The former Versace Mansion (now a boutique hotel, The Villa, Casa Casuarina) on Ocean Drive will always be an attraction to anyone visiting Miami. And just last February 4, 2019, the popular New York-based Sushi By Bou, known for their experiential omakase inside clandestine hotel rooms, has made it its home– its first outside of Manhattan. Here in the 500-sq. ft. Gianni’s Suite, the dinner experience goes for 60 minutes. There are only four seats (six, if necessary) at a time, beginning from 5 PM until 11 PM. Priced at $125 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity (drinks not included), reservations are secured online at sushibybou.com. On the day of the dinner, guests “check in” by the entrance of The Villa Casa Casuarina (names must match that of the reservation), where they are handed a key card and escorted upstairs.
**Here’s a visual tour of the experience– I made a video for you guys so you can better envision the experience:
Guests are welcomed and received at a neoclassic lounge overlooking Ocean Drive, where they are presented a cocktail menu to unwind before dinner. (I highly recommend the Old Fashioned Pearl!) After about 10 to 15 minutes, they are escorted to the sushi bar, headed by chef Wenjie Lian, better known as “Chef Miami Mike.” (Trivia: He is originally from Fujian province in China- also where my family is from! He has been doing Japanese in New York for the last five years before moving to Miami.)
Within the hour, guests enjoy an energetic omakase experience of approximately 17 pieces (depending on availability)– everything from sushi staples of salmon, red snapper, flounder, blue fin tuna, yellow tail hamachi, salmon roe– sometimes seasoned with salt, sometimes with yuzu sauce, and sometimes done aburi-style (torched; my favorite!)– progressing to the more premium sea urchin, chutoro (medium-fatty part of the tuna), otoro (the best part of the tuna) and wagyu.
And though it’s only an hour, the pace is steady, comfortable and un-rushed. Just after the last bite has been ingested, chef Mike is adding the final touches to the next, and it goes on and on. Chopsticks are provided but guests are encouraged to eat by hand (a wet towel is provided to pinch your fingers clean after every course) and naturally, the plates are Versace— but of course!
The suite is also equipped with a self-service sake vending machine (this option is also presented when making a booking online) where guests can select three sakes for $30. Guests also have the option to add a sake pairing curated by sake sommelier Rick Zouad.
The dinners are spaced out such that there’s still time to enjoy balcony views of the beach and courtyard before the next set of diners are ushered in. But there’s more. A huge bonus is that after leaving the suite, guests can explore the former Versace Mansion, which includes an amazing observatory! (Unlike other hotels, guests can only enter The Villa, Casa Casuarina if they are dining or sleeping here.)
Overall, Sushi by Bou Gianni’s Suite is fun, delicious, unique and well-priced for the quality— my partner and I enjoyed our experience and happily recommend it. xx
Sushi by Bou Gianni’s Suite is located at the Versace Mansion at 1116 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, 33139. It is open daily from 5PM to 11PM. Seats are released one month in advance. Visit sushiybybou.com for more information. *
*Sushi by Bou is the brainchild of Michael Sinensky and Erika London of Simple Venue, a hospitality company which focuses on finding underutilized spaces within existing hotels and transforming them into experiential concepts.
