Anako Opens in Little River: A New Filipino Dining Spot Draws Early Crowds
The restaurant, led by chefs Leicel Ros and Nancy Dominguez, began serving dishes like kare-kare on October 22.
By Aaron Foster ·
Anako, a modern Filipino restaurant in Little River, has quickly become a destination for diners in Miami.
The establishment opened on October 22 at 8222 NE Second Avenue. It operates in partnership with Nidal Barake. Chefs Leicel Ros and Nancy Dominguez lead the operation. The couple previously ran Sili, a food hall location inside 1-800-Lucky in Wynwood. They also hosted pop-up events during the pandemic, cooking Southeast Asian dishes they missed while living in Los Angeles. Ros stated that a sit-down restaurant was their original goal. "We’re aiming to be more of a neighborhood spot, not too fine dining and not too casual, but like right in the middle," Ros said.
Ros and Dominguez met while working at Jean-Georges in Los Angeles. Ros spent four years at COTE Miami and worked at Nobu. Dominguez trained in the kitchens of Joël Robuchon. They developed the Anako menu together. Dominguez manages the kitchen, while Ros handles front-of-house service and hospitality.
The menu features pork-and-shrimp lumpia, kinilaw crudo, and oxtail kare-kare. The interior design and presentation of the food have also attracted attention. The restaurant has been open for only a few weeks as of this week. It is currently described as one of the most popular new dining spots in the city.
