What Happened to Sakaya Kitchen After Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Part 1 — Season 19, Episode 4 Aired February 28, 2014

On Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Guy Fieri visited this Miami restaurant known for casual Asian-fusion fare, including Filipino-style egg rolls, Korean bulgogi wraps and kimchee, and steamed Vietnamese-style bao buns. Sakaya Kitchen operated as a counter-service restaurant at 3401 North Miami Avenue in Miami's Midtown/Wynwood area, run by chef-owner Richard Hales, a French Culinary Institute-trained chef who had previously worked as a sommelier at the Mandarin Oriental and Miami's Azul. Reviewers frequently cited the restaurant's inventive, eco-conscious approach to fast-casual Asian dining. A Yelp listing for that address, updated in June 2026, marks the business as permanently closed. Hales later opened Society BBQ, another restaurant concept, in the same space, according to the Miami New Times restaurant directory.

Part 2 — Season 23, Episode 17 Aired November 27, 2015

On the 'Extra Helpings' episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (aired 2015-11-27), Guy Fieri revisited Sakaya Kitchen in Miami, Florida. The segment featured a cracklin' duck sandwich made with sous vide-prepared duck, according to the show's episode archive at dinersdriveinsdives.com.

Part 3 — Season 24, Episode 2 Aired January 3, 2016

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives revisited Sakaya Kitchen as part of the "Triple D All Stars" special, replaying Chef Richard Hales' Asian-fusion Brussels sprouts and sous vide sandwich from the Miami restaurant's original February 2014 feature, according to FlavortownUSA.com. Sakaya Kitchen was a fixture of Miami's Midtown dining scene built around Hales' fusion cooking before it permanently closed in late 2020, per the same source.