived, Chef Pedro was warm and welcoming. You can tell he's genuinely passionate about quality and creating an exceptional dining experience for every guest. We started with the chicharrones appetizer, served with a ranch and onion dip, along with the Kojin Caesar -- both were absolutely tantalizing and packed with flavor. For our main course, we each had the short rib, served with celery root purée, summer squash, and a short rib demi-glace. The meat was unbelievably tender and melted in our mouths. To end the evening, we shared the chocolate tart topped with miso caramel whipped cream -- decadent, rich, but perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. The service was equally impressive: efficient, friendly, and attentive from start to finish. This was easily the best dining experience we've had in the Coral Gables/Miami area in a long time. We can't wait to return! read more

Terrific experience! We ordered the tasting menu - best decision. Each meal was perfectly plated and scrumptious. The pumpkin dumplings and grouper were my favorite items. The waiter service was top notch and the owner even came to our table to check-in and offer some bonus treats. The menu rotates so I'll definitely be coming back, often read more

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the best place to be EVER ! food 5 ***** host ***** place ***** staff ***** very please will visit again FOR SURE !!!

Kojin is a true ode to what it stands for; a place to gather with family and enjoy a meal in the heart of the place, surrounded by the kitchen. Although there was a temperature mishap with one of our dishes, the chef promptly took care of this and replaced our current ones with fresh dishes, and provided dessert. The hospitality at this restaurant truly shines and I'm excited to be back once the menu rotates. read more

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Cozy intimate spot , easy to Park , great ambiance off the beaten path , chef dishes are an experience with exploitation of Japanese flavors , staff were incredible . Everything was chefs Kiss read more

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Amazing experience at Kojin 2.0! The food was excellent, the service was attentive, and they made our celebration extra special.

I was expecting Kojin to WOW Me, but instead my palate was over stimulated and not in a good way. We started with the Chicharrón plus added caviar appetizer, and it wasn't as mind blowing as I was expecting; it was like bag chicarrón from the grocery store with Ranch dressing, topped with Caviar. We continued with the Caesar salad and I could hardly eat it, because it was drenched with so much dressing and the fish flavor was very intense . I wouldn't recommend getting both of these appetizers together because they are both so rich and overpowering. Our entrees were better, we ordered the short rib, it was extremely tender and flavorful, I do wish instead of a bunch of greens they had added extra broccolini, just one piece wasn't enough. We also had the Maitake which is a really nice risotto but I believe it was made with farro and had a really delicious Maitake mushroom on top. Very unique and flavorful but also extremely creamy and rich, which was sort of the theme throughout every dish. The bread service was to die for, so good we eat the entire thing. We felt so saturated by the end of our meal that we simply couldn't order dessert so we opted for coffee and that was really horrible, worst macchiato I've ever had. Maybe we ordered the wrong things together, maybe our server should have given us better recommendations, and maybe when it comes to Kojin you are better off ordering from the tasting menu, that way your experience is perfectly crafted. The restaurant is nicely decorated , very intimate but I didn't appreciate the proximity between tables. read more

Kojin - New American Near Me - Coral Gables, Florida

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Sure, there's no shortage of great food in Miami. But Kojin is more than great food: it's memorable hospitality, inventive dishes (hello, foie donuts?), AND great food. I love that they offer three different tasting menus because sometimes they can be intimidating to me, and they also have an a la carte menu. I can confidently say after having had 90% of the a la carte menu, you can't go wrong with anything. However, you can't miss the maitake with rice porridge, the scallops, and the brown butter brioche. If you're a salad fan like me, get the Caesar salad. It's not like other Caesar salads. It's a cool Caesar salad. read more

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Best fusion food I've ever had, and it's in the heart of Coral Gables. Hip hop music (90s) to go with the great salad, and oyster chicken. Atmosphere is the type you'd just vibe out to. read more

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Chef Pedro is a genius with food, creating inventive and, more importantly, delicious food combinations. I've never been disappointed in a meal here. read more

One star due to the disappointing dishes and chef, who was completely unwilling to accommodate 1 pescatarian at our table who wanted to try one of the tasting menus - a simple modification of 2 plates would have accomplished this (no explanation as to why this was a hard no was given). And, to add insult to injury, our pescatarian tried to order 1 of the 2 pescatarian-friendly dishes from the main menu and was told it sold out! Overall, the food was unimpressive and their focus on customer satisfaction nonexistent. We did, however, like the wine pairing and service person who tried her best to navigate a difficult situation. read more

Probably the best restaurant in Miami. Chef Pedro Mederos is nothing less than brilliant. If you're all about food over flash, run, don't walk to this gem of a restaurant with mid century modern vibe. read more

Kojin - Best Caesar salad I've ever had. - New American Near Me - Coral Gables, Florida

Went with some friends in December and I was excited to try this restaurant with amazing hype and reviews. The reviews were spot on. This place is great. We each did the tasting menu with wine paired and each dish was perfection. Small space so reservations are necessary. Chef Pedro is fabulous and knows his stuff. His wife's desserts are incredible. I've tried many tasting menus and this one is top 3 for sure. Servers were so amazing and kind. This is absolutely a place to spend time in and talk with the servers and guests. If you are a true "foodie" add this place to the list. Will be back hopefully next month! Thank you Chef Pedro and team!!! read more

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This past Friday, I surprised my wife with the Chef's Tasting Menu where you get to watch the kitchen work. She immediately recoiled, and told me she had once walked through the kitchen at Bucca Di Beppo and had no interest in eating near a restaurant kitchen. I assured her this experience would be different. This meal was as good as any Michelin Star restaurant. The wine pairings were perfectly executed. Each dish was memorable. I thoroughly enjoyed every bite. My only suggestion is portion size. Some dishes should be split between diners, instead of each diner getting a full portion. I would also do the same with dessert; shared plate instead of individual. That being said, I ate every bite of what was served. I would tell you about some of the dishes, but hearing the flavor combinations before you take the bite is much more effective. Basically, I'm not giving any spoilers here. The Chef's Tasting Menu is a one time thing. I cannot foresee every doing it again. However, I definitely know I will be back to try everything on the menu that the poors order off of. read more

I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. The food & service & ambiance are all incredible!!! My husband & I always have the best time here!! We love the whole Kojin team so much!! The food is out of this world & you will never have anything like it!! read more

This is a shame that a vegetarian has to rate this restaurant because they will cater to vegetarians but it's not their forte. I had the yakisoba and enjoyed both the portion size and taste. It had a malty flavour to it that sets it apart from other yakisobas. For dessert I had the chocolate torte which was very, very good with a merengue topping. I would like to see a more expanded menu here. They do change their menu but it really is quite limited. Beautiful restaurant, minimalist but colourful. Street parking seems to be the only option in this area. Service was great, yes, great. It's Japanese/Asian fusion that is both interesting and a treat. They have an extensive wine option for those of you that drink. Would like to see iced tea and not just green tea here. The staff works together to ensure your happiness. Hoping to try dinner in the near future. read more

These guys have potential but they missed the mark with us this evening. We ordered the 6 course tasting and a bottle of white wine. Sat for about 30 min without any nibbles and felt hungry and neglected. The waitress did not bring an ice bucket, nor poured any of the wine during the evening. Some of the courses were not tasty (oysters were a no,). There was an interesting tofu dish and the fish was nicely done. The last savory dish was "grains" and seemed to be barley in a somewhat sweet sauce. Also a no. We did enjoy the desert. Some of the tables seemed to be getting better service and attention. The chef came over and apologized for the wait. We missed the last restaurant in that space (the lion and the rambler). Perhaps if we ordered off the main menu we would have enjoyed it more. The servers felt a bit amateur. There was definitely creativity in the dishes and I hope they get their groove. read more

I'm thrilled to have this spot open up in my neighborhood. Most inventive cuisine I've found in Miami. One if the few non-pretentious tasting menus in the city and their a la carte options are equally exciting. The service was surprisingly un-miami in a good way. Three of us dined and we managed to get out for under $100 per person. I'll 100% be back. read more

Kojin - New American Near Me - Coral Gables, Florida

Undoubtedly the best dining experience I've had in my life. The service - 10/10, better than michillen star/recommended places I've visited. I have forgotten how important this is because you don't get treatment like this anymore. Ambience/personality - not giving a out of ten because this is preference but its my favorite sort of place to eat (would be a 10 from me). High end/creative food with personal, light hearted service. Food - incredible, and given the fact that they've only been open 2 months is shocking. We got the tasting menu and everything was amazing, and 2 plates were worse but still great. The dessert and bread were also UNREAL. The best plates were the langostines, the egg custard thing and the raviolo, easily 10s. Most of the others were 8-9s, no standouts but delicious, presented beautifully and creative. The 2 worse dishes were the sashimi, which was just okay 5-6. The steak, had a beautiful sauce and perfectly cooked veg, but the steak itself, while being from a great butcher and very high quality wasn't my favorite, but I'm a pain in the ass when it comes to steak (I prefer grain and eat enough to know the difference, this would have put it over the top for me), and the plate was still a 7-8 if taken in its totality. If our experience was the norm, these guys are going to get very busy very quickly, so I'd recommend coming because I can't eat there enough to keep these guys in business on my own. Adding photos of just my standouts to not spoil the experience read more

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wow, wow, wow Thats all i can say about this new gem in coral gables. Food is exciting and pushed the boundaries of fusion in new and wonderful way. Love love the wine program - we had a few wines that truly paird well with our entrees. and can we talk about the Deserts??? OMG. MUST TRY ALL OF THEM. Love this place and cannot wait to come back. read more

Fantastic Fan #%%]^^ tastic. Miami needs more restaurants like this, warm and inviting dining room, without the annoying miami over the top flare. In addition the food is insane. The Caesar salad was unreal, the foie gras donut and key lime pie ice cream sandwich is life changing. Been twice in two weeks. read more

Kojin - Foie Gras Donut, key lime pie ice cream sandwich. - New American Near Me - Coral Gables, Florida

I have never left a poor review in my life as I usually opt for silence. However, how Kojin is Michelin Guide recommended is beyond me. Here's a short synopsis of my review: service and sommelier were great, food was depressingly average, and the price was not worth it. In short, spend your time and money at the multitude of restaurants in Miami that are actually worth it. Our table decided to try the tasting menus (9 course and 6 course) with the wine pairings. Unfortunately, not even the excellent wine pairings could save our dishes. We all shared two main critiques: every fish dish was overly fishy and other dishes just felt like we were eating creamy, fatty, oily, lard. In an effort to bring unique flavors, Kojin drowns dishes is whatever dressing, sauce, or oil the recipe calls for. We ordered the chicharrones (outside the tasting menus), but they were nothing more than store-bought chicharrones with a side of ranch. For dessert, the dishes weren't horrible, just not memorable. In addition, this "cozy" spot is just another word for cramped. Now, for us, if the food is average but the service is impeccable, the dining experience is saved. In a sad turn of events - despite the excellent service - the chef/owner visited our table with our next course. Rude, disrespectful, and an overstayer of his welcome, the chef truly soiled our dining experience. We are all for profane jokes and sarcasm, but there must be a line. Ultimately, in paying $1,300 for a dinner, an abrasive and aggressive interaction with the chef/owner is the last thing customers should receive. My only consolation for the chef being out on the floor is that maybe the food being awfully average isn't his doing. Perhaps the chef should stick to what he knows best as his bedside manner is simply atrocious. I allocate a star for our terrific waitress and sommelier. The totality of the rest of our experience prohibit me from allocating a good or even a "could have been better" review. read more

Because of the location & reveiws, i had high expectations. Sadly, I was disappointed. Caviar not fresh!

Kojin 2 is a NYC level (Brooklyn) cuisine experience. Probably our best dining experience in Miami including having visited some its hotter spots (usually left disapppointed). we had the full tasting menu and each serving was more delicious than the previous. Chefs are extremely passionate about their craft and truly deliver. No overhype or disappointmen. Enjoy! read more

Food and service was great. Out server Ashley was very sweet and attentive. Highly recommend the Cesar salad and maitake!