Coming Soon: Sushi Siam at Plaza on Brickell
March 2, 2008 by Lucas Lechuga
Last week I noticed the above sign, "Coming Soon: Sushi Siam," as I drove by Plaza on Brickell. This is great news not only for Plaza on Brickell but also the entire neighborhood of Brickell.
Sushi Siam is a very well known sushi restaurant located on Lincoln Road in South Beach. I find it very interesting that more and more establishments are deciding to expand their operation from South Beach into Brickell. A few years ago, Novecento, a restaurant and bar, made the expansion move and recently we saw Segafredo Cafe, a restaurant and lounge, make the move as well. It shows me that these establishments are quite confident that Brickell already has enough year-round residents to justify such an expansion. (I just wish Lime Fresh Mexican Grill would make the jump as well. I heard a while back that they committed to opening their third restaurant at Midtown Miami though.)
Eventually the commercial spaces found on the ground level of the new condo buildings in Brickell, such as Plaza on Brickell, will be a natural extension of Mary Brickell Village, with new retail stores and restaurants. That's when we'll really start to see the foot traffic in Brickell.
By the way, I was digging through some old pictures that I took in July 2005. Remember what Plaza on Brickell consisted of back then?
Sushi Siam has been in Brickell for years, no? In the 4 amassadors, next to Porcao. Either way, good for foot traffic…and probably a big step up for Sushi Siam…great location.
Oh yeah. Good point! 🙂
Go Brickell !!!!
i think brickell is being hitted very hard with a lot of negativism by many people and media. Yes, it is true that there was a lot of overbuilt, but it is also true that is one of the top areas in all South Florida with quality business and residential life. People is aware of this, and is becoming more aware of the brickell name and the quality of the neighberhood.
Every time i mention someone in broward county that i am moving to brickell soon, they are like “ohh, wow, to brickell?? that is niceee!!”
good luck !! and see you soon eating sushi !!!
Yes. Go Brickell !
The media always focus on negative aspects…It is truee that Brickell was overbuilt but it is moving up to the hotest city in the entire south of U.S.
well…let me be the negative poster. we’re getting excited about one restaurant opening up in brickell…a mediocre one at that? come on. i ain’t gonna by a condo in brickell cuz now i can buy overpriced drinks for secretaries at blue martini and then fill their stomachs with mediocre sushi on the back end at siam. or wait a second, is it the other way around. who cares.
well plaza on brickell is a nice building with a great location. yes there are many buildings in brickell overbuilt but if you are honest those locations sucks. thats why those condos are not selling.
plaza on brickell is a prime location in brickell and will always do well. i am not sure about axis, 500 brickell avenue and other crap next to metromover. it is just a fact.
It’s good that the thought of expanding to Brickell exists at all in the minds of the execs, but what the area needs are some real restaurants and entertainment venues, not more mediocre chain establishments. Quality eats and real, live music would make people feel better about moving over the bridge. It seems like they’re trying to get the right companies to open up shop, but they’re getting the second tier options.. Blue Martini? Terrible. Sipping over priced, weak drinks with fake people… sounds like the beach.
Filling these buildings with buyers is just like trying to market a new product. Determine your audience and create a connection with them by appealing to some emotion. The beach has determined their audience and the businesses and buildings are geared toward it. If Brickell and the whole downtown area is going to be successful, it’s going to need to figure out its own audience and not try to be another version of the beach but without the sand.
I suppose it needs to start somewhere though, so anything is a good step at this point.
JOE, i agree with you that plaza at brickell is in a PRIME LOCATION and will alwasys do well, and that other condos like neo vertika, axis, etc are not the same… (they are good, but prices and demand for brickell avenue will always be higher).
But i dont agree on including 500 brickell building. That is not right now a hot spot in brickell… but wait until the icon brickell across gets done, with the viseroy hotel, wait until brickell financial centre in 700 brickell get done… that part of brickell will in the next 1 or 2 years get well connected to the far south of brickell avenue.
Also, they are close to met 1, met 2, met 3, and the hotel that now i forgot the name, but it is looking amazing, right on the corner before crossing to brickell…..
i cant leave much, everything is going under a good timming. and i am not saying this just because this post a restaurant open, but there are definitelly many signs that the area is growing huge. and blue martini is packed with people and good music !! the village is rocking brickell already and it is not fully done yet, publix and much more restaurants will finish giving the light of life in brickell.
again, go brickell !!!
Joe: In response to your comment “plaza on brickell is a prime location in brickell and will always do well. i am not sure about axis, 500 brickell avenue and other crap next to metromover. it is just a fact.”
“Crap” & “Just a fact”; where are you getting your empirical evidence to arrive at this “FACT”
The two buildings you mention all have a Brickell Avenue address to them; and the metrover only adds value to these buildings; residents in both 500 Brickell & Axis can roam around all of Brickell and Dowtown without having to pay the outrageously high amounts of parking in the City.
These buildings are NOT “crap” by any means of the imagination !!!
Plaza on Brickell in a PRIME LOCATION?????? It’s a good location at best. It’s in the business district (N of 15th) of Brickell as opposed to the residential district (S of 15th). Most importantly, it is not waterfront. I have to make this point. Everyone keeps throwing around the term “prime location” to the point that it has lost any weight that it may have otherwise carried. Pay attention. A building is not in a prime location just because it is on Brickell, near Brickell, or in downtown. Prime should refer to Brickell waterfront or downtown completely unobstructed water views and (for past Marina Blue references and those yet to come) no bums hanging out on the property. Then you can say PRIME LOCATION.
yes, sushi siam has been in brickell for years. they just sold their own commercial condo space in four ambassador.(they are still open there as tenant) i was wondering why they sold it…
now it’s all clear! they must also purchase the unit at the plaza.
they know how to do the business, restaurant and real estate.
GT3,
When it comes to commercial space I have to disagree. All that matters is how much foot traffic there is and how accessible it is to motorists. Would you say that Lincoln Road is not a PRIME LOCATION for a restaurant to be just because it is not waterfront?
“Lime Fresh Mexican Grill ” Consistently mediocre but cheap and fast with late hours. You know you have a real sustainable neighborhood with foot traffic when one of these opens up, cause ain’t nobody going to be driving to one.
heard sushi samba goes in Midtown…
Epicure considered to come as well…
lucas
using your criteria, than you would consider plaza on brickell to be a prime location for a restaurant? you might have a good lunch crowd, but i’m not too sure about dinner and weekends…especially if you’re using a lincoln road address as a basis for “prime location.”
let’s not get overworked about this. it’s not like another restaurant is coming to brickell. rather, a restaurant (a mediocre one) is moving addresses.
Quoting Joe:
” i am not sure about axis, 500 brickell avenue and other crap next to metromover. it is just a fact.”
That is the understatement of the thread. These two buildings, among others, were nothing more than afterthoughts during the heyday. I would not be the least bit surprised if the walkaway rates in these two, and neighboring projects, exceed 50%.
The only thing standing in the way of these two projects being “bank-operated” in the near future is the perceived financial strength of the developers of these two “orphan” projects!
Well I think this is gettin too negative, while I dont think sushi siam is comparable to Nobu, Bond St or Shoji its by no means bad and this is a much better location for them than the four ambassadors. I also think it is a positive thng If i had a place at the Plaza having the option to go downstairs for sushi.
Not having to do with Brickell but Il Gabbiano and Prime Blue are pretty upscale restaurants and in my opinion it has had a very positive effect in One Miami
“Blue Martini? Terrible. Sipping over priced, weak drinks with fake people… sounds like the beach. ”
haha great comment but seriously you just described 90% of Miami. as a good friend of mine says ” Miami, sunny place filled with shady people.” most people in Miami don’t know crap about good food or drinks, so businesses cater to them. as long as the idiots spend money and brag about how good the food is they will keep opening up expensive restaurants with mediocre food. Don’t get me wrong guys I love this city, but some more cultured people like those in this blog are much needed.
Lucas, I know that the original post was about a restaurant, and a mediocre restaurant at best. However, my comment was in response to this: “JOE, i agree with you that plaza at brickell is in a PRIME LOCATION and will always do well, and that other condos like neo vertika, axis, etc are not the same… (they are good, but prices and demand for brickell avenue will always be higher).” So did you think he was writing about Plaza on Brickell always doing well in the restaurant business, and that it will always do well because of this. Did you think the comparison with neo vertika and axis was in reference to their restaurants (which they don’t have)? I didn’t. I think you’re a smart guy. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. You should do the same. C’mon, I wasn’t talking about the restaurant biz. If you would have carefully read the comment you would have noticed that I even separated residential zoning area from mixed use. Now how the heck are you gonna put a restaurant in Bristol Tower?And even if I was, Plaza on Brickell is not a prime location for a restaurant. It’s a good location. Stop throwing around this term like its Happy Days and your the Fonz. I’ll give you a few restaurants with PRIME LOCATION: Smith & Wol., Prime Blue. For future reference… “Prime” is an adjective which is defined as “best” or “first in importance.”
Raffi
you’re right – when houston’s hit #5 on miami zagats a few years back…you know something is amiss.
Are you being sarcastic?
no. i love houston’s (thursday tortilla soup day is top notch) but it should not be #5 on any self respecting city’s top restaurant list.
ok just making sure, cause seriously houstons is so overpriced for what they give you.
…as for “prime location” in brickell…i would say bristol tower/santa maria would be ‘prime’. as for the new condos…we won’t know what really is ‘prime’ until the entire area is developed, moved into, and starts bustling (this may be 10 yrs from now?…and IF it doesn’t massively bust which may take longer than 10 yrs).
BUT…if it ever does get there – and they clean up all the garbage and derelicts, etc…put in proper street signs, better lighting, etc…then if there’s a real good pricing correction to the point where it makes sense to own something there…it could make for a real nice area to live – more a pedstrian area w/nice shops, etc. again, i think it will take a long time for this to happen. in the meantime, it’s a work in progress. if/when there’s a nice price break…real buyers come in to buy and live there…it could be really nice (esp after crackheads, etc are gone).
The Plaza is a good location, but I don’t know about calling it “prime”… One thing that hurts Brickell is that places are still somewhat spread out. Other than Brickell Village (which is still somewhat empty), you have to walk pretty far to go from one good place to another.
Downtown Miami still has a long way to go, but I believe it will always offer higher density and variety of good places within a smaller area. This will make it much more pedestrian friendly.
I consider a building like One Miami to be in a “prime” location. It’s waterfront, has two high-end restaurants at ground level, is linked to the Miami Intercontinental Hotel & Spa, close to the metro mover, and will soon benefit from the completion of the Met and Epic projects.
Well guys calm down: 500 brickell is just off the highway and philip starck building across the street is on the highway. it is just dirty to walk there.
just my 2 cents. Well maybe plaza on brickell is not waterfront but my friend is just right there and if you are on higher floor you have bay view. and it is just beautiful location. Next to Jade, water, brickell village and brickell key.
Do not get mad if i say my opinion. 500 brickell and philip starck buildings are not bad just i would not live there cause it is just highway behind them.
If you walk there at night you will see what i am talking about
I’d be happier if they were putting a Fuddruckers or Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza there instead. I am “culturally sophisticated” when it comes to hamburgers and pizza.
Siam lease was most likely signed a year ago with out any prior knowledge of a declining real estate market.
I will be opening up a burger joint on Brickell. My best selling burger will be called the Manhattan South. Includes half pound spam, sprinkled with a touch of mortgage fraud spice, topped off with a fresh foreclosure bun. My restaurant will not have a cover charge, but will have a prepayment penalty. Foreigners welcome.
hahahahahahahahhahahaha the Manhattan South although this makes no sense it was pretty funny
Manhattan South….so true. It shoule be a double burger as things are double bad!
i really do not know guys what are u talking about?
things so bad? well brickell is one of the most beautiful area in the USA to live and if you have there home long term u will be fine.
the richest people in south Florida live in brickell or around the brickell area. i think u should move those burger joints downtown miami or park west.
Brickell was always Brickell and will always stay Brickell.
Like Park Avenue in New York, never goes down.
Sounds like a winner, Bill.
There’s lots of “smart money” hungrily sitting on the sidelines waiting to eat those burgers.
Joe,
It is called reality! Can’t believe you compared Brickell to Park Avenue.
No comparison, but Brickell is a very nice area, yes a little over built and some what dead of Commerce for tourist or locals. But there are a couple of places to go in the area.. One of them that just opened 2 months ago, and is a complete hit with locals os medium to high status is Segafredo Brickell in 14 and Miami AVe. Its a similar version of that in the more famous area of Lincoln Rd. But its more night club appearance is defenitely a people magnet, as there are no good places to hang out in Brickell. Blue Martini is horrible… Try Segafredo, and Spazio Nero its Disco, in the back, youll enjoy it.. Wether to talk business during the day or relax and have drinks with friends and collegues at night.. Thurs, Fri is really full so try to get there early. BUt sat. its just perfect
A Whole Foods Market would be nice near Brickell. Their website says:
Miami
Whole Foods Market
2nd Ave & 2nd Street
Miami, FL
44,871 sq. ft.
Opening date to be announced.
Chris,
the whole foods market is expected to open in the ground floor of MET 3 building…. is it really going to get built ??? i am starting to think it might not….
i really want a Wholefoods in brickell too.
i heard that the publix in mary brickell village, will be an all Greenwise publix, like a gourmet organic market…. Can someone confirm me this ???
if you’re thinking that brickell is a nice area and comparable to other top neighborhoods in other big cities…sorry, but you’re just wrong.
brickell doesn’t hold a candle to certain stretches of manhattan, the gold coast/old town in chicago, north end in boston, san fran or any other top city in the us. i usually avoid ad hominem attackes, but really, to suggest otherwise is to admit that you’re full of bs or deluded. either way, you’re an idiot.
don’t expect that whole foods/movie theatre at the met project any time soon.
btw, can someone explain to me how any residenc at 500 with a unit that has an interior window will not lose their sanity? the light from the damn halo in the center of the building is blinding from afar. i can only imagine what it’s like up close. then again, considering how cliche the project is, there probably won’t be a lot of people living there any time soon.
i did not say that Park Avenue is exact as Brickell.
All I am saying that what is Park Avenue in New York, that is Brickell in Miami or maybe there is a better one?
Miami has no better Avenue than Brickell and compared to other cities is not bad. It is not always the worst in Miami.
Yes it is overbuilt but Lucas is showing here that good building are doing just fine.
I like Miami a lot – but mostly for the beach areas. Downtown may provide some nice views from some of its highrises, but other than that, it’s not a place I have any interest in living in the near future.
If Miami is going to get into the same league as other big cities (New York, Chicago, etc.) as far as the downtown areas go, it’s going to have to make some big changes. It can be done – New York City was bum city the first time I visited it. Now, it’s virtually bum-free, much cleaner, and much safer.
But downtown Miami still has a “no-man’s land” feel to it late at night. If there is anything that could be called the “Manhattan” of Miami, it would have to be South Beach. That’s the only place where you could live and have tons of stuff within walking distance and not be the only person walking the streets at night.
Brickell is much nicer than downtown proper, but it still has a ways to go before it will be comparable to the higher-end residential areas in other big cities. I’m not saying I’d rather live in these other cities – just that downtown Miami is lacking a lot of things that make those other places desirable. It will eventually get there – I just don’t think it’s going to be very soon.
THE best way to fill up the brickell area is to give enough quality incentives for large corporate businesses to bring a chunk of work to miami’s brickell area. right now its all latin american banking – if they can diversify and bring in “smart” jobs from the biotech/pharma/more domestic banking/trading/etc jobs. maybe provide tiered tax breaks or something along those lines.
every major city has an true industry (seattle/cali/n. VA has tech, ny has everything, tx has oil)…miami has tourism which is garbage jobs that pay close to zero. they bring in big money jobs through larger incentives…bring some scientists, etc to the area.
right now on brickell, 1 mil gets you ALOT of condo. in NY, cali, seattle even austin now…you don’t get this much for the money. the problem w/the whole area is not necessarily the condos…it’s the way the city is being run…compared to most big cities, it’s run like crap! how do you have juvenile detention centers/homeless/crackhead houses RIGHT smack dap in your tourist areas (bayside, etc)? if you clean it up and bring in the jobs, the problems w/the overdevelopment can dissipate sooner than it’s present way – which is praying some dumb foreigners pay up for it. it could be a 5 yr project instead of a 15 yr deal
I think this string of posts gets the award for the worst grammar/spelling/usage/punctuation. Its hard to take someon’e argument seriously when they can’t even put together a coherant sentence.
Lucas, I think you should hire an editor to review all posts.
i can only speak for myself…but i just punch away and move on. i don’t triple check and ask others read my post before i submit it.
funny a clown would make a comment like this and then type: “take someon’e argument “. please go and buy a life, hemmingway.
Dr. Drew,
What is “someon’e” ??? I never heard of that word.
It is hard to take your argument seriously when you do not know how to write.
Thank you.
True story: While in Brickell, I took a dump on the street corner last night (I looked around and saw a bunch of other dudes doing it so I figured it was cool.) When I came back this morning, there was a tiny white condo building growing out of it. I shall call it the Plaza on Brickell.
News flash: Downtown and Brickell have nothing to offer any self respecting human being that enjoys getting out for a stroll in their neighborhood to take in the sights, grab a bite, or otherwise enjoy life. The whole area has a terrible layout, a pathetic list of ‘things to do,’ and unless you prefer to be confined to your car to get around (walking may or may not be equal to certain death) and the hassles that come with parking, you’re better off staying in your super luxe newly constructed highrise condo and thinking of new ways to waste time… such as counting how many crackheads take a dump on your sidewalk in a given timeframe.
I was specifically referring to “Joe”, “Mike” and “Damian”. I can’t even understand what they are trying to convey.
When I first heard a sushi restaurant was moving to Brickell I quickly typed a response. My hands were still shaking from the excitement I could not type correctly. I’m sure others were so excited they could not spell or put together proper sentences. Please forgive everyone.
Steve – did you eat at PF Changs before taking that dump? You really should submit that to the European Fecal Standards and Measurement. I don’t know how many Kurics that is, but sounds like a world record to me.
That was a pretty funny South Park episode
I see so many mixed opinions here, why is there so much negativity against Brickell? And then why are we talking about and comparing Brickell to NYC where there is an economy and a demand for human capital that pays high salaries that are in accordance with the cost of living in NYC? Price per SqFt they are not similar and I don’t think they should be compared.
The Miami Real Estate market will pick up, I dont care what argument you make I think everyone here is clear that there is value, this is a beautiful city and there is demand for real estate in Miami. However while overdevelopment have spurred so much growth (look at Miami 10 years ago) we are stuck with 6-7 years worth of inventory. We should be focusing more on what are the good buildings to buy in when the market picks up again and the differences of areas.
We all talk about the cost of renting vs. Owning, but seriously we should have a poll to see how many people here actually believe we are going to get to a point where owning is going to be cheaper than renting? Seriously how many people think that we are going to get to the levels that a one bedroom apartment that rents for 1200-1400 (Nice one bedroom Apt in Brickell) is going to sell for $120,000-$140,000?
The 2 bedrooms at Plaza are selling for around 380,000-460,000 and a lot of people are closing and anyone who has visited the building recently can see the traffic we see during the day. I assume they should rent for somewhere in the 2000-2400 a month range, do people here think that they will drop to $190,000 so after your mortgage its going to be cheaper to own than rent?
Alejandro Diaz-Bazan —
Sure renting can become more expensive than buying. It happens when people dont price in future appreciation and expect to be conpensated for the “work” of having a rental.
alejandro
i think the problem is that when they were touting the brickell condos during the presale age, the aim was “young professionals.” problem is, there aren’t (1) many young professionals in miami (club promoters are not professionals); and (2) many jobs that pay the scratch necessary to afford a 300k one bedroom in brickell. with that being the case…why would someone ever buy a second home in brickell?