Meet Alvaro Perez Miranda | Art dealer and restaurateur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alvaro Perez Miranda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alvaro, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I decided to start my own business, my goal was to successfully combine art and food, and of course to add the hospitality component which ultimately makes it unique. Initially, I wanted to be an artist and painter so I went to art school in Italy and while I was there I was really exposed to the culinary world. I wanted to learn about the regional cuisines and wines and soon after ended up moving to Los Angeles to continue my education. I ended up dropping out to go into the restaurant business and wanted to combine both of my passions. All of the restaurants I’ve been a part of have all been very-art driven.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
JAFS LLC. owes and operates Japanese restaurants in Miami, our business is about quality versus quantity and to give an authentic experience as you were in Japan. At my latest project Hiyakawa, I wanted the restaurant itself to be an art installation that creates a warm and cozy atmosphere. The food is truly authentic and gives diners the impression they are eating in Japan. The overall experience is very reminiscent of what you would find in Ginza or even New York.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Every morning you can find me having breakfast at Suite Habana Cafe in Wynwood so I would definitely take friends there. My go-to order is the overnight oats, flat white and freshly squeezed orange juice. For lunch, I would probably go to Mr. Mandolin. I love the solo swordfish skewer kebab and greek salad with tzatziki. Mandolin is also great for lunch and I love their grilled branzino. The lamb is fantastic as well. For dinner, we would go to Boia De and have the Pappardelle with rabbit and polenta — it’s my absolute favorite. We would pair it with a nice bottle of wine and a great beer. Sometimes, I go to Pinch Kitchen for dinner and order the burger with a glass of pinot noir. If we wanted a nightcap and to sip cocktails, I would go to SoHo House on the beach and have the Picante, it’s a spicy tequila cocktail. All of my friends know I’m an art dealer so they would want to see what’s new at the galleries. I would go to Mindy Solomon Gallery because I love her taste in ceramics. The artists she has are amazing and I collect ceramics. We would definitely go to the Perez Museum. I’m very lucky because I have my own gallery, Black Ship Moment, and I can

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This shoutout is dedicated to a person I have known since I was 19 years old, Mr. Joseph Suceveanu was my first boss and mentor in the restaurant business. He’s been to Hiyakawa and it was so great to show him my latest project and how far I’ve come over the years.

Website: www.hiyakawamiami.com

Instagram: @hiyakawamiami

Image Credits
Alvaro Perez Miranda by Alexandra Pedregal Restaurant images by Michael Pisarri