Small.
Precious.
Essential.
In the vastness of the ocean, the minnow is often overlooked. It is small. It is quiet. But it is the foundation upon which the entire ecosystem rests.
MINŌ is built on this reverence for the small. A single grain of rice, seasoned to the second. The precise cut of fish, aged to its peak. The sound of a needle dropping on vinyl.
We are a sanctuary of 30 seats. Ten at the counter. Twenty in the lounge. We are not small because we have to be. We are small because true intimacy cannot be scaled.
THE LINEAGE
If KAPOW is the celebration, MINŌ is the contemplation.
For over a decade, the Kapow family has brought energy, vibrancy, and noise to South Florida. It is the energetic older sister—bold, loud, and full of life.
MINŌ is the younger sister. The one who traveled. The one who spent years in the quiet corners of Japan, studying the ancient arts, only to return with a different kind of story to tell.
We are not here to compete with the energy of the city. We are here to offer an escape from it. A place where the noise fades, and the craft takes over.
THE MASTER
The Return of the Shokunin.
Omakase Executive Chef JM Canlas is not new to this family. He was there when Kapow first opened its doors in 2011, helping lay our first foundation. But he knew that to truly master the art of Japanese cuisine, he had to venture further.
His path led him to the acclaimed MILA Omakase in Miami. There, serving as Chef de Cuisine under the mentorship of Executive Chef Reiji Yoshizawa, JM dedicated himself to the discipline of the craft.
He spent years sharpening his mind alongside his knife—absorbing the rhythm of Japan’s 72 micro-seasons (Ko) and understanding that the role of a chef is not to conquer nature, but to listen to it.
Now, he returns to Boca Raton to lead his own counter. He brings with him a reverence for his mentors, a mastery of the Shun (peak seasonality), and a menu that is finally, uniquely his own.
THE SANCTUARY
Vinyl. Sake. Silence.
The experience of MINŌ extends beyond the plate. It is a Listening Bar, where the warmth of analog vinyl fills the room without demanding your attention. It is a Sake Library, offering rare brews and Japanese whiskies stored in private lockers for our Founding Members.
It is a place designed for those who understand that the greatest luxury is not excess. It is presence.
Welcome to the back alley. Welcome to MINŌ.