Momo Sushi Shack, which opened in 2010, has become a staple of the Bushwick life in Brooklyn, known for its top-notch sushi, vegetarian selections, and general grooviness—apart from winning a Michelin Guide recommendation. Now, Momo—combining the talents of Phillip Gilmour, Chance Johnston, and Makoto Suzuki—has opened its first Momo pop-up, Momo Sushi, deep in the glamorama heart of South Beach, taking over the Sunset Lounge at Mondrian South Beach, serving its beloved fish through October.
Mondrian Executive Chef Dustin Atoigue, formerly with Katsuya at the SLS South Beach, is a native of Guam who considers Miami and New York sister cities, and as such, Momo made sense as a pop-up proposition. “When I first conceived the idea of hosting pop-ups at Mondrian, I went right to the guys at Momo Sushi Shack,” he says.
At Mondrian, Atoigue presides over a Momo menu that smacks of the Bushwick mothership, from “Pink Bomb” sushi with wild salmon and scallion, to dishes like coconut miso-marinated black cod with creamy coconut rice and garlic bok choy.
For additional flavor, the Momo pop-up also entails a Japanese whiskey bar. The Mondrian is part of Morgan’s Hotel Group, which includes the snazzy Hudson in New York and London’s Sanderson hotel. It’s a long way from scrappy Bushwick, particularly for Gilmour, who drove down from Brooklyn and fished along the way in various coastal towns. But for him, it’s one big culinary adventure. “Taking Momo on the road is a really exciting next chapter for us,” he says.
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