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Yuga Restaurant
Modern Presentation
With Traditional Flavors
“Japanese people dine on small dishes that are usually shared at
the table.”
By Rayme Samuels
With an endless
selection of restaurants to choose from in trendy Coral Gables, Yuga
Restaurant proudly demands attention. Opened in the summer of 2006,
this eatery specializes in modern Japanese cuisine. An unassuming
concrete building serves as the gateway to an Oriental delight.
The menu provides a
disclaimer that “Japanese people dine on small dishes that are
usually shared at the table.” Order a few dishes and share with
friends, if you can manage to part with your selection.
Offering lunch and
dinner, Yuga boasts colorful options for your taste buds and
extensive wine and sake lists. What they don’t boast are Japan’s
traditional uncooked treats: Everything on this menu has felt the
heat of the kitchen.
Soy-lacquered duck
salad, reasonably priced at $12, is a combination of marinated duck
breast served over field greens drizzled with a cherry-hoisin
dressing. The Seared Beef Tenderloin is pan-fried and served with
tamarind steak sauce and spinach for $19.
For those who are
interested in complex carbohydrates, have a look at the Rice and
Noodles menu. Cha Soba, a cold green tea buckwheat noodle, serves as
a great side dish for $6. Kudos to Chef Chika Abe for breaking the
mold with some innovative menu items: Lemon-Black Bean Prawns ($14),
Satoimo Tofu Crepe Rolls ($8), Organic Chicken Rolls ($10), etc.
Abe runs his family
chain of restaurants that includes Izakaya Restaurant in Coral
Gables and Lan Pan-Asian Café in Kendall.
Yuga Restaurant is
located on 357 Alcazar Ave., Coral Gables. Lunch is served 11:30
a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and dinner is served 6 to 10:30
p.m. Monday to Saturday. Yuga is closed Sunday. All major credit
cards are accepted. Call 305-442-8600 or visit
www.yugarestaurant.com.
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