Creators of a Miami Michelin-starred restaurant just opened a new spot in Little Havana

The creators of the Michelin-starred omakase spot Hiden have opened a new upscale restaurant on Calle Ocho in Little Havana.

There’s no nigiri on the menu, however. The new arrival is Bistro 8, a Mexican restaurant from Showa Hospitality with a bit of a Michelin Guide pedigree of its own. Chef Pancho Ibañez, formerly of the internationally-famous restaurant Pujol in Mexico City, which earned two Michelin stars and is frequently listed on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, will lead the kitchen.

Located next to the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Sanguich, famous for its Cuban-style sandwiches, Bistro 8 is the third concept in Miami for Showa Hospitality, which also owns The Taco Stand, the laidback taco spot that diners pass through to get to the speakeasy-style Hiden.

The hospitality group also owns out-of-town spots Torien NYC; Convoy Music Bar in San Diego; Himitsu, Comedor Nishi and Showa Ramen in La Jolla; and Sushi Tama in Tacoma.

Designed by Minoru Oyamatsu of Oyamatsu Design Studio Inc from Tokyo, Bistro 8 is 1,700 square feet and seats 40 in the dining room (there are also 10 bar seats). The look is colorful, airy and bright, with a sound system built by Kazunori Taguchi of Taguchi Craft in Japan with speakers built from Arctic birch trees aged between 70 and 160 years.

The food, though, is most likely to be the draw. Ibañez, who also acts as Showa’s director of culinary operations, is from Xalapa in Veracruz, Mexico, and he has worked for a variety of Mexican hospitality brands. His menu, however, will incorporate French culinary traditions and also highlight Latin comfort food.

Menu items include chuletas de cordero (lamb chops with mashed potatoes, fermented lemon, chile morita jus and carrots); cangrejo (King crab, brioche and salmon roe); and pollito en escabeche (roasted chicken). There’s also a butterhead lettuce salad with green beans, green peas, roasted almonds and Parmigiano, which falls under the restaurant’s motto of “simple but not easy.”

The cocktail menu places an emphasis on agave and grains, aiming for sophistication.

Bistro 8

Where: 2069 SW Eighth St., Miami

Opening: Jan. 10

Hours: 5:30-10 p.m. Wednesday-Monday (closed Tuesday)

Reservations: Resy

More information: bistro8miami.com or 305-456-4543