K E V I N C O R Y C h e f o f J a p a n e s e C u i s i n e |
At the age of 19, Kevin Cory started to learn Japanese Cuisine from Executive Chef, Nobuo Kase. Nobuo Kase was experienced in Kyoto, the former capital of Japan where Kaiseki Ryori, the most sophisticated of Japanese cuisine is found. Due to uncontrollable circumstances, Kevin Cory and his first mentor, Nobuo Kase were unable to continue together, which initially seemed unfortunate. Kevin Cory: “I was truly forced to figure things out by myself, yet remained on a path to express each ingredient's characteristics and the balance of a dish as a whole. During the first several years as an inexperienced chef to have confronted many challenges without an experienced instructor and to have only followed an inherited philosophy became invaluable.” After several years of self study, Kevin Cory traveled to Toyama, Japan to be reunited with his Uncle and next mentor, Yasushi Naoe, Executive Chef of Kawai Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn with a reservation-only Kaiseki restaurant and formal tea ceremony. Yasushi Naoe first worked as a Chef in 1954 at the revered Asadaya Ryokan. Kevin Cory: “I cannot even begin to explain the tremendous amount of respect I have for him.. But to try; with 45 years of experience and at 64 years young, my Uncle would wake up, do sit-ups, dumbbell arm curls, twisting, stretching, etc. He would make us breakfast and then speed-walk to Kawai Ryokan, the hotel. Once we arrived, he worked at an intense pace with incredible precision and passion. After the lunch shift, he loved to ride his bicycle and let me mention, Toyama means Rich Mountain. Later we would return for the Kaiseki dinner reservations. His passion would continue to keep him running and sliding all around the kitchen and then speed walk back home to do more sit-ups, dumbbell arm curls, twisting, stretching, etc and then go to sleep. This repeated daily. To have witnessed my Uncle's quality of life, passion as a chef, knowledge and talent was an honor and a tremendous inspiration.”
(above: Yasushi Naoe and Kevin Cory stop on a small plateau in Toyama)
After returning from Japan, Kevin Cory aimed to take the most challenged sushi bar, Siam River and transform it into Miami's best. Of course first Kevin Cory had to earn the owners' respect to attempt such a dramatic transformation. In late 2001, Siam River remodeled their sushi bar and allowed Kevin Cory to take control. Kevin Cory: “The timing to prove myself in Miami could not have been any better or more difficult, due to the biggest sushi names in the country, Nobu, Bond Street, and Sushi Samba had opened in Miami at this same time. There could be no excuses to have bullied a weak market which made my mission to earn critics' respect even more exciting.” From Valentine's Day of 2002, Kevin Cory started the home printing of his all fresh dated daily Sushi A La Carte menu with signature dishes and 8 sake categories to be placed only on the sushi bar. Sushi-aficionados soon gathered for what was considered, Miami's best kept secret. Unfortunately, without having any previous positive momentum, transforming a negative image with zero advertising, zero public relations, being inside of an unstylish Thai restaurant thats in an out of the way location, the dramatic transformation did not immediately hit The Miami New Times. Siam River was not recognized as The Miami New Times' Best of Miami for 2003. After the disappointment, Kevin Cory emailed The Miami New Times an invitation to experience the difference of his sushi and was not replied to. Several months later, The Miami New Times food critic, Pamela Robin Brandt anonymously dined at Siam River's sushi bar and wrote a Feature story in The Miami New Times December 25 - 31, 2003 issue, "Some Serious Sushi". December 26, 2003; The Miami Herald Weekend "Micro Rave" review of Kevin Cory is written by Hal and Nancy Berritt. February 2004; Siam River was 1 of 4 restaurants nominated for the category of Best Local Restaurant in The South Beach Wine & Food Festival's First Annual Award Ceremony, hosted by Emeril Lagasse. May 2004; The Miami New Times Best of Miami 2004 Best Sushi was awarded to Siam River. May 2004; The Miami New Times awarded two Chefs with a Best of Miami 2004 Personal Best. The Personal Best for Finest Foods was awarded to Kevin Cory. The Personal Best for Restaurants was awarded to Norman Van Aken. February 27, 2005; Kevin Cory with Siam River participated in The South Beach Wine & Food Festival as a Grand Tasting Restaurant and prepared: "Simmered Live Manilla Clams with Homemade Rice Bran-Pickled Daikon, Salt-Pickled Apricot May 2005; The Miami New Times Best of Miami 2005 Best Sushi was awarded to Siam River. November 20, 2005; Kevin Cory participated in the Consulate General of Japan in Miami's 2005 Kagoshima Festival for a cooking demonstration of Kaiseki Ryori. December 9, 2005; The City of Miami Mayor, Manuel A. Diaz and Commission Chair, Joe Sanchez presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Kevin Cory to pay tribute for creative involvement in promoting social and cultural exchanges between the peoples of Kagoshima and Miami. January 2006; Kevin Cory created exclusive catering and restaurant services, Kamakura™ & NAOE®. July 2006; Kevin Cory traveled to Kanazawa, Japan to reunite with family and discuss the opening of his first restaurant, NAOE®.
(above: Kevin Cory at Yamanoo Ryokan, Kanazawa)
February 25, 2007; Kevin Cory participated in the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival as a Grand Tasting Restaurant for NAOE ® and prepared: "Nichiei Sake-Fermented Caribbean Spiny Lobster with Granddad's Corn-Soy Bridge April 2007; Sunny Isles Beach location was canceled due to City parking issue. September 2008; Miami Beach location was canceled due to City garbage issue. March 19, 2009; A new era has begun with the quiet opening of NAOE® on Sunny Isles Boulevard. April 26, 2009; Food For Thought Miami food writer, Frodnesor first reviewed NAOE®. May 1, 2009; UrbanDaddy reviewed NAOE®. May 20, 2009; The Miami New Times restaurant critic and multiple IACP award winner, Lee Klein emailed Kevin Cory to ask the meaning of the kanji characters that are part of NAOE's logo and blogged it in The Story of Naoe. May 21, 2009; The Miami New Times restaurant critic, Lee Klein reviewed NAOE®: "The chef's bento box is perhaps the best American restaurant value since David Chang debuted Momofuku in New York." June 22, 2009; Gastrolust food writer, Jay Friedman reviewed NAOE®: "unlike anything I’ve experienced in Seattle. In fact, you’d probably have to hunt carefully to enjoy such an experience in Tokyo." July 2009; NAOE® becomes eligible for OpenTable Diners' Choice and voted in Miami - Dade County as: Fit For Foodies Restaurants - #1 Best Overall Restaurants - #1 Best Food Restaurants - #1 July 16, 2009; The Miami Herald restaurant critic, Victoria Pesce Elliot reviewed NAOE®: "Miami's most serious sushi shrine" "(matcha snapper) had the shocking depth of flavor that makes dining here a revelation." "thrilling and almost embarrassingly affordable experience" "Cory's style is his own -- and one that Miami should be grateful to enjoy." July 19 & 20, 2009; Food For Thought Miami food writer, Frodnesor revisited NAOE® and guest posted on Dine Magazine: "With only seventeen seats, one cook, and no menu, NAOE [na-o-éh] is a restaurant unlike any other in South Florida." August 2009; OpenTable Diners' Choice for Miami - Dade County voted NAOE® as Best Service Restaurants - #1. September 4, 2009; Miami New Times food writer, Jackie Sayet blogged NAOE® in Short Order. September 2009; OpenTable Diners' Choice for All Miami / Southeast Florida voted NAOE® as Fit For Foodies Restaurants - #1. October | November 2009; City & Shore Magazine rated NAOE® in TOP 10 NEW RESTAURANTS by Jan Norris. October 10, 2009; yelpers rated NAOE® as Best of yelp Miami Japanese Restaurants, Highest Rated - #1. October 10, 2009; yelpers rated NAOE® as Best of yelp Miami Sushi, Highest Rated - #1. Fall/Winter 2009; Toyota Connections Magazine - Take a Bigger Bite of Japan: "Sugiyama, New York KAI, New York NAOE, Miami Makoto, Washington D.C. Shiro's Sushi, Seattle" October 2009; Zagat Survey debuted NAOE® without ratings in ZAGAT America's Top Restaurants 2010. November 2009; OpenTable Diners' Choice for All Miami / Southeast Florida voted NAOE® as: Best Overall Restaurants - #1 Best Food Restaurants - #1 November 2009; Gayot critic, Pamela Robin Brandt writes about NAOE® in Miami, Florida 72-Hour Vacation: "this year's hottest insider pick is tiny NAOE" December 2009; Florida Trend Magazine selected NAOE® for Best New Restaurants 2010. December 2009; OpenTable Diners' Choice for Miami - Dade County voted NAOE® as Best Service Restaurants - #1. December 2009; OpenTable Diners' Choice for All Miami / Southeast Florida voted NAOE® as: Fit For Foodies Restaurants - #1 Best Overall Restaurants - #1 Best Food Restaurants - #1 December 28, 2009; UrbanDaddy selects NAOE® for a year ending Oh, Nine | Everything That Was Important in 2009 | Miami: "the dining scene's most exciting newcomer." January 1, 2010; Food For Thought Miami selects NAOE® in A List For the New Year as Most Unexpected Discovery: "There is, quite simply, nothing else like it in Miami." January 1, 2010; Gastrolust selects NAOE® in Top 10 Seattle (and beyond) restaurant experiences of 2009: "It’s better than any Japanese food I’ve had in Seattle." January 2010; OpenTable Diners' Choice for Miami - Dade County voted NAOE® as: Fit For Foodies Restaurants - #1 Best Overall Restaurants - #1 Best Service Restaurants - #1 January 10, 2010; yelpers rated NAOE® as Best of yelp Miami Restaurants, Highest Rated - #1. January 2010; Gayot rated NAOE® - TWO TOQUES. "always comparable in quality to those in New York or Japan's best" January 2010; Gayot selected NAOE® for: - Top 10 Heart-Healthy Restaurants in the United States - #1 (TIE) - Best Heart-Healthy Restaurants Miami - #1 (TIE) - Miami/South Florida Hot 10 - February 2010; OpenTable Diners' Choice for Miami - Dade County voted NAOE® as Fit For Foodies Restaurants - #1. February 2010; OpenTable Diners' Choice for All Miami / Southeast Florida voted NAOE® as: Best Overall Restaurants - #1 Best Service Restaurants - #1 February 2010; Aventura Magazine features NAOE® in Turning Japanese. March 2010; OpenTable Diners' Choice for All Miami / Southeast Florida voted NAOE® as Fit For Foodies Restaurants - #1. March 2010; OpenTable Diners' Choice for Miami - Dade County voted NAOE® as: Best Overall Restaurants - #1 Best Service Restaurants - #1 March 2010: Gayot selected NAOE® for Top 10 Japanese Restaurants in Miami / South Florida - #1. March 19, 2010; NAOE® has its First Year Anniversary! April 2010; OpenTable Diners' Choice for All Miami / Southeast Florida voted NAOE® as: Fit For Foodies Restaurants - #1 Best Overall Restaurants - #1 Best Food Restaurants - #1 April 2010; OpenTable Diners' Choice for Miami - Dade County voted NAOE® as: Best Service Restaurants - #1 Special Occasion Restaurants - #2 April 15, 2010; NBC Miami Feast Rank includes NAOE® in humorous article, Big Ticket Eats. April 2010; NBC Miami Feast Rank formulates NAOE® as Top Ranked #1 restaurant in Miami. May 2010; OpenTable Diners' Choice for All Miami / Southeast Florida voted NAOE® as: Fit For Foodies Restaurants - #1 Best Overall Restaurants - #1 Best Food Restaurants - #1 Best Service Restaurants - #1 May 2010; Gayot selected NAOE® for Top 10 Late Night Restaurants in Miami / South Florida - #1 June 17, 2010; The Miami New Times Best of Miami 2010 Best Japanese Restaurant was awarded to NAOE®. June 24, 2010; The Miami New Times "Ten of our 100 Favorite Foods in Miami" selected the Bento Box at NAOE®. July/August 2010; Miami / Modern Luxury selected Kevin Cory in "5 Chefs We Love". July 2010; OpenTable Diners' Choice for All Miami / Southeast Florida voted NAOE® as: Fit For Foodies Restaurants - #1 Best Overall Restaurants - #1 Best Service Restaurants - #1
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