Move over Faena. There’s a new jaw-dropping testament to South Beach glam on the island, and its name is Rivani. The new Lincoln Road office development is about as subtle as a gold-plated Maserati, complete with sandstone art, accented elevators, and a bar with ice imported from Japan. Over-the-top? Sure. But we’d expect nothing less from a building that invented its own class of office space.
Bar Shishi, a sleek, stunning, Japanese-inspired cocktail lounge from ice-carving master Kevin Lee, opens today at Rivani. If you don’t know the name, know that he’s forged a reputation in LA chopping away at frozen spheres and hosting cocktail omakases with flights of fernet made from different strands of farm-fresh mint. But the bar is more than an ice carving show. It’s the kind of quiet, hidden place that will be a haven from the madness once season arrives. And it definitely shows you’re a local in the know when you meander upstairs.
I understand importing fish from Japan, but ice? Kinda seems like overkill.
And this is why Kevin Lee is the only ice-carving master outside Japan, and you, friend, are not. Lee explained that the water in America has about 300 mineral parts per million. Fine for drinking. Not so great for ice carving. The water he imports has around three parts per million after it’s filtered. This makes for a far more solid ice block and allows for more precise carving. It’s like working with granite versus clay for a sculptor.
The scene: An elegant adventure. After you’ve made it through Rivani’s ornate lobby, take the elevator to the third floor. Once there, stick your hand in the mouth of the lion head on the wall, wait for the green light, and enter through a metal door. A hallway of whisky lockers leads you into the main bar, dotted with only a dozen seats. Small velvet banquettes line the outside, ideal for behind-closed-doors business drinks, and snuggle time with that special someone else.
What to eat and drink: The cocktail menu comes in a fun pull-out accordion, which I encourage everyone to read thoroughly before ordering. Lee also gained fame for using lots of farm-fresh ingredients, and his drinks at Bar Shishi are no different. The Cosmic Funk uses fresh passionfruit juice, mixed with suntory haku yuzu vodka, okinawan rum, calpico, mandarin, and sfumato. The Acid Hues adds mango to Japanese strawberry gin, mezcal, lime, and Thai chili bitters.
If you’re spending other people’s money, there’s the $100 Hakushu 12-year Old Fashioned, served atop a hand-carved sphere with flaming aromatic bitters. It’s Lee’s latest effort to make the world’s best Old Fashioned, and if you’re into Japanese whisky this may be worth the C-note.
Food-wise, you’ll find a small selection of Japanese staples, just enough to get a bite if you don’t want cocktails on an empty stomach. Think hand rolls, maki rolls, chicken karaage and wagyu katsu sando. You could make dinner out of it, but this place is best experienced for drinks.
Don’t miss: The ice carving. Lee should be in town once a month. And if he is, watching him work is mesmerizing. It would also give your mother an anxiety attack.
Perfect for: Impressing. Business drinks. Drinks with people you shouldn’t be having drinks with.
Expect to pay: About $30 a cocktail. You ever try importing ice from Japan? It ain’t cheap.
How’s the parking: The valet is a show, but if you’re not up for dropping the price of a drink on parking, the 17th Street garage is a manageable seven-minute walk.
@barshishimiami // 1691 Michigan Ave., Suite 322, South Beach