Making LOVE to a big, hot, juicy bowl of ramen at Hayato Miami, inside 1-800-Lucky in Wynwood and tasting some delicious unicorn ice cream, too. P.S: isn’t my camera purse cute?
If you wanna try amazing, mouth-watering, slurp-worthy #RAMEN, Hayato Miami is one of the hottest tickets in town. The authentic ramen restaurant, located inside 1-800-Lucky, Wynwood’s famed asian food hall, hails all the way from Kagoshima, Japan. So, how did that happen?
About 20 years ago, Kagoshima & the Magic City entered into something called a “Sister Cities Pact” — an exchange of cultural and commercial ideas — #HayatoMiami is one of the yummy results of that initiative. Which makes trying its food all the more exciting. #WhoKnew & #HowLuckyAreWe?
Making it even more intriguing — Hayato is modeled after its original location in Japan: “Satsuma Shimuja,” which happens to be located on Miami Avenue. Yes, there’s a Miami Avenue in Japan. You can’t make this stuff up! I guess you could say, it’s #MeantToBe. Okay, okay, enough of my fact-finding reporter skillzzzz…
I started my #Spotlight experience with a refreshing Chiran-Cha Green Tea, a specially imported blend from Kagoshima, where the rich soil and mild climate is apparently the #bombdotcom when it comes to growing tea leaves. If you’re more of an adult beverage kind-of person, there’s a full bar just a few steps away, where you can get whatever your heart desires. 🍹
I’ve never tried a “Japanese Cucumber” but it’s the perfect starter; soaked in a sesame salt sauce. If you want something more decadent, try the “Steamed Buns” (choice of pork, chicken or tofu.) I went with the marinated pork and got the Jalapeño pickles to add even more personality to the plate.
The great thing about the menu at Hayato Miami: they keep it simple, serving only a handful of items, which means they have it down to a science. The first ramen I tried was an ode to their namesake city: KAGOSHIMA SPECIAL…
It’s base is a thick, delicious pork broth and comes with wavy thin noodles; it’s swimming in cabbage, burdock, carrots and seaweed. Toppings include scallions, sprouts, mushrooms, a seared half-boiled egg and extra Chashu Pork (pork belly braised in soy sauce, sake and mirin.) Speaking of…
The CHASHU BOWL, an alternative to ramen, is perfect for the meat lover, stacked high with rice, pork, egg, lettuce, scallions, seaweed & Sichuan peppers. My favorite of the day was the mind-blowing KEY LIME RAMEN, made with a citrus-y key lime juice. It was clean, delicious and perfect for the health-conscious eater.
After my tasty lunch, I headed out to the garden to make good on a dessert invite from Taiyaki Miami. The ice cream truck serves up some of the most enchanting & whimsical waffle cones I’ve seen in a long time. Taiyaki is a Japanese fish-shaped cake made out of red bean paste, which is what the cones are made of. Really, that’s too much information, all you need to know is — it’s #amazeballs. I went for the cheeky unicorn cone and smiled from ear-to-ear when it was being made and in-between gobbling it up.
1-800-Lucky has a great energy, but it’s unique essence is generated by the glorious restaurants it houses, like Hayato Miami. Not only does it serve incredible ramen, it delivers a rich cultural experience that’s definitely worth trying and that’s why it’s one of my Favorite Things.
Hayato Miami inside www.1800lucky.com
143 NW 23rd Street
Miami, Florida 33127
Sunday-Thursday: 12pm-12am
Friday-Saturday: 12pm-3am
Be Social:
IG: @hayatomiamiramen
FB: @HayatoMiami
Twitter: @HayatoMiami
Ice cream: @taiyakinyc in the garden of @1800lucky
jumper: @touchdolls
camera purse: @aldo
booties: @zara
Hair & Make-up: Odett Hernandez
Digital Editor: Jessie Neft-Swinger
Editor: Matthew “Japanese Cucumber” Auerbach