By Kelsey Mulvey
What makes a vacation memorable? For some, it’s the modern comforts of a spacious suite or fluffy bathrobe. Others might point to the luxury of a lazy day, ideally spent poolside or at the beach. But for Chefs Oscar Noborikaw and Edwin Delgado, the magic of vacation lies in those multisensory moments. After honing his craft at Nobu, Noborikawa opened Ke-uH at Acqualina Resort & Residences with founder and part-owner Carlos Delfino. Delgado, another Nobu alum, later joined the location as Executive Chef.
As a fusion restaurant, Noborikawa and Delgado bring the unparalleled precision of Japanese cuisine to Sunny Isles Beach. However, with a helping of local ingredients, the duo gives time-honored classics a sense of place—one that unmistakably feels like a restaurant in Miami Beach. Ahead, Noborikawa and Delgado take you behind the kitchen to share their culinary process.
You’ve spent much of your career making sushi. What is it about Japanese cuisine that appealed to you?
Chef Edwin Delgado: It was the simplicity. It’s very classic, and I really liked that it was a skill with a knife. It’s the way you cut the fish and the way you treat the fish. I’m originally from Colombia and I couldn’t believe raw fish was eaten when I came here. And then I tried it. The fish was so fresh and the taste was unbelievable. But it’s also a skill: Not a lot of people can say they can do it, and it takes a lot of training. I’m very particular when it comes to nigiri. Even when I’m teaching, I have to tell everyone the proper portion of rice, how to press it, and how many times you need to move the rice around with the fish. It’s a skill and you need to learn what’s very important.
Ke-uH is ultimately a Japanese fusion restaurant. How do you bridge the gap between Japanese cuisine and the essence of restaurants in Miami Beach, Florida?
Chef Oscar Noborikawa: We are not a very traditional Japanese restaurant, but we always respect how we take care of the ingredients. Miami has a mixed culture, so we try to have a menu that goes with a little bit of everything. For example, jalapeño and cilantro are ingredients that very traditional Japanese dishes don’t have. So we have a little twist, but we always try to keep the very essence of Japanese cuisine.
How does the in-dining experience help enhance Ke-uH’s menu?
Chef Edwin Delgado: Since we’re close to the beach, we have great views of the ocean and outdoor dining in Miami Beach. The décor is very nice: It has a simplicity, but is very comfortable.
Chef Oscar Noborikawa: Sitting outside with the ocean view gives you a very luxurious and romantic setting. We try to give all our guests the best experience with delicious food and excellent service. There’s nothing better than having a very nice dining experience with unique elevated dishes.
It might be a challenge to choose your favorite dish, but what’s one thing all guests should order?
Chef Oscar Noborikawa: For the rolls, I love the chirashi roll. It has three different kinds of fish inside—tuna, salmon, and hamachi—with shiso leaf, which is a kind of Japanese mint flavor. It’s topped with ikura, or salmon eggs, and comes with a spicy ponzu sauce on the side that goes very well with the fish. For a hot dish, it’s spicy honey shrimp, which comes with a little bit of jalapeño jelly and walnuts.
Chef Edwin Delgado: We serve a lot of the salmon truffle pear. We wrap the pear with the salmon, then we add yuzu truffle oil and truffle salt. The dish is finished with micro cilantro and a little bit of radish.
What do you hope guests take away from a meal at Ke-uH?
Chef Oscar Noborikawa: We hope that you’re going to think about the time you came to Miami as a tourist and remember the seafood you ate while enjoying beachfront dining in Miami. It can be a great combination in an amazing, luxury hotel.