Offering one of the region’s most gorgeous settings, River Yacht Club is an operation unlike any other in South Florida. Multi-tiered and seating close to 700 at any given time, River Yacht Club has a number of menus on offer. From its Mediterranean seafood-centric à la carte menu to a unique seasonal chef program, private dining, and a robust special events program, as well as a newly opened separate Japanese fine dining venue, Dashi, RYC is constantly buzzing with activity. It takes a talented restaurant professional to manage all of the moving parts and industry veteran Chef Jun Hee Lee, is that person.
A native of Korea and graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Chef Lee is a multi-faceted virtuoso; as adept at high volume kitchen operations as he is at the style of precise opulence and foodservice he practiced during his close to eight years at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. There he achieved the position of Chef de Cuisine and saw the restaurant earn a Michelin Star. Resume highlights include, most recently, a stint with celebrated chef/restaurateur Michael Mina at his acclaimed Fontainebleau Miami Beach concepts as well as Pebble Beach’s Club XIX and Marinus at the upscale Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, California.
His specialization in French, American and Asian cooking will be particularly useful at River Yacht Club where the menus offerings are generously inspired by classic American as well as French Mediterranean cookery. “Chef Lee is an incredible creative talent and operations manager; those two don’t always go together but they are instrumental to success at River Yacht Club,” says co-owner and designer Stephane Dupoux. “Overseeing the kitchen operations at RYC is as close as it gets to running a hotel F&B program and Chef Jun has the skills to balance it all. We’re lucky to have him on the team and excited to see what he has in store.” Over the course of the next few months, expect to see more of Jun’s influence on the RYC menu. Open since March 2016, River Yacht Club (RYC) is a unique and visionary waterfront venture in the heart of the burgeoning historic Miami River District featuring two fine dining restaurants, a stunning outdoor garden and a lounge, and marina. A lifestyle destination that combines gastronomy, entertainment, art, and maritime activities into one special retreat for all urbanites, River Yacht Club serves lunch Tuesday – Saturday; dinner Tuesday – Sunday, and Sunday brunch; Dashi serves dinner only Tuesday –Saturday. RYC is located at 401 SW Third Avenue on the Miami River. www.riveryachtclub.com
