September 11, 2026
Each Friday, we try to compile South Florida food-related news and events that we couldn’t fit on the site earlier in the week, as well as other local news that piques our interest. Want to be included in our next roundup? Shoot us an email at bark@miamifoodpug.com.
La Mar Pops Up at JARANA
Reopening This Fall: Havana Harry’s
New Menu Items at Fuku
La Mar Pops Up at JARANA
For four nights only, La Mar is returning to Miami. This Hispanic Heritage Month, acclaimed Peruvian chef Diego Oka will reunite Miami diners with some of La Mar’s most beloved flavors through La Mar Nights, an exclusive, reservation-only dining experience hosted at JARANA at The Abbey at Aventura.
Taking place every Saturday from Sept. 19 through Oct. 10, La Mar Nights offers the restaurant’s loyal Miami following a special opportunity to experience its cuisine once again while the brand prepares for its next chapter in the city.
Oka’s connection to La Mar spans more than two decades and several cities, beginning with the original Lima location and continuing through La Mar kitchens around the world. In 2014, he brought that experience to Miami, opening and leading La Mar’s Brickell Key location throughout its celebrated 11-year run and building a loyal following among local diners. That legacy continues today, as La Mar is planning its return to Miami, with additional details to come.
“La Mar holds so many memories for Miami, and I wanted this menu to feel personal, joyful and familiar,” Oka said. “These are some of my favorite dishes, the flavors I love and the dishes I’m most excited to share. Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect time to celebrate where we come from and the Peruvian cuisine that continues to bring people together.”
Guests will be seated in an intimate, exclusive area within JARANA accented with thoughtful La Mar touches, including signature-inspired placemats, glassware and floral arrangements. The experience begins with complimentary chips and ají amarillo sauce, followed by a daily amuse-bouche and a three-course tasting menu, including:
First Course (family-style)
Causa Crab — Beet causa with king crab, avocado, smoked trout roe, huancaína sauce, cherry tomato and quail egg.
Tiradito Lujoso — Japanese hamachi with blue crab chalaca, avocado, smoked trout roe, radish and roasted peppers.
Cebiche Chifa — Peruvian trout with pickled vegetables, cilantro, scallions, sesame oil, peanuts and crispy noodles.
Second Course (individual)
Conchitas Oka — Oka’s take on the classic, featuring two grilled jumbo scallops with 24-month-aged Parmesan, Parmesan foam, lime and garlic crumbs.
Third Course (family-style)
El Achupado — Bucatini with grouper, calamari, octopus and shrimp in a chupe sauce with rocoto, tomatoes and huacatay.
Whole Fish — A 1.5-pound crispy, deboned yellowtail snapper chicharrón drizzled with Nikkei sauce and served with white chaufa rice.
La Mar Nights will take place Saturdays, Sept. 19 and 26 and Oct. 3 and 10, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at JARANA at The Abbey at Aventura, 19505 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 5150. The experience is priced at $90 per person. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 786-840-8840.
Reopening This Fall: Havana Harry’s
Miami’s beloved Cuban comfort-food destination returns to Coral Gables this Fall, welcoming back the recipes, generous portions and warm hospitality that have defined it for more than three decades.
After more than a year behind closed doors, Havana Harry’s is preparing to welcome Miami back. Located at 4612 South LeJeune Road, the sprawling Coral Gables landmark returns with a fresh, relaxed look that brings more color, culture and subtle tropical influences into the space, from green leather booths to lush greenery, mosaic tiling and traditional Cuban-inspired art. But the spirit of the place hasn’t changed: the same approachable prices and neighborhood warmth that guests have loved for years remain untouched.
“Our responsibility was never to reinvent Havana Harry’s,” said Carlos Centurion, Founder of Centurion Restaurant Group. “It was to protect what generations of guests have loved, while building a restaurant that will serve this community for many years to come.”
Founded in 1995, Havana Harry’s has earned a reputation as one of Miami’s premier destinations for authentic Cuban comfort food, recognized by the Michelin Guide and repeatedly named one of Miami’s “Best Cuban Restaurants.” It has been the setting for birthdays, graduations, business meetings and Sunday family lunches, the countless everyday moments that became lifelong memories for generations of South Florida families.
Havana Harry’s has been under the Centurion Restaurant Group umbrella (Bulla Gastrobar, Pisco y Nazca and Beehive Kitchen) since 2022, and the group has taken great care to preserve the original recipes and community spirit that have long defined it. Rather than a quick refresh, ownership chose to build a restaurant designed to serve the community for decades to come.
Reopening for daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, Havana Harry’s will once again serve the menu guests love, from tostones and croquetas to Cuban sandwiches and main plates like the bestselling Ropa Vieja, Arroz con Pollo and Lechoncita. Topping the list is the Chicken Vaca Frita, the restaurant’s signature dish of shredded chicken sautéed with onions, garlic and a proprietary blend of seasonings until crispy. Mornings bring classic Cuban breakfasts and coffee specialties like café con leche, cortadito and colada, while the dessert menu spans traditional flan, cakes and tres leches to the signature “Overdose” milkshakes.
“We can’t wait to welcome our guests back,” Centurion added. “Families have been asking us every week when they can return, and now we are finally ready for them.”
New Menu Items at Fuku
Fuku is freshening up its menu with new offerings that take the brand’s signature crispy brined chicken in a lighter, more versatile direction while staying true to the bold flavors Fuku is known for. The new $15 Gem Salad pairs crispy chicken with Little Gem lettuce, scallion green goddess dressing, pickled onions, pumpkin seed, furikake and herbs, while the $15 Chicken Rice Bowl layers it over ginger garlic rice with cabbage, pickled red onion, furikake and Fuku mayo. Rounding out the additions is the $7 Transfusion Slushie, a refreshing blend of grape and lime juices with fresh ginger. Whether craving something fresh, hearty or frozen, the new lineup gives Fuku fans more ways to enjoy the brand’s signature flavors.