While splashy restaurants abound in South Florida, a new spot in Boca Raton is content to cause ripples. Named for the small yet ecologically essential minnow, Mino Omakase & Sake Bar delivers a refined dining experience rooted in Japan’s 72 microseasons, each marking the precise moment when certain ingredients are at their peak. The result is a meditative meal dictated by nature and sublime in its simplicity.
Mino is the latest concept from the team behind longtime Mizner Park fixture Kapow Noodle Bar. Leading the culinary charge is executive chef JM Canlas, the former chef de cuisine at Mila Omakase in Miami Beach. Working behind a 10-seat omakase bar—beautifully crafted from monkey pod, walnut, and bamboo—Canlas presents an ever-changing, seasonally inspired menu showcasing fresh fish flown in from Japan.
A recent meal began with an amuse bouche trio: a shiromi tartlet, a buri cylinder, and a lobster pie tee (a spin on a popular party snack consisting of a pastry shell filled with a savory mixture). The appetizer course featured shima aji with pichuberry in a shallow pool of apple-fennel dashi, as well as kengani (or horsehair crab) crowned with Kaluga caviar. The nigiri selection opened with citrus-laced bites of hirame and aori ika to awaken the palate, progressing toward more indulgent slices of chu-toro and o-toro. These notes crescendoed to a main of A5 Wagyu, augmented with luxe accents of sauce Périgourdine and truffle, yet presented with the restraint of a minimalist painting. Dessert arrived as a garden of individual crémeux in flavors such as yuzu matcha and ube macadamia.
At Mino, sake receives equal consideration, with David Kessler curating selections from small breweries across Japan. Each of Canlas’ creations is thoughtfully paired with sake or wine, culminating in a multisensory dive into Japanese hospitality.
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