ZUMA

The last time I ate in Zuma was in London, the first one of many Zumas that have since opened all over the world so when I heard that they had opened a Miami outpost, I had to go back and see if Zuma had changed.

First was trying to get a reservation.  Although Zuma is listed in Open Table, it was impossible to get a booking as all the times I chose for dinner (7:00, 7:30, or 8:00) were showing up as booked already.  In the end, I had to call their dedicated reservations number and after several minutes on hold, I was finally able to book a table for dinner on a Thursday evening.

We arrived in Zuma slightly late for our booking as we missed the entrance to the Epic Hotel and ended up parking further down the road at the Epic Residences then just walking over.  As soon as we got to the entrance, we were told that we would have to vacate our table at 9:00 sharp.  So far, nothing had changed.

The restaurant was packed as usual with loud music and lots of groups squeezed into tables with hardly any room to get through.  Interiors are similar to the one in London but instead of a large open space, it was an oddly-shaped room with a smaller bar near the entrance and tables cramped close together.  (We should have indicated that we'd rather sit at the sushi bar which was empty).

Our server coming forward immediately with the menus and the drink list and asking if we'd like some edamame to start.  While we munched on the edamame, we studied the menu and decided on sharing several dishes along with a glass each of Sancerre and Sauvignon Blanc.  We started on some miso soup then a small sashimi plate of three types of fish: salmon, tuna and hamachi.  This was followed by some spicy tuna roll - crispy, spicy sesame seed studded rice rolls filled with tuna and avocado.

We then had four dishes from the robatayaki (grill): beef skewers with shishito pepper and chili soy, yakitori boneless chicken thighs and leeks, grilled spiced sweet potato and miso-flavored eggplant along with the five-piece tiger prawn tempura.  For dessert, we shared a sorbet selection: three scoops of homemade fruit sorbet: yuzu, mango and lychee.

As in London, dinner was delicious and service was seamless but the feeling of being rushed through the meal is always present along with the surprising add-on 18% service charge.  So far, so typical.  Diner at Zuma is good Japanese food mixed with people watching and a club-like atmosphere.  Next time, it might be better to persevere with booking a table at Naoe where I hear the food is even better and one is never rushed through dinner.
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ZUMA
at the Epic Hotel
270 Biscayne Blvd. Way
Miami FL 33131
Telephone: +1 305 577 0277
*Open daily for dinner.  Lunch Mondays to Saturdays. Brunch on Sundays.

KHONG RIVER HOUSE

On our first evening in Miami, I booked the recently open Khong River House which is conveniently located just off the pedestrian street Lincoln avenue and an easy ten-minute walk from the Ritz-Carlton South Beach.  Managed by the same group who own Yardbird Southern Table and Bar showcasing Southern cooking and the soon-to-open Swine Southern Table and Bar which will feature a nose-to-tail menu.  Khong River House focuses on the cuisine of Northern Thailand (not the stuff you in usually see in Thai restaurants) plus nearby Burma and Lao which is seen in the exciting menu.  Running the kitchen is chef Bee with his team - chefs Pai and Danny, also from Northern Thailand, and chef Rene.  Before its' recent transformation, Khong River House was a restaurant called Miss Yip which was more Asian in looks than food as my lunch there in 2010 proved.  Luckily, the same corner spot has been transformed into a well-designed cozy space with the use exposed brick, reclaimed wood slabs used both in the bar and chairs plus a corrugated tin ceiling just like roadside shacks found all over Asia coupled with dim lighting and loud music.

I booked a table via Open Table and good thing I did as the restaurant was packed when we walked in on an early Thursday evening.  The bar was pumping as they had a Happy Hour promotion on all their signature gin cocktails.  The drinks list is extensive with 34 types of gin, several Asian beers and an interesting well-presented wine list.

We were seated in on one of the banquettes, right in the middle of the action and beside the bar. We had a look at the dinner menu which had several sections: small plates (appetizers), salads, noodles, traditional main courses, rice and a few side dishes labeled to share.  We decided to order one small plate, two traditional dishes and a vegetable side dish, all of them to be served family-style.  A had a glass of the Patient Cottat Sauvigonon Blanc, an organic wine from the Loire valley, and I chose a Kesseler Riesling, another organic wine producer, this time from the Rheingau region.  If only we were beer drinkers, we could have had an ice cold Asian beer from their list of

Our starter of Burmese fresh noodle wraps was served not long after - five parcels filled with roasted dried red chili, lemon juice, palm sugar, cilantro and crushed peanuts wrapped up in a fresh noodle and served cold just like a summer roll.  This vegetarian bite was both sweet and salty and a good omen for what was to come.

The main courses were then brought out one after another with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice - Vietnamese style crispy prawns, the best dish we had that evening, deep fried shell-on prawns tossed in chili, garlic, shallots, spring onions and spices and cheekily served in a bowl lined with Asian newspaper and a banana leaf.  There was also the char-grilled Thai eggplant with stir-fried minced pork, basil leaves and oyster sauce which was surprisingly bland so we returned it and asked them to prepare a new one which came back much better with a hint of spice.  We also shared the stir-fried tofu with garlic chives, bean sprouts and chili - a simple vegetable dish with fresh flavors and such a pleasure to have as we often crave these vegetables in Puerto Rico where bean sprouts and garlic chives are nowhere to be found.

Asians don't normally have dessert except for fruit as sweets are usually eaten as snacks instead of after a meal but there is a small dessert menu at Khong River House with some Asian-influenced sweets.  We shared the Mango Napoleon - crispy filo layers filled  with mango mousse and served with cubed mangoes - it was a nice tart ending after all the spiciness but not really necessary.  Next time, because there will definitely be a next time, we'll skip dessert and have another delicious small plate or side dish instead.

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Khong River House
1661 Meridian Avenue
Miami Beach, FL
Telephone: +1 305 763 8147
*Open daily for dinner, lunch from Mondays to Fridays and brunch on weekends.
* Valet parking available.

MIAMI MINI BREAK

A & I spent five days in Miami on our own a few weeks ago.  It's great for a mini-break since it's only two and a half hours away from San Juan and perfect for a little dose of "city" and to cure island fever.

We slept the first two nights at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach and borrowed S's luxurious convertible so we could drive around and explore the city.  On the first day, we walked to Lincoln and had a quick lunch at Paul and headed back to our beautiful beach-front suite.  The following day was spent walking the hip and happening Design District which keeps getting better since we first visited it in 2010.  A few more boutiques and restaurants have opened and I'm sure that soon, this area will be filled with interesting stores and fun places to eat.  As usual, we had lunch at our favorite Michael's Genuine Food and Drink which we never miss when we're in Miami, then did some retail therapy at the swanky boutiques nearby.  We also had dinner at nearby Khong River House and further out at Zuma, in Brickell's bustling area.

Our last two nights were at the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne where all we did was relax and enjoy the sun, sand, beach and pool.  We literally spent two days lying on a sun lounger doing nothing much except eat and read.  We had lunch right on the beach at Dune (grilled shrimp salad and a fish sandwich with crispy sweet potato fries) on the first day then another al fresco lunch on our last day (hummus, baba ghanoush and taboule with warm pita bread, a Spanish-influenced plate of pan con tomate, marinated anchovies, roasted peppers and mussels and octopus then a slider trio: tuna, Angus beef and turkey) right by the pool.  The food was simple yet delicious plus there were perfect poolside treats like frozen grapes, sunscreen, buckets of Fiji and lots of magazines.

Four days were a bit short but it was enough for both of us to enjoy some quiet time and breathe after the busy holiday season.  Next trip will probably be Florida again with the kids then hopefully, further on the west coast to sunny California.

THE BEST OF 2012

It's taken a few weeks to get this blog post together but it's finally here - my annual best of 2012.  The first two were unique and fantastic in every way.  The next three are the best of Puerto Rico followed by the three best in Las Vegas and finally, the two best casual eats, one from a food truck here in Dorado and another from a beach shack in Anguilla.  All in all, 10 of my most memorable meals of the year.  Enjoy and I look forward to more new restaurant discoveries in 2013!

BEST OF THE BEST

Pubbelly (Miami)

A mid-year find on a long weekend mini-break to Miami.  Pubbelly is a gastronomic casual restaurant created by three partners - two Puerto Ricans and one Spanish, which has taken Miami by storm.  After this first foray, they have created four other successful casual eateries - Pubbelly Sushi for modern sushi, Barceloneta for Spanish tapas, Macchialina, an Italian salumeria and trattoria and about a week ago, PB Steak.  These boys have got their concepts down and manage to create a casual atmosphere loved by locals and still serve amazing food.  The menu at Pubbelly is mostly Asian-inspired but there were a few Spanish-influenced tapas as well.  Here's what we had in July.

ABC Kitchen (New York)

Another memorable summer meal was at ABC Kitchen located in the fantastic ABC Carpet & Home. Just over a year old and promoting local and organic ingredients, this was pared down comfort food that was all about the ingredients - assorted lukewarm roasted beets tossed in yoghurt, slices of heirloom tomato with just a sprinkling of salt on crusty bread, just-picked tiny radishes with cold sweet butter and bread - everything was delicious!  The service was friendly, the place casual and the menu so enticing that I can't wait to go back. 

BEST IN PUERTO RICO

Santaella

This was our first dinner out in San Juan, right after we moved to Puerto Rico in March and has remained a favorite since.  Santaella manages to serve a modern take on Puerto Rican cuisine in an unfussy location near the Plaza del Mercado.  Food is good, service is friendly and the place is always packed with locals - what more can one ask for?

Blonda

A recent addition to the Condado scene, Blonda is another casual restaurant that knows what it's doing - simple food in great location with probably, the best brunch in San Juan.  There's valet parking, bookings taken on Open Table and good food in a light-filled space.

Compostela

For classic Spanish fare, there is no place better than Compostela - the interiors are modern but nothing special, come here for the food and the excellent selection of wines.  Every meal we've had here has been exceptional - the menu authentic, the ingredients fresh, the presentation simple, the service efficient and the experience always delicious.   

BEST IN LAS VEGAS

Sambalatte

The best coffee in Las Vegas.  Ever since they opened in 2011, they have been the only place in Las Vegas for proper coffee in all forms and shapes, from espresso to flat white, from cappuccino to mocha, from pour over brewed coffee to Aero Pres,  from granita to affogato - they have proper coffee making and presentation figured out.  I never skip my Sambalatte morning cappuccino when I'm in Vegas and always stop by to say hello to the friendly owner, Luis.

Kabuto

Located in the same nondescript mall as other cult Japanese restaurants, Raku and Monta, Kabuto is a tiny restaurant with just three tables and an adequate sushi counter where the edomae sushi (Tokyo style super fresh sushi) is presented nightly using only the freshest fish and seafood and served slowly, one by one to be enjoyed.  This is the way sushi and sashimi should always be - no tricks, no mayonnaise, no fancy rolls - just fresh fish, perfectly seasoned vinegar rice, crisp seaweed, a tiny dot of wasabi and a dash of premium soy sauce.

Honey Salt

In the same area as Sambalatte, Honey Salt is so new that I haven't even blogged about my lunch there yet (post coming soon) but, believe me, this is the restaurant future for Las Vegas - trained chefs and experienced food and beverage operators band together to create their own restaurant concept.  Honey Salt is homey and the farm to table food is very good, but best of all, the minute one walks in, one can sense that the people behind the scenes know what they're doing from the logos, table settings, decor, menus and seamless service that there really is no longer a need to dine well just in a fancy Vegas hotel. Here's to a burgeoning trendy off-strip restaurant scene in Las Vegas!

BEST STREET/BEACH FOOD

Blanchards Beach Shack
If ever I open another restaurant, this is what I want it to be - simple food, a great outdoor setting and casual atmosphere.  Blanchards on the beautiful Mead's Bay beach in Anguilla is probably the best beach shack restaurant concept I've ever eaten in and for someone who's lived on several islands, that's the highest compliment ever.  Food is simple, containers are recycled, service is quick, prices and reasonable.  Blanchards Beach Shack gives fast food a great reputation.

NanoBox
Last but not least, is this Dorado food truck run by two brothers passionate about food and serving their modern version of Puerto Rican street food.  It's a great way to taste what the island has to offer and although their menu is limited, what they serve is pretty good so it's worth it to stop by for a snack on the weekend when this shiny white brand new food truck is parked just behind the Walgreen's in Dorado.
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Listed by location, in alphabetical order:

Anguilla - Blanchards Beach Shack

Las Vegas -
Honey Salt
Kabuto
Sambalatte

Miami - Pubbelly

New York - ABC Kitchen

Puerto Rico -
Blonda
Compostela
NanoBox
Santaella

PUBBELLY

On our last Saturday evening in Miami, I had scheduled for us to have dinner at Pubbelly, one of the Miami beach's foodie musts.  Opened by three friends, two of them Puerto Ricans and one Spanish, this "gastropub" has been the go-to place for both Miami beach residents and visiting foodies.  I had heard about the "Pubbelly boys" and their growing empire of small restaurants which started with Pubbelly then Pubbelly Sushi (right next door) plus another two - a newish tapas restaurant, Barceloneta, and their latest addition, the Italian, Macchialina.  All four are within the same area and almost within walking distance of each other and all are small enough for them to refuse reservations and just rely on a steady stream of walk-in guests from the neighborhood.

Since no reservations are taken at Pubbelly, we made sure to arrive at 6:30 (they open at 6:00) and thought we would easily snag one of the indoor tables but the place was packed and there was already a half hour wait so we settled for one of the two counter-style communal tables outside, each with 6 stools.  We three sat at one table, while another group was in the other, halfway through their dinner.  Service was quick and drinks orders were taken and menus given, as soon as we sat down.  Pubbelly's menu is made up of share plates of Asian-inspired tapas with a bit of French, Spanish and Italian influences thrown into the mix.  The ingredients origins are stated on the menu, sort of like a pedigree, so you know where every morsel you eat came from.  The food is meant to be shared and come in small portions, so dinner consists of many different plates set in the middle of the table "family-style".  There is also an extensive beverage menu with many beers on tap, wines and even sakes.

We were quite hungry after a long afternoon at the beach and started to pick out several items from the menu - the signature pork belly with kabocha, butterscotch miso and corn powder,  salt and pepper squid with smoked soy, serrano, schichimi (Japanese 7-flavor chili pepper) and crispy garlic, the classic Catalan pan con tomate, tuna crudo and the butcher steak - sliced hanger steak. From the dumplings, we chose pork and scallion with shoyu, schichimi and onion marmalade and from the noodles and rice, we went for the spicy Kimchee fried rice with seafood aioli (another version is with pork belly and pineapple).  The food came fast and one after another so our table started to fill up.  The tuna crudo was cold raw tuna chunks tossed in a dressing with watermelon pieces - a refreshingly spicy combination.  The steak, thinly-sliced and served with pear slices and crumbled Cabrales (Spanish blue cheese). The pan con tomate was the only classic dish we had - crusty bread rubbed with fresh tomato and drizzled with peppery E.V.O.O.  The pork belly lived up to its' reputation - a roasted melt-in-the-mouth pork belly chunk, slathered with sweet miso and served over wilted chinese greens.  The dumplings were delicious too and the kimchi fried rice was a shot of seafood and spice to accompany the rest of the dishes.  Only the salt and pepper squid was disappointing - dry and overcooked making the squid hard to chew.  For dessert, we shared the bread pudding and the frozen key lime pie, both of which came with fat-free frozen yoghurt and ended our gastropub experience on a sweet note.  Dinner at Pubbelly was a pleasure.  I look forward to my next Miami visit and to try the rest of the Pubbelly boys gastronomic creations.

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Pubbelly

1418 20th Street

Miami Beach, Florida

Tel: +1 305 532 7555

*Open for dinner from 6:00 p.m. till midnight on Tuesdays to Thursdays and from 6:00 p.m. till 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Mondays.

YARDBIRD

I had read about Yardbird when they first opened less than a year ago and it was mentioned again by the friendly staff at Bazaar as one of their favorites so I knew I had to eat there while we were in Miami.  Yardbird Southern Table and Bar is located at the far end (meaning further from the beach) of pedestrian Lincoln road down a street lined with pretty well-maintained apartment buildings.  It's hard to miss the all-white building on the corner with an outdoor terrace for al-fresco dining.  The restaurant's name derives from the southern name for chickens - yardbirds (as in free-range chickens running around the back yard).

As we were in Miami only for the weekend, I figured I might as well try their brunch, served Saturdays and Sundays, and with their extensive menu of Southern specialties.  After we were comfortably seated at a large round table banquette and had ordered our coffees and fresh orange juices, we had a look at the brunch items served Southern-style in sharing portions labeled shares and big shares.

There were five of us having brunch (three adults and two children, aged 10 and 3) so we had to be careful not to over order and also to choose dishes that were kid-friendly.  From the Shares section of the menu, we ordered Mama's Chicken Biscuits and the Fried green tomato BLT because it wouldn't be a Southern meal without these.  We also had the Big Ol' Waffle and Today's Omelet from the Big Shares section of the menu plus we couldn't resist having one of the Fixins (a.k.a. sides) - pumpkin beignets.

Coffee was served then we placed our order and soon after the food started to arrive: the chicken and biscuits were "finger-lickin' good" - crispy fried chicken sandwiched in buttery biscuits which came with pickled cucumbers and onions.  There were only two "biscuitches" which were gobbled up immediately.  Next came the fried green tomatoes - breaded fried green tomatoes topped with crispy skinned pork belly, tomato jam and cheese pimiento - rich bites of pork and tomato.  The omelet was fluffy and came stuffed with sausage and herbs plus a hot biscuit on the side and a little dish of fresh fruit.  The waffles were fresh off the iron crispy waffle wedges usually served with fresh peaches and topped with whipped cream but since the kids were eating this, we asked for the waffles plain and got the accompaniments of candied pecans, peaches, whipped cream and warm house-made Bourbon maple syrup on the side.  The waffles were a hit with the kids and that Bourbon maple syrup was delicious. Finally, the powdered sugar-coated pumpkin beignets came filled with strawberry preserves which we ate as our dessert.  Another coffee to end our brunch and we left Yardbird, happy 

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Yardbird

1600 Lenox Avenue

Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Tel: +1 305 538 5220

*Open Mondays to Fridays from noon, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00, Till midnight on Sundays to Thursdays and till 2:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays

*Daily for lunch and dinner, Brunch on weekends

SOUTH BEACH

The first part of our summer holiday was a weekend in Miami at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach for some more sun, sand and sea.  The location is super with direct access to the beach and to Miami's pedestrian-only Lincoln road with it's strip of shops, some cheesy and some really cool, and restaurants, some tourist-traps and some interesting ones.

We walked on Lincoln road and stopped at several stores Books & Books, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Gap then ended up at the far-end of Lincoln road for a quick lunch at the Shake Shack.  It's the perfect place to take the kids, especially on a hot summer's day in Miami.  Simple burgers and hot dogs, rich milkshakes and creamy frozen custards - modern fast food in a casual setting.

We also returned for dinner to Michael's Genuine Food and Drink, a restaurant we had been to on our last visit to Miami in  2010 where we had a delicious lunch with visiting family.  This time there was just three of us for an early dinner.  Michael's is ideally located in Miami's design district where a shopping day at the area's designer boutiques can be combined with a meal at one of the area's restaurants.

We were seated at one of the outdoor tables on a beautiful breezy summer's evening.  The food was as we remembered - simple dishes made up of the freshest and in-season ingredients.  We  had a couple of glasses of wine while we looked through their well-designed menu of bites in several sizes - snacks, small, medium, large and extra-large (a shared plate for the table).  We started off with a bowl of crispy pig ear from the snacks section.  Although not as appetizing as it sounds, it was delicious - crispy, gooey, salty bites of pork drizzled with some lime - perfect to munch on while we waited for our starters be served.  A and J chose two items from the small section of the menu - the ceviche for A and the chili chicken wings with a cucumber yogurt dip for J.  I chose a signature dish from the medium section, crispy pork belly, which lived up to it's reputation.  It was crunchy, sweet and spicy pork belly served with peanuts and kimchi.

For our main courses, J had the linguine with shrimp from the medium portioned menu items while A and I chose from the large section of the menu - slow-roasted pork shoulder with a side of mashed potato for him and the seared swordfish with arugula for me and a bowl of fries to share.  Both the pork and swordfish were cooked perfectly and were not marinated to mar the freshness of the meat or fish.

We finished off with some summer desserts from their gifted pastry chef - the house-made "pie in a jar" for J - a white chocolate concoction, the tangerine creamsicle pot de creme with warm doughnuts and blackberry jam and for me the plum crostata with a scoop of buttermilk sherbet.  At the end of our delicious dinner, we stopped by at the Sebastien James boutique alongside the restaurant, like we did the last time we were here, and ended the evening with a bit of retail therapy.  I can't wait to go back there.  After two visits, it's become our favorite Miami restaurant.

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Ritz-Carlton South Beach

1 Lincoln Road

Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Tel: +1 786 276 4000 

Shake Shack

1111 Lincoln Road (at Lenox Avenue)

Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Tel: +1 305 434 7787

*Open daily from 11:30 a.m. till late

Books & Books

927 Lincoln Road

Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Tel: +1 305 532 3222

*Also with an outdoor cafe

Michael's Genuine

130 Northeast 40th Street

Miami, Florida 33137

Tel: + 1 305 573 5550

*Open for lunch Mondays to Fridays from 11:00, Dinner daily from 5:30

*Brunch on Sundays from 11 ro 2:30 p.m., Happy Hour daily from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Summer holidays

It's 91F (31C) in the shade and i n a few days it'll already be July.  Those first seven months of 2012 went quickly!  It's also the start of our summer family holiday.  The kids and I are off to Miami for the weekend then two weeks in Las Vegas with a side trip to Laguna Beach to watch the legendary Fourth of July fireworks with a traditional barbeque dinner.  It'll be a busy couple of weeks then it's back to beautiful Dorado beach and getting the kids ready for school.  Have a fantastic summer and come back in a few weeks to read about my summer restaurant discoveries!

MICHAEL'S GENUINE FOOD & DRINK

Outdoor tables, menu and logo

After a morning spent walking on all over Miami beach and Lincoln road, we went to the Design District, an up and coming area of the city, where we were meeting up with A's brother and his family (who were also in Miami on holiday the same time we were) for lunch.  The Design District is made up of streets and streets of designer shops and one-of-a-kind boutiques for interiors and home decoration.  Here is where you'll find Fendi Casa side by side with Marimekko and Poliform.  In recent years, several fashion boutiques have opened here too - Christian Louboutin, Martin Margiela, Marni and even Tomas Maier.  And where fashion and design go, restaurants follow and one of these is Michael's Genuine Food and Drink.

Clockwise from top L: beet and heirloom tomato salad, butter lettuce salad, Black Angus burger, skirt steak salad

Set in a strip mall off the main road, the place looks unassuming and nondescript with some outdoor tables underneath large umbrellas.  We get there at noon and killed some the time at the adjacent boutique Sebastien James where they have a fantastic men's shirts.  While A tried a few, I decided to pop in next-door and book a table and was pleasantly surprised to see that the place was already bustling with customer and it wasn't even 12:30 yet.   The interiors are similar to a bistro with booths on one side, a bar near the entrance and another smaller dining area behind the bar.  The place was filled with business types and ladies who lunch which was a very good sign. I opted for an outdoor table so we could enjoy the warm Miami sunshine over lunch.


We sat down early and waited for my in-laws to arrive over iced teas which also gave us time to study the lunch menu.  There was quite a selection with several appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas, salads and a few heavier main dishes.  When they finally arrived, we were more than ready to order.  We skipped the starters and we all had large lunch salads while the kids had the burgers with homemade fries.  As the rest of the drinks were served, a plate of soft, crusty sourdough was also set on the table.  We hardly had time to catch up on each other's news (the last time we all saw each other was in July 2009 in Marbella) when our plates arrived.  The portions were on the large side and were well-worth the reasonable prices (from $11 to $23 for the salads).  A had the Harris ranch skirt steak salad - a hearty plate of grilled meat over grilled onions, radish, arugula, fennel and some olive tapenade; his brother R had the knife and fork Greek salad which was a deconstructed Greek salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, red onions and olives alongside a square slab of Feta cheese seasoned with oregano; his wife F had the butter lettuce salad with oranges, hazelnuts and avocados tossed in a shallot vinaigrette; and I had the colorful beet and heirloom tomato salad with chunks of sweet red and yellow tomatoes, beets, hearts of palm, string beans, blue cheese and walnut vinaigrette to which I ordered with some grilled chicken.

Desserts clockwise from top: homemade ice cream, lemon meringue tart, chocolate cremoso

We tucked in to our delicious and filling lunch - the flavors were simple with the fresh ingredients standing out and making the dish seem like home-cooked food, something that sounds disarmingly simple but quite hard to duplicate in a busy restaurant kitchen.  We were about to skip desserts until we saw the menu and were tempted by the chocolate cremoso, lemon meringue tart and the homemade ice creams.   The chocolate was a dollop of pure dark chocolate topped with sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil and sourdough crostini with a scoop of espresso parfait - the salt contrasting with the bittersweet chocolate and the coffee-flavored parfait.  I had tasted something similar in a tapas restaurant in Barcelona and although interesting, the combination is unusual and elicits interesting reactions.  My coconut ice cream came with swirls of chocolate and was served with some caramelized bananas, an orange sugared jelly and a cookie.  A's lemon meringue tart is one of the best we have tasted in years and it was so good that we had to order second one.  Espressos ended our leisurely lunch and we wet our separate ways - us back to the hotel and them off to explore a bit of Miami.

Michael's Genuine Food and Drink is one of those restaurants that will go directly on my personal favorites list,  an unpretentious place, aptly named and serving genuinely good food and drink at reasonable prices.  It was my best meal in Miami by far.

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Michael's Genuine Food and Drink

130 NE 40th street

Atlas Plaza at the Deign District

Miami FL 33137

Telephone: +1 305 573 5550

*Open daily for dinner, lunch on Mondays to Fridays and brunch on Sundays

another branch in Grand Cayman

NEWS CAFE

On our first Miami morning, jet lag had us up and about bright and early at around 4:00 so we eagerly waited for dawn and the promise of a big breakfast.  The day was sunny with clear blue skies, perfect for exploring the famed Miami Beach.  We got off Key Biscayne and headed straight to the 24-hour News Cafe on the corner of Ocean drive and 8th street.  It was too windy for a terrace table so we sat in one of the red leather booths right by the window for a picture-perfect view of the beach and people-watching.

Opened in 1988, this cafe started out as a news stand with a few tables and has since grown into a Miami institution with a large shady outdoor terrace and a great selection of international newspapers and magazines.  After a quick scan of the menu, we downed our Lavazza double espressos and watched the early-morning crowd walk their dogs and jog on the boardwalk.  Our breakfast specials were served soon after - a large plate of eggs (scrambled for me, poached for him), crispy bacon, home fries, toast and orange juice (when in Florida, drink as the locals do).  As we were eating, the place started to get busier and by the time we finished at around 8:00 a.m., there were quite a few locals and tourists sitting around having their morning coffee.

After breakfast, we walked up Ocean drive and saw the preserved art deco facades of the many hotels and restaurants fronting the sea.  By this time, the sun was high in the sky and we kept going several blocks until we got to the end of the street and continued on to Lincoln road (at 18th street) where the pedestrian mall of boutiques and restaurants is located.  As it was still quite early, we sat and waited at the The Cafe @ Books & Books (another Miami institution) where we had our second espresso of the morning and flipped through several magazines as we waited for the stores to open and for the rest of Miami beach to wake up.

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News Cafe

800 Ocean Drive (at 8th street)

Miami Beach 33139 FL

Telephone: +1 305 538 6397

*Open 24 hours daily

Going to Miami, Bienvenido a Miami

Last Sunday, we left Bali and took the long flight to Miami via Hong Kong and Los Angelese. Cathay Pacific's service was impeccable and the flight, though long, was a breeze with video on demand and their cubicle-like fully flat seats on business class. The best part is waking up and being served a proper espresso to start the day.
After a brief overnight stopover in Marina del Rey, we took the flight at noon to Miami and arrived on Monday evening. We headed over to the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne where from our balcony we have a view of the ocean. Room service dinner and early to bed where we promptly fell asleep to the sound of the waves crashing to shore.