Hidden among the Cuban morsels on Calle Ocho, Sanpocho Restaurant is a Colombian eatery with a no-frills, wooden table set-up. The shelves feature Colombian goods for sale, and the menu offers staples, including the delightfully gooey tequeños ($1.50) and crispy empanadas ($2) that pair with a jolt of the homemade picante/ají sauce. The massive bandeja paisa dishes are served with rice, beans, plantains, a fried egg, arepa, chicharron, and your choice of protein.

Cheen Huaye in Mayan means "only here" — and only here will South Florida diners get to experience authentic dishes from the Yucatán peninsula. The brainchild of executive chef and Yucatán native Marco Velasquez, this Mexican eatery offers all the staples: complimentary chips and salsa, fresh guacamole, cotija-loaded elote, and gooey quesadillas. But it's the heartier plates that stand out, such as the cochinita pibil (suckling piglet marinated in achiote and wrapped in banana leaves), chile relleño (chihuahua cheese-stuffed poblano pepper), and mole poblano (chicken drenched in mole sauce with a touch of bitter chocolate).

For as long as most Miamians can remember, Versailles has become synonymous with authentic Cuban flavors, solidifying its reputation as the go-to spot for locals and sunburned tourists alike. Since opening in 1971, Versailles has become an institution for anyone longing for a taste of Havana, offering authentic Cuban sandwiches and traditional Cuban staples like ropa vieja and picadillo that smacks of abuela's cooking. Most folks merely hit up the ventanita for cortaditos and café con leche, but dining among the hexagon-tiled floors and glass chandeliers inside is a kitschy experience that continues to top so many must-do Miami lists for a reason.

It's not hard to find classic Peruvian and Mexican versions of ceviche in the Magic City. That said, there's something wonderfully decadent about Juan Chipoco's glamorously chic Intimo, located in South Beach's South of Fifth neighborhood. The menu's "cold bar" features several creative renditions, offering everything from Nikkei-style tuna to an avocado-based leche de tigre. Non-pescatarians will welcome the vegetable ceviche, a medley of tender asparagus, hearts of palm, wild mushrooms, and baby corn, marinated in a vegetable-based leche de tigre&etilde;&etilde;. If you're feeling fancy, pick what grabs you from the day's fresh catch to create your own masterpiece. And you can't go wrong with Intimo's signature dish: a hearty dish of lobster, octopus, calamari, oysters, and the catch of the day, served with the chef's "ganadora" leche de tigre.

There are fancier Peruvian restaurants in Miami and certainly more humble ones. Farolito is right down the middle, a white-tablecloth neighborhood spot on Coral Way perfect for a nice dinner. The menu is classic Peruvian, with all the ceviches and tiraditos you could ask for, plus seafood appetizers like jalea (fried breaded seafood) and pulpo al olivo (octopus in black olive sauce), along with all sorts of grilled meats and fish. Try ordering something in salsa agridulce, a sweet and sour tamarind sauce.

Nando and Valerie Chang's take on the Japanese-Peruvian cuisine known as nikkei has earned Itaemae plenty of rave reviews — and the hype is warranted. The menu is constantly changing to highlight local and seasonal products. A recent visit featured ceviche mixto with black grouper and conch and a barred knifejaw tiradito. Even with all the buzz, Itamae is still unpretentious, with outdoor seating and surprisingly reasonable prices considering its location among the extravagant and luxurious Design District shops.

Miami is said to be a melting pot of cultures, and no two seem more compatible in this metaphorical cast iron than the like-minded sensibilities of Japanese and Peruvian. Case in point: Inari Sushi Fusion, where the raw sushi and savory marinades of one Asian country's cuisine symbiotically pair with the spicy sauces and fresh seafood of a South American country's cuisine. But like a mad scientist, the Cuban-born chef/owner Pedro González never tires of his ongoing curiosity for exploring testing flavors and cooking techniques outside Japan and Peru, especially in the assortment of hot and cold small plates, including the ceviche empanadas (the traditional fried pastry stuffed with a marinated fresh catch of the day) and the "Salmon Bites" (lightly-breaded pockets of fried salmon with cream cheese and scallion paired with a creamy bacon dipping sauce). Earlier this year, he debuted a new CBD menu, which includes a one-millimeter syringe of the flavorless cannabidiol for customers to customize specialty sushi rolls and cocktails.

Cooked Japanese fare has gotten lost in the omakase craze. Fortunately, Yakko Bistro offers more than raw fish (or fish seared with a blowtorch). This stellar eatery has been around for decades in a North Miami Beach strip mall but has reinvented itself more than once to keep up with the times. Today, it's just as delicious as ever, with dishes like the signature fried whole fish, omurice (chicken-rice omelet with brown sauce), skewers of grilled quail eggs, and lotus roots kinpira, all equally as tempting. Get a group together and order plenty of izakaya to share, which, we'll concede, includes the raw stuff, such as tiradito, carpaccio, tartare, maki, and nigiri.

You wouldn't expect to find high-end cuts of sashimi in a food hall, but that's exactly what you'll get at Sushi Yasu Tanaka, the tiny sushi counter at the back of the Design District's Mia Market. Here, locally celebrated sushi chef Yasu Tanaka — formerly of the Den at Azabu — offers an intimate sushi bar that's becoming known for its exceptional quality and attention to detail. The casual atmosphere creates the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable dining experience. You won't find Americanized rolls here, but rather a short-and-sweet tasting menu of composed appetizers, nigiri, sashimi, and hand rolls that allow diners to experience various flavors and textures in a single meal. Order at the counter and watch as chefs prepare your selections with upmarket cuts of fish from melt-in-your-mouth toro to delicate Japanese uni. Items are plated with real fresh-grated wasabi, and nigiri is placed atop the chef's specialty sushi rice (one version's made with akazu red vinegar, and the other with rice-distilled yonezu) made fresh every few hours to ensure a delicious experience.

Sushi by Scratch is one of the latest omakase experiences to hit Miami, and its allure is thanks to the chef/owner team that boasts a California-based restaurant group with two Michelin-starred restaurants. At their Coconut Grove location, chef Phillip Frankland Lee and his wife Margarita Kallas-Lee channel the chef's fondest memories growing up in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley with an ever-changing selection of nigiri. Those in the know may be familiar with the original Sushi by Scratch in Los Angeles. At one time, the restaurant didn't have a name, a website, or a phone number. Instead, guests clamored for seats via a chalkboard system. It's now seven locations strong, and thankfully, Tock makes it easy to nab one of the Miami restaurant's ten bar spots offered during three nightly seatings, where diners can indulge in Lee's unique approach to "new wave" nigiri. Each of his locations serves 17 courses, a half-dozen that stand as the chef's signature creations, the star of which is a divine hamachi painted with sweet corn pudding and finished with a sprinkling of Kallas-Lee's sourdough bread crumbs. The rest represent collaborations by members of each location's talented team, often an array of outlandish but flavorful ingredients, many made from scratch, as the name implies. Think house-smoked peppers or beet-infused wasabi, which pair perfectly with expertly sourced fish and house-fermented soy sauce and vinegar.