Kitsune House opened in 2022 when partners Carlos Lavalle, Gonzalo Rinaudo, Robert Pereira, and Robert Salinas noticed a demand for fast-casual Asian fusion in downtown Miami. Everything fell into place for the four partners. They were connected through each other's hospitality careers, each shared the same vision, and each felt as though the historic Ingraham Building was the perfect spot to open a restaurant.
"We had this vision that we kind of all agreed upon," Pereira, chef and partner of Kitsune house, tells New Times. "It was something missing in downtown Miami, the kind of Chinese fast-casual concept. We wanted to create a place where we would want to go to lunch all the time. Quality ingredients at a value that had been difficult to find — you've seen all the fast food chains with their price increases. We wanted a place where people could feel they were getting a bang for their buck."
Those who work around the downtown area tend to stop by for a quick, affordable lunch, and its proximity to Miami Dade College generates younger foot traffic. (To help students who are on a budget, there is a 25 percent discount with a valid student ID.)
Slowly, through word of mouth, the hidden hole in the wall has gained popularity among the downtown Miami community.
"It's been so organic from the beginning," says Salinas. "A place to feel good, eat good food, and vibe in a good ambiance with great customer service. It was a tagline from the beginning: 'Kitsune House, your friendly neighborhood Asian restaurant.' Now we have a lot of regulars and it's crazy that almost every day somebody discovers this place.'"
The menu features starters, soups, and main dishes ranging from $12.99 to $15.99 depending on the choice of protein. For those who haven't been, the partners recommended the Mongolian beef, the General Tso's chicken, and coconut curry. Popular noodle dishes include the pad Thai, and a popular rice dish is the house Kitsune fried rice.
The menu features starters, soups, and main dishes ranging from $12.99 to $15.99 depending on the choice of protein.
Kitsune House photo
While the restaurant is perfect for a to-go order or a quick meal, anyone who wants to stay will be surprised by its decor.
The walls are covered in posters, stickers, and neon signs while anime characters hang from the ceiling and sit nicely on tabletops.
"My son is big on anime and I always go to conventions with him," Salinas tells New Times. "It fit our Asian fusion concept and it became like a floating gallery. We started mixing everything like anime, old school sci-fi like Blade Runner. My son is still really involved. Every time we go to conventions now we are always looking for things to buy and decorate the restaurant with."
As the restaurant grows, it aims to expand to more locations across South Florida in the future and possibly internationally.
Kitsune House. 19 SE Second Ave., Ste. Four, Miami; 786-534-2768; kitsunehouse.com. Open Monday through from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
