MIAReview
Included In
Wynwood is cursed. The chaotic neighborhood takes things we enjoy—like street art and mini golf—and makes them expensive, optimized for the algorithm, and emotionally draining. That’s what happened to Kyu, one of the first restaurants that made us excited about eating in the neighborhood. Our city’s infamous art district swallowed it whole and regurgitated a fully assimilated Wynwood beast.
Kyu closed for nearly two years of renovations and repairs in 2022. And if you dined at the old version of this broadly Asian wood-fired restaurant, which seemingly 98% of Miami did, reentering the renovated space feels eerily familiar. The walls are still a sleek stone gray and you can still see straight into the kitchen. But now, tables are crammed together, bathrooms are inconveniently located behind the busy bar, and the space’s original minimalism has been replaced with what can only be described as an upscale dungeon.
photo credit: World Red Eye
photo credit: World Red Eye
photo credit: World Red Eye
Kyu's acoustics mimic the inside of an MDCPS middle school cafeteria. The indecipherable soundtrack clashes with 60 separate conversations that bounce off the flat walls. No matter how much you inch forward, you can’t hear your server describe the sheer volume of the short rib. And that’s a shame because food is the only reason to come to Kyu now.
Most of Kyu’s original dishes are still delicious. But like an aging third baseman, all of Kyu’s old hits are better than its new ones. The corn ribs are overcoated with a yuzu aioli that would work better as a dipping sauce on the side. And the “krunchy” kale is sprayed with a yuzu fish oil at the table in an attempt to distract you from the fact that you’re eating $15 kale chips. The famous coconut cake may have met its match with the cardamom doughnuts—possibly the only new menu item worth ordering.
photo credit: Courtesy Kyu
If you’re going to eat at Kyu, do it with four of your loudest friends (the ones that refer to their mom as “bro”). Nearly every item on the menu is portioned for a party of four, like the hamachi crispy rice that’s injected with wasabi cream filling and eats like a delicious Japanese eclair. Or the fried chicken that sits in a pond of rich, spicy chili butter.
Kyu is no longer the safe and consistent Wynwood option it once was. It’s become this noisy vessel with tables packed like sardines and servers pacing left and right like ants around a sugar cube. Maybe it’s not entirely Kyu’s fault. It still feels like a quintessential Wynwood restaurant. But that's no longer a compliment. Like the old Wynwood, we just really miss the old Kyu.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Courtesy KYU
Roasted Cauliflower
Hamachi Crispy Rice
photo credit: Kyu Miami
Pastrami Steamed Buns
photo credit: Courtesy Kyu
Korean Fried Chicken
photo credit: Courtesy KYU
Beef Short Ribs
photo credit: Courtesy KYU