Category Archive for Art + Design
Miami South Beach: Best Japanese sushi & seafood restaurants! Katsuya, Blue Ribbon, Ocean Grill. Balfour Hotel.
I think you can tell…. I had a hell of a time hanging out around Miami Beach!
In addition to relaxing on the famous shores, travelers flock to the South Beach district for its glamorous hotels, electrifying art scene, and creative restaurants.
After a long and locked-down winter, I was ready to indulge in my favorite cuisine: local seafood and Japanese sushi, which are two of the city’s specialities. If you’re as fond as I am of fresh fish, then read on for my guide to my favorite Miami Beach restaurants! (Blue Ribbon Sushi, Ocean Grill at The Setai, and Katsuya.)
For the first portion of my recent trip, I did not leave the Miami Beach area (staying at The Balfour hotel, located in the quieter South of Fifth area). Since I came before the rowdy March spring break — see my first dispatch with tips — Miami Beach was uncrowded, and I got to enjoy the sand and waves in peace.
The surrounding palm trees and brightly-painted lifeguard towers give Miami Beach a 1980s retro vibe. (I often felt like I was in the 80s B-movie, “Miami Connection”!)
From South Beach, all you have to do is walk a few blocks to find some of Miami’s most stylish and well-reviewed sushi restaurants.
For one of the city’s finest Japanese dining experiences, make your way to Katsuya Miami. Located inside the SLS South Beach Hotel, the restaurant was designed with modern cinematic flair by Philippe Starck (sleek furniture, high ceilings and oversize Japanese portraits).
Katsuya is helmed by master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi, who opened the first location of his eponymous restaurant in Los Angeles (1997). Paying close attention to his clientele’s taste preferences, Chef Katsuya created a bold new style of cuisine that mixes Japanese tradition with laid-back California flavors.
Katsuya Miami showcases his signature fresh and modern Japanese menu. The chef pioneered the Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna (far right) that is now copied by many restaurants. However, nothing comes close to Katsuya’s version, which has a buttery umami and slight crunch as the finely chopped ahi melts in your mouth.
I was also swept away by the flavors of the charred shishito peppers (with yuzu yogurt, and still-moving bonito flakes), and tangy scallop tiradito.
In addition to its cocktail classics, Katsuya has an ever-changing drink menu with clever presentations (mine came in a lucky maneki neko cat!). The cocktails feature unusual Japanese spirits and ingredients such as ume (plum) whiskey, mizu craft shochu, shishito melon shrub and sencha tonic.
And then, there’s the acclaimed sushi. Katsuya Miami’s knowledgeable servers are terrific at walking you through the daily selection. I recommend letting the staff know your preferences, and going with the chef’s selection of the day. You’ll end up with a personalized sushi and sashimi menu like above, which included anago (saltwater eel), thick cuts of hamachi, sweet amaebi (shrimp), giant ikura roe that bursts in your mouth… Katsuya South Beach was a meal to remember.
If you’ve booked a Miami Beach hotel, keep in mind that parking is in short supply and expensive. For the first few days of the trip, I walked or took short Uber rides, and stayed entirely within the district. However, I never lacked things to do in SoBe, or grew tired of dipping my toes in the Atlantic Ocean.
And I simply had to visit my idol… Miffy the X-mouthed bunny! These kawaii statues by Tom Sachs are located in front of the W Hotel South Beach. He created a giant white-cast bronze of Hello Kitty, and turned Miffy into a crying fountain (yes, those are tears spurting out of her eyes and into the water… how emo!)
He also made a cheeky rendition of My Melody, Japan’s Sanrio bunny character.
After my pilgrimage to the Tom Sachs Miffy Fountain, I walked to the nearby Ocean Grill at The Setai for a luxe lunch with a beachfront view. The raised and covered dining deck lets you take in views of the palm trees and ocean, while as you dine on fresh-caught seafood prepared on a wood-fired grill.
We started with the best pina colada I’ve ever had (I mean it!) infused with rum, coconut, pineapple, and fresh mint leaves. The “Greek Samurai” with honey liquor, yuzu sake, and fresh lime juice was a perfect balance of tangy and sweet.
I think the high quality of the ingredients at Ocean Grill Miami comes through in the photos. (I’m shooting with my brand new Sony a7 IV mirrorless camera.) For an appetizer, we shared the burrata di bufala cheese with local vine ripe tomatoes, balsamic, and arugula.
As a seafood lover, it was hard to choose from the many tantalizing options on the lunch menu, including fish tacos and Chilean sea bass. We went with the server’s suggestion: a boneless whole branzino fish, and combination of scallops and shrimp — charred on the signature woodfire grill, and served with grilled vegetables and sauce vierge (French salsa). Healthy and delicious.
To end the meal, how could I resist a Whiskey & Coco Cream cocktail served in a coconut imprinted with The Setai’s logo? I’d come back in a heartbeat for another open-air meal by the beach at Ocean Grill.
If you ask me, there’s nothing like dining on seafood, sushi and sashimi after a day at South Beach. (If you come right in early March before the spring break rush, you’ll get unobstructed views like these.)
After the sun set, I enjoyed the finest ocean flavors at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill — a Japanese restaurant with locations in several US cities. Blue Ribbon is known for its bright and inventive dishes; the teamwork at the long sushi-making bar sums up their vibrant approach to Japanese cuisine.
Once again, I recommend asking for the chef’s choice, and letting the server know your favorite flavors. The dishes that arrive will delight and surprise you: marinated thinly sliced usuzukuri, blue fin tuna with ponzu and garlic chips, and sashimi with a mix of fresh fish from Japan.
You can also let the bartender know your cocktail preferences, and they will mix up a custom drink with Japanese spirits. This top shelf Japanese whiskey and fresh orange concoction was exactly to my liking.
I loved the presentation of the kyushu aji, or Japanese horse mackerel, served two ways (first, you eat the sashimi belly. Then, the spine is fried for a crunchy finish). Blue Ribbon also has an extensive menu of hot dishes, such as their famous fried chicken and vegetable rice.
Blue Ribbon Sushi Miami has an enormous dining space including a glamorous lobby bar, a sushi bar that lets you watch the chefs, two indoor dining areas, and covered outdoor poolside seating (which was my choice.)
Scallops, salmon, amberjack, tuna, and more… the nigiri and rolls were phenomenal quality.
For dessert, a Floridian specialty with a Japanese twist… Yuzu key lime pie (and longtime readers know that’s my favorite flavor of all time!). Taste the tangy creaminess for yourself at Blue Ribbon Sushi, located in the restored Plymouth Hotel at South Beach.
I stayed at The Balfour Hotel, which turned out to be the ideal Miami Beach home base. The historic Art Deco hotel is fully renovated — I have fond memories of walking up the spiral staircase to the rooftop at night, and taking in views of the surrounding buildings and stars (or UFOs?) above.
The Balfour (formerly known as Room Mate Lord Balfour Hotel) has a small and photogenic plunge pool, which lets you cool off during the hottest hours of the day.
The easygoing and friendly staff at The Balfour were always happy to help (such as when I requested to heat up my leftovers). The hotel’s location is conveniently located on the cultural Ocean Drive and across the road from the ocean. Yet it’s in the quieter South of Fifth area of Miami Beach, meaning you won’t be surrounded by crowds and nightclubs.
Designed by architect Anton Skislewicz in 1940, The Balfour is classic Miami Art Deco with its warm pastels and stucco details. The rooms are set out in a “U” shape, with a quiet inner courtyard / pool framed by palm trees.
The Balfour Hotel is also home to Mehzcla Restaurant, which serves Latin food with South Beach flavors. The kitchen is open late, allowing me to relax with room service after my evening check-in. I think I ordered very well: sweet plantains with smoked agave and cotija cheese, chaufa rice with vegetables, and citrus-miso glazed salmon anticuchos! The bartender also made me a custom yuzu sour cocktail.
Life is short… so I’m doing my best to spend it poolside when I can. (Wearing serpent print tights from Sock Dreams, and a Flynn Skye Carla mini dress with a flower print.)
Although The Balfour is a historic hotel, the rooms are updated with new furnishings and tech amenities. Every morning, I made tea using the machine included in the room.
Love the glowing facade at night. I recommend booking a stay at The Balfour boutique hotel if you want to be in Miami Beach, but away from the pumping club music and raucous crowds further up towards South Beach.
I only had to walk a minute from the hotel to be at the beach. No wonder Miami is associated with synthwave; the pastel-painted lifeguard stations have an 80s vibe.
The beach area near The Balfour (South of Fifth) is much less crowded than further up north where partygoers convene.
You can also walk along Ocean Drive to see the famous Art Deco architecture. (This was my second visit to the city; I was here years ago for Art Deco Weekend.)
Art is everywhere around Miami Beach. Every January, the city hosts Art Basel to showcase exciting talent.
Although this district is known for being pricy, there are many free activities as well. I swung by Miami Beach Botanical Garden, which has free entry and is located by the convention center. It includes a Japanese garden…
… and the enormous palm leaves. At Miami Beach’s botanical garden, you can see an eclectic collection of native Florida plants and tropical flowers.
The urban green space is a playground for lizards and butterflies.
I leave you with a few final snaps of “Emo Miffy”! The crying bunny character was created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna, while My Melody and Hello Kitty are by Japanese company Sanrio.
The sculptures were executed in cast bronze by Tom Sachs in 2008. He recontextualized the cute mascots into all-white works of art.
Finally, I wanted to share my latest podcast interview with Cemetery Confessions on The Belfry Network. In the words of host Dani Ashes, “We talk about how to travel around the world as a Goth, Satanism in Japan, the Satanic Panic and more with the astute, multitalented La Carmina.” You can listen to the leading Gothic talk radio show on any podcast app, Spotify, or YouTube.
I also contributed to several articles on Yahoo and Huffington Post. I give travel expert advice on how to vacation on a budget, make the most of your airport departure date, get over the post-vacation blues, and more.
And I’m waiting for Japan to open to tourists… I created a Twitter Community for “Japan Travel: Traveling Tips” to provide info about Japan tourism and visas. Anyone is welcome to join it here.
Are you planning any trips for 2022? How do you feel about traveling nowadays?
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Kaws: What Party! Street art sculptures exhibit at Brooklyn Museum. Fotografiska New York, Tom of Finland photos.
Party on, Kaws! Very glad I took a leap and went to NYC last summer. Travel is increasingly difficult to plan these days…
I spent my time in New York outdoors and at museums (I’m playing it safe, and keeping masked and distanced). One of my favorite memories: seeing the pop-perfect street art exhibit “Kaws: What Party” at Brooklyn Museum.
You may recognize Kaws’ skull-headed and X-eyed Companion: the cute character features prominently in his artwork and merchandise. In this 2021 exhibition, his newest figures have distraught poses and emotions, which reflect our era of disease and collapse.
Read on for my review of Kaws: What Party, as well as a tour of the Fotografiska NY, which has become one of my favorite museums in Manhattan.
Outfit credits: Botanic mini-dress by For Love and Lemons, shoes Anthony Wang,
The Brooklyn Museum greeted me with a “Yo”! It’s easy to arrive by subway from Manhattan; the museum is at the corner of Prospect Park, near the Botanic Gardens. Look for an enormous Beaux-Arts building built in 1895, which holds 1.5 million works of art.
(PS: You can find my sunglasses and other clothing from my wardrobe for sale, on my @lacarmina Depop shop.)
The Brooklyn Museum contains both ancient and modern works, and has rotating exhibits starring leading contemporary artists — like Kaws. In the lobby, guests are greeted by a giant wood statue of two Companions, posing arm-in-arm. (Masks and timed entry tickets are required.)
(My off-the-shoulders dress is by For Love and Lemons. More dresses from this designer below:)
Also known as Brian Donnelly, Kaws is a Brooklyn-based artist famous for his cheeky twists on cartoon icons and pop culture.
His cute characters include Companion (left), a Mickey Mouse type figure with X-ed out eyes and skull-and-crossbones features. On the right, he also created Chum (a spin on Michelin Man) and BFF (who looks like Sesame Street’s furry Elmo).
The Brooklyn Museum’s enormous galleries were perfect for showcasing Kaws’ bright and bulbous characters. Many spaces seemed set up for Instagram, reflecting the theme of blurred lines between art, consumption and appropriation.
(Photos by Joey Wong)
Kaws: What Party includes the artist’s works in all sizes and media, including life-sized sculptures, from the 1990s to today. Here is Gone Companion Grey, carrying BFF Pink.
Kaws’ cute yet subversive characters are (not surprisingly) immensely popular in Japan and Hong Kong, where they feature in a variety of vinyl figures, fashion, and other collectibles.
Kaws decapitates The Simpsons, mixes up the XX-eyed heads and seats them back on their iconic couch. Fine art, mass culture, or a bit of both?
He puts similar spins on The Smurfs, Peanuts, SpongeBob, Star Wars, Pinocchio, Astroboy, and Sesame Street.
Kaws works with bright flat colors and simple shapes, which are unexpectedly resonant. Pretty much anyone can recognize these Simpsons characters from the top of their heads alone. (I added my long purple hair to the mix.)
Kaws (Brian Donnelly) produced poignant new works for his What Party retrospective at Brooklyn Museum. The crying “Separated” statue reflects our days spent in isolation, while “Tide” shows Companion struggling to stay afloat in a dark ocean.
The uncertainty of 2020 inspired “Urge,” which shows Chum with hands all over his face. The 10-canvas piece is colorful and humorous, yet communicates the fear of touching and spreading disease.
It’ll be interesting to see how lockdown and instability will inspire works from a generation of artists, like Kaws.
No hugs or touching. No eyes for him, no mouth for me!
(My Botanic floral embroidered nude dress is For Love and Lemons, see more below:)
Kaws has collaborated on a number of vinyl toys and other collectibles. Quite fitting that his Star Wars figurines are a hit (as the film series has perhaps the most successful merchandising ever). Darth Vader and Stormtroopers get the Companion treatment, with strong attention to detail and textures.
On the left, his Gang sofa is a collaboration with Brazilian artist, Estudio Campana. Many kids grow up sitting on the couch watching Sesame Street, so why not sit on stuffed toys of Ernie, Bert, and more?
On the right, Blue BFF has a wooly texture and looks like Elmo from the children’s show.
Kaws started out as a graffiti artist, tagging his name around Brooklyn and NY. What Party includes some of his earliest works such as manipulated poster ads, as well as pencil sketches of his kawaii characters.
Kaws is sometimes described as a pop artist. Is this a snap from the museum’s art exhibition, or the gift store catalog? And is there a difference?
The “Flayed Open Companion” comments on whether there is anything substantial beneath the glossy surface. (Looks like there are some guts and sinew involved.)
Snoopy and other Peanuts characters get deconstructed. Uniqlo released a popular clothing and plush toys line with Kaws, which again breaks apart the hierarches of art and commerce.
The pink entryway matched my Botanic Strapless Dress in Nude Floral dress, by For Love and Lemons. More designs below:
Although I was glad to travel again, there remain so many fears and ups-and-downs, with no end in sight. Kaws’ sculptures reflect the zeitgeist; quite a few are slouched or bawling.
The Michelin-esque Chum is usually depicted running, or in poses that convey energy.
Now, the party is over. Chum is bright red and bows his head in a stoic posture, reflecting the disillusionment and stand-still of our times.
I particularly loved Kaws’ Godzilla-sized works. The exhibit included video of a 121-foot-long inflatable Companion, who floated on his back through Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour in 2019.
When Mickey Mouse faces disarmament… This one is called “The Nature of Need.” (Kaws once worked as a cartoon background illustrator for shows like Daria and Doug.)
The Kaws show has now closed, but there are other exciting exhibits on the horizon at Brooklyn Museum.
In addition to contemporary art, you can easily spend a day here seeing African, Asian, Islamic, classical and other works from various centuries.
Many Kaws vinyls have become rare collectibles. Above are concept drawings, and a Holiday Space silver figure.
Kaws scaled new heights by sending an astronaut Companion to space (well, the stratosphere) in a sounding balloon. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Follow me to Brooklyn Museum for encounters with art that will leave you feeling inspired.
(The bright yellow Oy/Yo sculpture by artist Deborah Kass stands at the entrance, and is oh-so NY.)
And now… follow me to the Fotografiska NYC, one of best photography museums on the planet. The ever-changing installations focus on boundary pushing photographers from diverse countries and backgrounds.
I was keen to see “Tom of Finland: The Darkroom” — a collection of portraits that served as reference images for his iconic homoerotic drawings.
During the mid-century, Tom of Finland (aka Touko Laaksonen) risked imprisonment for his art, as homosexuality was considered criminal. He courageously took photos of gay men in uniforms, rubber and fetish gear, staring defiantly at the camera.
Perhaps you’ve seen his racy and highly masculinized drawings, which he had to hide during most of his lifetime.
As the Fotografiska puts it, “Tom’s depictions of queer culture thoroughly challenged contemporary society, and solidified his place as one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.”
Each floor of the museum highlights a different photographer. This one was dedicated to “Miles Aldridge: Virgin Mary, Supermarkets, Popcorn” — displaying his vivid, cinematic photos from the past 20 years.
Miles is known for his stylized portraits, often with celebrities as the models. He shoots exclusively in film, and is a talented colorist with a knack for bringing out acidic hues.
Miles’ imagery often hints at a sinister underbelly to the flawless facade of domestic bliss.
On each floor of the Fotografiska New York, you’ll discover a photographer with a distinct and thought-provoking point of view. Pixy Liao: Your Gaze Belongs to Me was a personal favorite.
The Chinese artist challenges our ingrained notions of gender and gaze, in a series of self-portraits with her submissive Japanese boyfriend. (This one is called “Start your day with a good breakfast together” — how can you say no to that!)
In the exhibit, Pixy Liao (aka Yijun Liao) shares photos from her ongoing project called “Experimental Relationship.” She stares at the lens, and portrays herself in dominant roles next to her younger male partner. The images are a warm, playful and often surreal subversion of gender expectations.
Pixy Liao’s films are equal parts entertaining and provocative. She created a “breast spray” bottle, inspired by a woman who robbed a store by shooting breastmilk into the cashier’s eyes.
Pixy explains, “When the breast is shooting out milk, it is both feeding and attacking, which are almost opposite behaviors. My boyfriend is enjoying/accepting/enduring the milk coming out.”
In her words: “What will happen if man & woman exchange their roles of sex & roles of power? Because my boyfriend is Japanese, and I am Chinese, this project also describes a love and hate relationship.”
“I am interested in the mundane life, in finding things and making fun of it, liberating it from what it is.” Hail Pixy Liao!
At the Fotografiska NY, even the elevator is an opportunity for expression. The funky wallpaper and seats are an extension of Hassan Hajjaj’s exhibition.
The British-Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjaj has been called “the Andy Warhol of Marrakesh.” He shoots vibrant portraits in a mash-up of street style, couture, kitsch, and urban culture.
“Vogue: The Arab Issue” features Marrakesh locals wearing traditional Moroccan clothes, but in eccentric patterns and color combinations, along with faux designer label insignia. The result is a joyful celebration of personal expression.
Hassan’s works come to life thanks to the staging, which includes picture frames made from Moroccan canned goods, and an energetic soundtrack.
Each floor’s design captures a different feeling. Adrienne Raquel’s Onyx takes an intimate look at exotic dancers, documenting sisterhood, self-transformation and strength in a world that is typically stigmatized.
The dark lighting and booming dance music makes you feel as if you’re inside Houston’s Club Onyx, where she shot these photos. Raquel’s photos reveal the fantastical glamour of the industry, as well as candid moments with the women both on and off the stage.
Every time I visit the Fotografiska NY, I discover new photographers that leave a powerful impression. If you’d like to see more, check out my article about my 2019 visit to the museum, as well as this review of the Fotografiska in Sweden.
Victory-fingers for art museums in New York. A last look at my outfit that day — wearing Anthony Wang platform sandals, and a dress by For Love and Lemons (click for more below):
PS: My latest travel article has dropped on Fodor’s Travel, with more to come. Read about 15 monuments around the world that hail the sun, including ancient sites in Egypt, Cambodia, Thailand, India, and Mexico that I’ve visited. Thank you for reading!
Finally… if you’re in the mood for a devilish dinner… The Satanic Chef (Adam Dodge Ostrofsky) published an impressive Satanic cookbook called “Devil’s Food!” It’s filled with creative recipes with a dark twist — from Dracula Red Velvet pancakes to long pig ribs. With full color photos, and stories about his work with The Satanic Temple, and more — find the book here.
I’m wearing a fuzzy pastel blue crop top by Fashion Chingu — They have an enormous selection of stylish clothing inspired by Kpop stars and K-idols! I’ll be featuring more of their fab designs soon. (And dreaming of going back to Seoul sooner rather than later…)
LA CARMINA
