LEKU, the award-winning concept known for bringing the pleasures of eating in Spain’s enchanting Côte Basque to Miami is thrilled to announce the grand unveiling of the first Josper outdoor double grill in South Florida, the same legendary grill used by the Spanish Basque Country’s Michelin Starred and #3 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Asador Etxebarri. Located within the notable Rubell Museum in the bustling Allapattah neighborhood, LEKU was recently recognized by Bloomberg as one of the best new restaurants in Miami and lauded as the winner for best new fine dining restaurant in Miami as part of the 2021 Eater Awards.
LEKU’s all-day lunch and dinner menus served in a whimsical indoor and outdoor setting adorned with artistic masterpieces at every corner have been pleasing guests with fresh, full-flavored seasonal local ingredients and cooking methods based on tried and true techniques. As they enter their second year, Executive Chef Mikel Goikolea is elated to invite patrons to experience their newly expanded menu procured by the transformative power of the Josper’s embers and flames guaranteed to grill morsels of meat, seafood and vegetables to pure perfection. Housed within the fully-renovated luscious outdoor seating landscapes, the majestic grill will be the new focal point for patrons seeking to embrace the healthy and flavorful methods of traditional upscale grilling symbolic of grilling restaurants commonly known as “asadores” in the Basque Country.
“The Grill’s” hydraulic regulation system ensures a precise and smooth continuous movement of the grill at various heights allowing the grill master to have full control of the unique flavors of the finest charcoal including Basque and American wood chips such as White Quebracho, Red Quebracho, Tropical Hardwoods and Holm Oak. As a result, this new and advanced cooking method staple will yield an unmatched balance of moisture and texture among note-worthy preparations of Chateaubriand for Two, Double Lamb Chops, Presa Iberica, Picanha (all market priced) served with LEKU’s signature Piperade condiment sauce; whole local fish like Grouper and Snapper, seasonal Shellfish and Maine Lobster (all market priced) finished with touches of txakoli with garlic and olive oil to brighten up seafood grilling; as well as nutrient-rich farm-to-table vegetables and much more.
Guests can also anticipate new starter plates such as Trio of Croquetas with 5J Ham Chorizo and Cod Croquetas ($22); Crispy Fried Squid, Liquid Squid Ink Croqueta, Onion Toffee ($27); Duck Foie Gras Terrine dusted with corn nuts, Pedro Ximenes Marmalade ($29); Truffled Spanish Tortilla ($18); Confit of Leeks with Rosemary, Sage, Whole Grain Mustard and Crispy Leeks ($14); and Pickled Mussels in White Wine and Bay Leaves ($14). Notable entrees include Roasted Guinea Hen with Citrus Sauce, Beluga Lentils and Pickled Onion and Apple ($36); Confit of Cod in its own Pil Pil ($34); as well as Roasted Duck Breast with Confit Carrots, Game Reduction and House-made Roasted Cabbage Kimchi ($38). For those seeking to end their meal on a sweet note, set your sights on the Chocolate Mousse Brownie with Black Olive Dust and Goat Milk Ice Cream ($15) or the palate pleasing Goxua, a traditional Basque Cake with Méringue and Caramelized Custard ($16).
In addition to their inventive fine dining menu, LEKU’s acclaimed beverage program is in a league of its own featuring innovative libations and sophisticated wine offerings available to complement their boldly executed courses. For those seeking to unwind, highlights from their seasonally rotating cocktail menu include the Allison ($19) with Felipe II Brandy, Asturian Ice-Cider, Amontillado, Uchuva, Demerara and topped with a floating disk of edible rice paper both imprinted and inspired by Allison Zuckerman’s “Eternal Recurrence” hanging over the bar at LEKU. Additional options include the Miami Kalimotxo, a reimagined ode to the 1920’s Basque summer drink “Kalimotxo” with Don Q Spiced, Woodford Rye, Coke syrup, Tempranillo. Alternatively, LEKU features a thoughtful wine list encompassing bottles from Agusti Torrelo Mata “Kripta Lux,” Itsasmendi “Bat Berri” Bizkaiko Txacolina, Alvaredos-Hobbs Rivera Sacra Godello to Ramirez de Ganuza Gran Reserva, Vega Sicilia & Benjamin de Rosthchild “Macan” and Chateau-Figeac, Premier Grand Cru, Saint-Emilion.
LEKU is owned by an impressive international group of veteran restaurant and hospitality professionals who understand the level of excellence needed to run a successful fine-dining establishment. The ownership group includes Jeffrey Chodorow of China Grill Management; Alejandro Muguerza of Le Basque Catering in Miami; Andreas Schreiner of Schreiner Hospitality; Terry Zarikian of the New York and South Beach Wine & Food Festivals, and Executive Chef Mikel Goikolea, formerly of Azurmendi Prêt à Porter. The Basque cuisine at LEKU follow the guiding principles learned from the fathers of Basque cooking including Juan Mari Arzak (Arzak), Martin Berasategui (Martin Berasategui), Pedro Subijana (Akelarre) and Karlos Arguiñano (Karlos Arguiñano). These methods have been revisited by a new generation of chefs, such as Eneko Atxa (Azurmendi) and Victor Arguinzoniz (Asador Etxebarri).
ABOUT LEKU
LEKU is located at 1100 NW 23rd Street in Miami and is open for daily for lunch service Wednesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner service from 6 p.m.- 11 p.m. For more information, please visit lekumiami.com and follow along at @LekuMiami. To learn more about the Rubell Museum, please visit rubellmuseum.org and follow along @rubellcollection.
ABOUT The Rubell Museum
Opened in 2019 with a museum-wide installation of works from that chronicle key artists, moments, and movements in vital arts centers over the past 50 years; The Rubell Museum encompasses more than 300 works by 100 artists, providing one of the most far-ranging museum exhibitions of contemporary art ever presented, and is drawn entirely from Rubell’s expansive collection of over 7,200 works by more than 1,000 artists. The Rubells’ collection provides an unprecedented roaming range that has enabled them to organize 48 exhibitions drawn entirely from the paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos, and installations of which it is comprised. These have included such groundbreaking and diverse exhibitions as Life After Death: New Leipzig Paintings (2004), Red Eye: Los Angeles Artists (2006), 30 Americans (2008), Keith Haring: Against All Odds (2008), and NO MAN’S LAND (2015). Many of these exhibitions have toured to museums internationally and been accompanied by major catalogues, published in-house, including 30 Americans, which toured for over ten years.
