AUTHOR BIO: Brandon Chase is a Miami personal injury attorney who has a deep knowledge of wine and food, built by marrying into an Italian family. Email him here.
From the moment you step inside Mika, it’s clear that this is not just another Miami opening—it’s a transportive experience. Inspired by the effortless glamour of the French and Italian Riviera, chef Michael White has created a dining room that feels at once elegant and deeply inviting. Earth-toned walls glow softly under warm lighting, while sculptural olive trees dot the space, lending a sense of Mediterranean calm that instantly slows the pace of the evening. It’s the kind of room that encourages lingering—over wine, conversation, and plates meant to be shared.
White’s presence here is significant. A James Beard Award–winning chef, he has long been regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Italian cuisine in the United States. His résumé includes helming some of New York City’s most celebrated Italian restaurants, most notably Marea, where his refined, seafood-forward approach earned widespread acclaim. At Mika, that same discipline and respect for ingredients is unmistakable, though interpreted through a Riviera lens that feels perfectly suited to Miami.
Little gem caesar
Service at Mika mirrors the sophistication of the space without ever feeling formal. Our waiter, Alfredo, struck that rare balance of attentiveness and ease—guiding us through the menu with confidence, offering thoughtful recommendations, and pacing the meal flawlessly. His presence elevated the evening in a quiet, almost invisible way, allowing the food and conversation to remain center stage.
The food is where Mika truly distinguishes itself. We began with the tuna and caviar on milk toast, a deceptively simple dish that delivered extraordinary depth. The bluefin tuna was luxuriously fatty and saline, the caviar adding briny bursts of intensity, all anchored by impossibly soft, subtly sweet milk toast. Each bite felt indulgent yet precise.
Hamachi with yuzu vinaigrette
Then came the standout of the evening: spaghetti with lemon butter sauce, topped with caviar and sweet blue crab. As someone who spends time in Italy every summer and has eaten pasta extensively throughout the country—from seaside trattorie to Michelin-starred dining rooms—this dish was genuinely unrivaled. The balance was impeccable: bright but not sharp, rich but never heavy. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, the sauce glossy and restrained, allowing the sweetness of the crab and the salinity of the caviar to shine. It was, quite simply, a flawless primo—the kind that reminds you how powerful simplicity can be when executed at the highest level.
Spaghetti with lemon butter sauce
Bone-in ribeye
For the main course, the bone-in ribeye arrived cooked to perfection, with a deeply caramelized crust and a tender, juicy interior. It was confident, disciplined cooking—nothing extraneous, nothing forced—just excellent technique and respect for the ingredient.
Greek yogurt panna cotta
Mika succeeds in delivering an experience that feels polished yet soulful. Between the Riviera-inspired setting, Alfredo’s impeccable service, and a menu shaped by one of the most accomplished Italian chefs of his generation, Mika feels poised to become a Miami classic—quietly luxurious, deeply satisfying, and well worth returning to.
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