NaiYaRa

Chef Bee, one of the Best Thai Restaurants in Miami, a well-known figure in Miami, brings Thai street food to his chosen hometown of South Beach, replacing wandering carts and dubious vendors with an open kitchen and knowledgeable staff. The renowned tom khagi, a creamy chicken and mushroom soup in a coconut broth, and popcorn shrimp are two standouts on the menu; both are exquisite small plates that pique the appetite for robust, rich dishes like massaman curry and the well-liked pad Thai. The cocktail menu at NaiYaRa is a little more brazen, with spirit-forward concoctions made with a variety of Thai herbs and spices.

Do you even eat Thai food if you haven't heard of Chef Bee by this point? Chef Bee first captured our attention with Oishi Thai, but it was NaiYaRa at Sunset Harbour that really had us in awe. The menu makes a very Miami-esque homage to local Thailand in a low-key establishment dressed to SoBe norms. Look around you: there are columns covered with Thai periodicals and newspapers, Indonesian teak tables, hand-painted murals of elephants, and hanoi baskets transformed into dangling light fixtures. The menu follows suit as Bee adds a modern spin to the Thai street food of his youth with dishes like fried garlic bok cabbage, beef jerky with a woody nahm jim jao sauce, and spicy and sweet chicken wings, among others.

Google Rating: 4.7/5.0
Address: 1854 Bay RdMiami
Phone: 786-275-6005
Timings: Mon–Sat 6–11pm, Sun 5–11pm
Website: naiyara.com