Spicy-san
ANDRE SAKHAI• Spicy Hospitality Group
WORK • Thursday Routine
ANDRE SAKHAI • partner • Spicy Hospitality Group
Neighborhood you live in: Miami Beach
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Most mornings start at Le Specialità, our new restaurant in the Miami Design District. It functions as my unofficial office and meeting point since so many of our projects, partners, and walk-throughs are centered in that neighborhood. From there, I’m usually in my car on back-to-back calls as I move between meetings, tastings, and whatever else the day demands.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Everything has been focused on opening the restaurants YASU [opened mid-January] and KARYU [opened yesterday] in the Design District. I’m also deep in the development of two upcoming concepts in New York: Land Bar Artisan and Nikuya Tanaka. It’s a lot of shifting between cities and categories, but the goal is the same: ensuring each concept launches with clarity, precision, and a strong point of view.
Any bar or restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
The Joyce, another one of our restaurants in South Beach, is always in the rotation, because it’s where I check in with the team and sit down for a proper meal with friends. Lung Yai Thai Tapas on Calle Ocho is another favorite: fast, no-nonsense, and consistently great. The Taco Stand in Wynwood is usually in the mix; it’s simple and reliable, the kind of place you can drop into without overthinking it. Beyond that, my plans tend to blur between research and pleasure, visiting new openings, returning to neighborhood staples, and building nights around good food, good music, and whoever happens to be in town.
How about a little leisure or culture?
When I’m not in restaurants, I’m usually chasing some combination of art and movement. That might mean a few hours in a museum or gallery. I like to spend time in the Miami Design District, taking in installations and architecture as I move between meetings. On the wellness side, I’ve been into sound healing sessions, salsa dancing, and playing padel. Reserve Padel is often my morning reset before the day really starts.
Any weekend getaways?
I’m in New York often for quick 48-hour stretches built around meetings, meals, and checking in on what’s happening across the city. I usually stay at Fouquet’s in Tribeca, and most of my downtime revolves around food. Jeju Noodle Bar is a staple, Torrisi always delivers, and Yoshino remains one of the most precise omakase experiences in the country.
What was your last great vacation?
Kyoto. The city moves at its own pace: quiet, deliberate, and rooted in craft. Every meal becomes the itinerary, from formal kaiseki to tiny counter-only omakase spots you’d never find unless you stumble upon them. Chisake just opened and is at the top of my list for my next visit. I’m also heading to Qatar for Art Basel. Even when the trip is technically work, I carve out time to be a visitor, walk, eat, observe, and take in the city without an agenda.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
A Keita Morimoto piece, the latest addition to my art collection, and one I’d been considering for some time.
Where are you donating your time or money?
I support ICA Miami, where I sit on the board of trustees. Their commitment to emerging and under-recognized artists is important to the cultural fabric of the city, and supporting that ecosystem feels aligned with what we are building through our restaurants, spaces where people can encounter something new, think differently, and feel part of a broader creative community.