26 Sushi & Tapas
Our Review By Hero Traveler @eastendtaste
Offering a one-of-a-kind Kosher culinary experience in Surfside, just north of Miami Beach, 26 Sushi & Tapas is a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant that is 100% certified Kosher, and also considered to be one of the Miami dining scene’s best kept secrets. Guests will be treated to a delightful fusion Japanese-Peruvian cuisine known as ‘Nikkei’ that originates from Peru. Nikkei cuisine dates back to the late 19th century when Japanese migrants immigrated to Peru. Over time, the Japanese immigrants influenced the cooking style by blending Peruvian ingredients and Japanese culinary techniques by cooking with the abundant seafood on the Peruvian coastline, introducing conceptual dishes made with scallops, eel, and mussels infused with Latin American flavor and spice.
26 Sushi & Tapas offers indoor and outdoor seating, as well as an expansive bar, perfect for their ‘After Hours’ Happy Hour specials throughout the week including a Mojito Monday two for one from 9-11pm, and Mimosas two for one all day on Sundays. A casual and friendly ambiance complements the exceptional waitstaff that are always on hand whenever you need them. Don’t forget to ask them for their menu recommendations as our waiter was spot on with our experience!
The menu is quite vast, offering plenty to explore and countless ways to mix and match to create a unique, immersive experience. We ordered the following dishes during our visit for brunch on a Monday morning:
Crispy Lady: crispy rice, spicy tuna, spicy mayo, scallions, sesame oil, jalapeño, masago, salted almonds ($25)
Los Marlins Tacos: hard corn or soft flour tortillas, corvina fish, red cabbage, lettuce, diced tomatoes, cilantro aioli ($18)
Causa Krab Tower: savory potato mash, aji amarillo, lime juice, avocado, dynamite, rocoto aoili ($15)
Ceviche Three Times: a trilogy of their most popular ceviches- salmon, corina, and tuna with leche de tigre, aji amarillo, ponzu, glazed camote, avocado ($28)
Karate Kid: tuna, avocado, scallions, masago, aji amarillo, topped with salmon ($16)
Tower Roll: spicy tuna, crispy onions, masago, sweet shiitake, rocoto aioli, sweet sauce, topped with avocado ($22)
Tropical Roll: tuna, salmon, dynamite sauce, kiwi, aji amarillo, guava, tropical sauce, rocoto aioli sauce, topped with tuna ($25)
My personal favorites were the Crispy Lady and Karate Kid specialty roll. The sushi rolls are very satisfying and in my opinion, one roll could be split as an appetizer among two to three guests. Their sushi rolls are unbelievably ‘dynamite’ and I would highly recommend coming here late in the evening to have a cocktail and some sushi would make for the perfect cap to the day. We already look forward to coming back during our next visit to Miami to try even more momentous plates.
Side dishes include quinoa, jasmine rice, wakame, mixed mushrooms, rustic mashed potatoes, fried sweet plantains, and more.
Notable desserts on the menu include a White Chocolate Lava Cake ($14), Panna Cotta ($12), Churro Poppers ($12), Craquelin de Manzana ($12), and Cracquelin de Chocolate ($12). The craquelins are their famous profiteroles. For this season’s dessert menu, don’t miss tasting their Strawberry Pavlova served with whipped cream and the sinfully creamy Goat Cheese Ice Cream which we just want to run back for! As a dessert complement, a variety of Nespresso beverages are served such as cappuccinos, latte macchiatos, iced macchiatos, bonbonsitos, and ristrettos.
26 Sushi & Tapas serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner Sunday through Thursday from 9am-10:15pm, Friday: 9am-2:30pm (closed for Shabbat), and Saturday from 9:15pm-11:45pm. Happy Hour is available Sunday through Thursday from 5PM to 9PM.