| | Thrillist Miami Tuesday September 1, 2009 Konexpress
Opens Fri: 445 Espanola Way; South Beach; 305.420.5809
Foreign concepts can also flourish stateside: Survivor was originally a hit in Sweden, and Japanese kids loved their Tamagotchis, the very gigapet you let choke on its own pixelated poop. For a sushi concept huge in Brazil now hitting South Beach, head to Konexpress.
A bright, simple counter-service/to-go resto devoted to overstuffed Brazilian/Japanese handrolls, Kone employs a cred-decked sushi chef from Blade, and comes to the States thanks to a Brazilian who worked in similar, crazy-popular joints in Rio, and assumed Americans might dig the concept, too -- once you like Menudo, they figure you'll like anything. Though "kones", or handrolls, are the mainstay of the menu, there're also starters like tuna or salmon that's been cut into small chunks, floured, and fried, as well as salads like the Ipanema (mixed greens, crab, cucumber, mango), and the Smoked Salmon, with said fish tossed with greens, Brie, almond, and a lemon herb dressing; they've also got some classic rolls like the House, w/ salmon, cream cheese, and mango, topped with avocado, cashews, and beets -- which you must've been feeling, or why else would you've danced on a table wearing someone's else hat? Kones come in Simple (salmon or tuna with rice, chives, and sesame seeds), Complete (add cream cheese and rice crispies), and the Copacabana (rice, crab, cucumber, chives, mango); they're also slinging hot kones like shrimp tempura with rice, masago roe, and Japanese mayo, and one with roasted salmon, cream cheese, rice, and chives called the Hot Philadelphia, which offers the best mix of hits from yesterday and today.
They've also got kone-shaped desserts, like huge sugar cones stuffed with Nutella & fresh strawberries; future plans include hybrid sushi like Thai kones done up with shrimp and Sriracha -- the very sauce responsible for your gigapet's stifling volume of pixels.
Check out all the kone-shaped manifestations on the menu
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