Take a Look Around Ember, Brad Kilgore’s Splashy New Art Deco Stunner

by Olee Fowler

May 23, 2019

James Beard-nominated chef and restauranteur Brad Kilgore is adding another restaurant to his growing roster with the debut of Ember (151 NE 41st Street, Unit 117) opening in the Miami Design District this Friday, May 24. Located inside Paradise Plaza, Ember features a menu centered around wood-fired prepared dishes, smoked meats, pastas, and unique sides.

Dishes at Ember offer spruced up versions of classic American classic bistro fare like a charred prawn cocktail; a beignet served with pimento cheese; a multi-layer lasagna charred over the embers and topped with a mushroom and roasted tomato ragu; roasted cornbread with bone marrow butter; smoked fried chicken; a variety of steaks and sauces and tableside creme brûlée.

The 3,200-square-foot indoor and outdoor space seats 90 and is designed by Mark Diaz from MAD Design, who also designed Kilgore’s neighboring Japanese-style cocktail bar Kaido. The restaurant’s elongated ribbed wood walls and ceiling are inspired by the curved lines of Kansas City street cars (where Kilgore hails from) while the space is outfitted with classic deco furniture in muted tones made with white oak and camel colored leather.

The Yin and Yang Experience

By Suzie Peruyero – Designing Miami Contributor

April 04, 2019

Kaido and AMA, a dream brought to life by designer Mark Alan Diaz of M.A.D. Design Group Co. and James Beard Award-nominated chef and restauranteur Brad Kilgore, evokes a mystical vibe inspired by Tokyo-style dens the two visited while on a trip to Japan in 2018.

Described by Diaz as a ‘hyper-focused, sense-oriented exploration of sight and taste,’ the trip proved to be an invigorating exercise that allowed the duo to inspire each other while teaching the other how they each experience the world.

“Brad is very hands-on in all that he does, as am I,” said Diaz. “However, we each allow the other to paint our own canvas, in our own worlds. Though our methods of communicating are different, mine being sight and his being taste, we both have one interesting parallel – we approach it like artists.”

It’s rare for a restaurant’s interior aesthetic, menu items, and tableware to cohesively work together, but at Kaido and AMA, every detail has been carefully crafted and exceptionally executed by the two leading creatives in their respective fields. From the Uni Fondue served in a white shell-like bowl, to the rustic porthole frames and light fixtures, and the shimmering floor reminiscent of a mermaid’s tail, the space immediately transports you to Japan.

“To quote my Sensei Kancho Cameron Shane, ‘The way you do one thing is the way you do everything,’” said Diaz. “In terms of Kaido and AMA, every detail was dreamt and brought into reality, one inspiration at a time.”

Creating various dining settings, the 2,200-square-foot Kaido offers guests a different experience during each visit. The second-floor space consists of an outdoor patio facing Paradise Plaza, a dimly lit indoor lounge, and AMA – an intimate bar accessible via a concealed entrance.

The private 12-seat hidden bar honors the Hokkaido’s mermaid-like free divers who scoured the ocean floor for sea urchins and pearls. From the shimmering resin-filled floor of two-toned blue and gold fabric resembling iridescent fish scales to the sea-inspired shell chandeliers that bring a sense of delicate femininity to the bar, Ama captures the essence of luxury teahouses and legendary fish markets.

Inside the main indoor lounge, you’re introduced to the dark and edgy world of Japanese nightlife and entertainment. Above the bar hangs a massive chandelier made of 1,200 gold butterfly knives – Mark’s rendition of a Japanese sea urchin.

Kaido and AMA was the first restaurant concept the two have created together, but it won’t be their last. Chef Brad Kilgore is opening up another Design District eatery, Ember, this spring – also designed by Mark Alan Diaz.

Food & Wine's Best New Chef 2016 Will Open Two Restaurants in Miami Design District

By Lisa Kocay – Forbes Contributor

Aug 11, 2017

Brad Kilgore, Food & Wine’s Best New Chef 2016, recently announced he will be opening two new restaurants in Miami Design District’s newly-constructed Paradise Plaza.

Ember and Kaido will span 6,000-square-feet over two floors, but they will feature two different concepts. Kaido will be a Japanese-influenced cocktail lounge and restaurant, and Ember will be a wood-fire bistro with an exposed kitchen. 

“I think there’s a real connection between the diner, the chef and the food when you can see into the kitchen," Kilgore says of Ember. 

Kilgore adds he will be experimenting with foods not typically grilled at Ember, and he’s also working with his designer, Mark Diaz, on creating new tools for grilling. He says the food will be “classical but with a creative edge.”