South American – Page 2

Delicious Miami (part I)

miami

South Beach Miami- sunshine, Toes in the sand, laying on the beach with a cocktail in hand…yes yes, we did all that, and then some. We were only there for 3 days.
3 days = 9 meals… not nearly enough!!!
Here are what we have:

Puerto Sagua
We started off at Puerto Sagua. It’s a typical hot, humid day in Florida, and we walk 14 blocks to Puerto Sagua. We just got off the plane, and we were starving, exhausted, and dehydrated. Half way there, we were starting to wonder… why are we doing this to ourselves. Could have easily take a cab there or ride a bike… but it’s all worth it.

Puerto Sagua is like an old-school coffee shop or dinner. I bet the place looks the same as it was in 1962. There is a wall mural that made out of metal which document the way it was then in South Beach Miami. Take a closer look, you will see that Puerto Sagua is right in that picture. Puerto Sagua offers simple but delicious comfort food. We had Cubano Sandwich ($9.25; $8.25 for half) and Oxtail stew, classic Cuban fairs. Ham, swiss cheese, marinated roast pork tucked in between lightly toasted French Baguette. Crispy, crunchy, just comforting.

Oxtail stew (FRICASE DE RABO $11.95) with rice and fried plantains. Oxtail stew came in a small iron tray. Great, great, rich flavor. Wish we had a little more meat. This oxtail stew is awesome. I’m whole again after this meal.
***700 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

click to see slideshow

Ola at the Sanctuary

Located at the Sanctuary Hotel in South Beach, Ola is a Latin American restaurant featuring ceviche, but I can tell you, the main courses are outstanding too. Service was warm and attentive. We were a large group and did not have a reservation on Friday night, and the staff there were accommodating.
miamiola03
Lobster Ceviche come in a light tomato citrus sauce. Just the right amount of sweet and sour, great balance. Sweet and fresh lobster, all so refreshing.

I highly recommend the Foie gras empanada. Yes, it might not be the most authentic thing, but when the foie gras slowly flow out and melt on your tongue, that’s undeniably mouth-watering.

We also have lamb and fish of the day (Corvina). The portion were so generous. It was a whole rack of lamb. For the same price, we would usually get may be 3-4 “bones”. But here, I counted, there were 8!!! portion big enough for two!!! and I must say I did not expect the lamb to be so delicious. It could possibly be the best lamb we have had. Crusted with hazelnut, it had that nutty/ chocolate flavor to it. And so perfectly cooked!

While the lamb is the star of the night, the corvina holds its own too. The fish came in a orange/ yellow sauce. At first I thought it was a mango sauce, and fear I had order the wrong thing. But it was definitely not mango. It has a hint of spice, almost curry like, later determined that it is a light yellow pepper sauce. It is actually an aji amarillo sauce. It bring a shape note to brighten the fish and the array of seafood on the dish. Kind of remind me Malaysian cuisine. Again, portion is huge. I really feel like all the entrees are designed for two.
We all had a wonderful night at Ola. It was an outstanding latin restaurant fill with surprise. Thank you to the extremely nice gentleman at the concierge desk of Delano – Mr. Haas. It was him whom suggested Ola. Mr. Haas is so helpful and patient with us.
***Sanctuary South Beach, 1745 James Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

–stay tune for part II

Txikito- great Spanish in Chelsea

Friends were requesting to have tapas for dinner, and it just so happen that the thrillist daily news alert in my inbox that day was titled: The 14 Best Spanish Restaurant in America. Very suprise that there is only one on the list in NYC — Txikito in Chelsea on 9th Ave. The menu was very difficult to dissect. Names of most dishes on the menu were unpronounceable for me that I won’t even try to attempt. Then I saw the picture of the squid ribbons, nothing matter anymore, we have to go there.

Txikito (pronounced “chick–KEE–toe”) means little in Euskara, a language spoken by Basque people, who reside in northeastern Spain. This neighborhood basque place is owned and operated by Alex Raij and Eder Montero. The husband and wife team were recent semifinalists for Best Chef in James Bread Award. Front door opens to a little bar, and main dinning room is in the other room. It a long ,cozy, warm room that built like a fishing boat. Faded Shiplap wood as wall, cute little red table and wood chairs. It is very relaxing and welcoming. The front of the main dinning room is actually a rolling glass garage door. It was a little chilly at night, so it wasn’t open. But it would be a gorgeous afternoon, sitting here slipping a delicious sangria, when summer come and this door rolls open. We ordered a ton of food, and these bite size dished just make us wanting more.

Absolutely love the Foie Micuit. The rich, creamy, thick cut, velvety foie gras with crunchy toast, with a bit of sweet jello atop. Man, what would I give to have this as breakfast every morning….

Txangurro is another bite that makes you want more and more. It kinda echo the richness of the Foie Micui, but in a different sense. This one is crabmeat gratin on top. Baked, warm, still rich and creamy.

Pulp is an artfully plated octopus carpaccio. It was surprisingly simple, just some lemon oil, a little bit of herbs, a little bit of spice, and voila. Octopus was sliced paper thin, great to carry the flavor of the mixture, and not rubbery at all.

Txipiron “encebollado”!!! the squid ribbon is really a must try here. It was very interesting. We have never have squid like this before and it doesn’t resemble as a squid dish at all. The squid was shredded into thin spaghetti-like noodle. It come in a light but rich broth of sweet onions and pine nuts. It was utmost interesting dish we have had in a while.

Most dishes we had were great (see pic here). Beef tongue is crispy but not oily and juicy enough. Lamb was tender, rich and full of flavor. We also had a couple pork dished, but they were not such shinny stars as others. (April, 2015)

Cosme- Best New Restaurant 2015 in NYC

Cosme has been buzzing since it opened in October. It already claimed Best New restaurant on a almost all the reviews there is. And better yet, it had made the finalist list in that category on James Beard Award. So as we imagine, table is hard to grab. Luckily, on the first week of spring, we finally got in.

The bar out front is packed. Asides from bar stools and table, there were several knee-high table with sofa in the front room. I’m guessing it was meant to be lounge area, but since not everyone get a reservation, there were parties there having their dinner at the lounge. It’s petty awkward. The knee-tall table could pass for appetizers and drinks, but for entree, it won’t be comfortable.
Dinning room is dark but vibrant. There were built-ins throughout the place shelving varieties of wines . There were a couple larger table in the dinning room. Perfect for bigger groups. Sleek wood table with a small plant at each, adding a little bit green to the otherwise colorless room (the walls are actually green, but with the dimmed lighting, I barely noticed it).

The drinks menu would take an hour at least to study thru. Cocktails on the 1st pages, other than the wine list, there is a full page on Mezcales, then another full page of tequilas. We heard the Mezcal were amazing, but the cocktails were hard to pass up. We had the El Ninja and Scoville Sour. It was beyond superb. Both had perfect combination. Just a bit sour then come a hint of sweetness. Both scream SUMMER!!! The El Ninja has a piece of dehydrated pineapple in it, after soaking in the cocktail, it makes a delicious snack. I wish I can have it everyday!

cosme

The menu is divided into 3 sections. The first is obviously appetizers, most of it are curdos, and all seems very appealing. The 2nd section is a little confusing. It has us scratching our heads. Is it salad? 2nd appetizers? Or first course? But since we already knew we were gonna get the Duck Carnitas for entree, that help us make the decision to skip the entire 2nd section.

Complimentary starter for the table is tortillas with chile, pumpkin seed butter dip. It packs a little kick but not enough to burn, just enough to wake up my palate.

Uni tostada with Avocado, bone marrow salsa, cucumber 18

There are a lot of avocado in the appetizers menu. Both of our appetizers have avocado in it too. The Uni totsada comes on a little plate. Fresh, sweet uni on top a layer of avocado, with bone marrow salsa underneath all atop a thin crunchy tortillas with a little bit of jalapeno on it. While I totally forgot that bone marrow in the mix, it’s a delicious little bite. So many different texture and flavors. All ingredients are super fresh, almost don’t need any seasoning and they compliment each other perfectly avocado’s creaminess, tomatoes’ freshness, play very well with uni’s rich and sweetness.

Smoked raw sepia with salsa mexicana, avocado 20

Sepia is a kind of cuttlefish. Served in a oversize bowl, this smoked sepia with salsa was a bit oily for me. I would appreciate a little more acidity and spice in the dish to brighten it a little more. But nevertheless still a wonderful little bite. Avocado in this case was just for decorating.

Duck carnitas, onions, radishes, salsa verde (to share) 59

Husk meringue with corn mousse.

Cosme is well worth the hype. Mexican superstar Chef Enrique Olvera hit everything on point! From cocktails to desserts, Cosme exceed out expectation. It was a delicious night. We only wish we could have space for more. We will definitely be back, and next time, we are bringing help, so we can sample many more dishes and Mezcales.

Raymi (restaurant week dinner 2014)

I am so glad that we went to Raymi for RW, because it was surprisingly good. When we were scanning thru the list of restaurant to go for RW, one place in particular jump out because of the menu it offers for RW. It was not some mock up dishes that just throw together for RW to get people in the seats, it is the same dishes that they serve every night on regular menu, and the choices are extensive. see Raymi RW 2015 menu here

Raymi opened in 2012, in the space which was formerly Nuela, and before that, Sapa. It is a modern Peruvian restaurant. Peruvian is the grand father of fusion, because of its multicultural history. It blends Chinese, Spanish, Mexican, and of course Japanese. The most notable Peruvian cuisine is perhaps Nobu, but honestly, Nobu should be called Nikkei cuisine. Now I have not yet been to Peru, and have not have the the privilege to sample authentic Peruvian cuisine, but Raymi is petty good for me. (March, 2014)