Kyu

If you dined at the old version of Kyu, which seemingly 98% of Miami did, reentering the renovated space feels eerily familiar. The walls are still a sleek stone gray, but it’s now cramped with tables, the music is loud, and the lack of windows feels more noticeable in the bunker-like space. However, it’s still exciting to have Kyu back instead of just our memories of its roasted cauliflower and coconut cake. Especially once you’re greeted with a whiff of the familiar magic going on in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, this euphoric state does get interrupted by the realities of Kyu’s new space: crowds of antsy guests gathered at the entrance, and intense noise levels from the music and neighboring conversations. It's a frantic scene old Kyu regulars probably aren’t trying to sign up for. Relief comes when the food arrives. The hamachi crispy rice oozes creamy wasabi like an eclair, and the crunchy fried chicken bathes in chili butter you too wish to be bathed in. The roasted cauliflower is still good, but the new (star)ch is the sweet potato, a Kyu classic that we must have missed the first time around. It’s a ballet of flavor: sweet, salty, and creamy. The food’s still delicious, but, like everything in Wynwood, it now comes with a side of emotional fatigue.

photo credit: World Red Eye

photo credit: Courtesy KYU

photo credit: Courtesy KYU