Sweet and spicy
$10M sales, YASU, KARYU, Valentine's Day chocolates & reservations, Kyoto, MORE
ABOUT FOUND • Help Wanted
FOUND Miami is looking to add new contributors with good taste to our mix. In particular, we’re seeking shopping obsessives who know Miami’s retail scene inside out. But those harboring any obsession about living in and around Miami, and the desire to write about it, are welcome. Hit reply, or email found@itsfoundmiami.com and tell us about yourself. We’ll follow up quickly.
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUNDLISTING
Modern maintenance
CUSTOM SKINCARE FOR EVERY FACE: Hi, I’m Rachael Gallo, chief operating officer at Silver Mirror Facial Bar and a nationally licensed master esthetician. From the start, my goal has been to bring science, personalization, and consistency to professional skincare, without ever losing the human touch.
Every Silver Mirror treatment is curated, tested, and backed by science to deliver effective, customizable facials for every skin type. Our 30-, 50-, and 90-minute facials are designed to support your personal skincare journey with consistent professional care, allowing treatments and routines to evolve as your skin changes over time. Real results come from regular treatments, expert guidance, and an approach rooted in consistency.
This approach is what led us to develop our Silver Mirror Skincare line, which has been created by our expert estheticians after years of treating our guests. The esthetician-backed line ensures the progress you make with each service extends beyond the four walls of our facial bar to your at home routine.
→ Book a facial to start your skincare journey at any of our Miami locations (Brickell, Coral Gables). [spon]
MIAMI RESTAURANT LINKS: Celeb chef Todd English to lead private residents-only restaurant at Bentley Residences Miami • Contemporary Italian restaurant and private club Seia plans March opening in Brickell • Palm Beach sandwich shop Buccan sets spring debut in Coral Gables • Italian workhorse grape Trebbiano ready for star turn • In defense of the 530p dinner reservation.
ASK FOUND
In response to the query, “Which gym are you joining?” a subscriber replies:
“LEGACY in Little River! Best gym and super motivating.”
A recent query about coffee also brought a FOUND reader reply:
“Best coffee in Miami is Suite Habana Cafe in Wynwood. Their cold brew has complex notes of caramel with a chocolate finish.”
Here now, three fresh PROMPTS for which we seek your immediate attention:
Where are you ordering flowers from for Valentine’s Day?
What’s your go-to spot for jewelry repair?
What’s your Keys or Caribbean getaway hotel of choice this winter?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundmiami.com.
WORK • Thursday Routine
Spicy-san
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.
GETAWAYS LINKS: French-East Asian restaurant Bar des Près debuts St. Barts outpost • Banyan Tree opening two new DR resorts • Capitol One lounge access changes take effect this week… Amex says Centurion Lounge access rules will change in July • Fractional home ownership company Pacaso launches invite-only exchange for $5M-$20M homes • Private jet operators are transforming hangars into luxe enclaves.
REAL ESTATE • Market Reports
In the big leagues
The ultra-luxury real estate market saw broad and substantial growth in 2025, with 2261 properties trading hands above $10M — a 30% increase over last year, per the Compass year-end Ultra-Luxury report. The top 10 markets accounted for 71% of all sales, with Palm Beach County in the 3rd slot, and Miami-Dade in 4th.
The full top 10:
Manhattan NY • 398 sales (30%)
Greater Los Angeles CA • 292 (54% YoY)
Palm Beach County FL • 193 (46%)
Miami-Dade FL • 173 (14%)
Orange County CA • 121 (13%)
Silicon Valley & Peninsula CA • 98 (1%)
The Hamptons NY • 93 (83%)
Southwest Florida FL • 85 (18%)
Aspen CO • 58 (41%)
San Diego CA • 66 (18%)
Among markets with at least 10 transactions, Central Florida was the sixth-fastest growing with 17 sales (+89% YoY), and Broward County was the 20th fastest-growing with 27 sales (+29%).
Some other emerging markets: Boston notched 20 $10M+ sales, almost 3x last year’s number. Marin County (CA) also almost tripled up with 17 sales, Greenwich (CT) notched 38 sales (124%) Jackson Hole tallied 33 sales (120%), Cape Cod 14 (100%), Greater Seattle 26 (53%), and Lake Tahoe, Incline & Reno 34 (34%).
MIAMI WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Ken Griffin and Steven Ross team up to lure more companies to South Florida • Aston Martin Residences developer accused of fleecing owners • Compass tapped to lead sales at Raleigh Miami Beach • How to bring the luxury hotel bedroom home • You should keep a ‘brag book’ at work • Quiet Fridays are gaining steam.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Big Mon Night
Jazz v Heat • Kaseya Center (Downtown) • Mon @ 730p • sec 107, $175 per
Built to Spill • Culture Room (Ft Lauderdale) • Mon @ 730p • GA, $68 per
New York Philharmonic Quartet • with Alexander Fiterstein (clarinet) • Coral Gables Congregational United Church (Coral Gables) • Mon @ 830p • GA, $44 per
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Valentine’s Day, chocolates
The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best. Paid subscribers have access to the complete Nines archive.
Garcia Nevett, South Miami sister act, handcrafted w/ 100% fine Venezuelan chocolate using European technique
Dandelion Chocolate (above), Bay Area-based chocolatier, single-origin bars and bonbons, plus new chocolate-dipped Japanese-style strawberries
Fruition Chocolate Works, Hudson Valley gem making phenomenal, ultra floral single-origin bars and more
Melissa Coppel, bonbons and haute candy bars crafted by former L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon chef
État de choc, serious and playful bars packed w/ chili corn, miso, more
Black Jaguar Chocolate, Nicaraguan cacao made into fruity bars, flavors like passion fruit and kiwi
Dark Matter Chocolate, Dark Matter Coffee offshoot known for petite bars made from Mexican cacao, highlighting unique terroirs
Goodnow Farms, the cashmere of chocolate
Vigdis Rosenkilde, nuanced floral chocolates, only 2 ingredients and premium Peruvian beans
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Valentine’s Day, restaurants
9 restaurants worth booking.
Bouchon Bistro (Coral Gables), Thomas Keller’s à la carte Valentine-inspired menu includes Coeur en Chocolat for dessert, reserve
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to FOUND Miami to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.




