Eleanor Hoh

Bazi introduces Shanghai Nights

April 12, 2016 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Sunday nights shouldn’t be humdrum, and now you have BAZI’s Shanghai Nights $10 Chinese Classics to look forward to! Have one last fling before you start your work week. 7 Chinese classics are available through the week but discounted only on Sundays. Enjoy these favorite Chinese classics while you can, they can be paired with dishes from their a la carte menu which are all scrumptious or savored as is. Drop by if you’re going to the beach, shopping in South Beach or want a good Chinese without MSG in beautiful surroundings!
Our favorites were spare ribs, they were tender and not slathered with sticky sweet sauce like most Chinese restaurants and Moo Shu Pork.

Moo Shu Pork with housemade scallion pancakes, one of our favs!

Mike Pirolo, Italian chef and owner, already famous for his restaurant, Macchialinia also on South Beach, is going full throttle with a complete Chinese menu and without MSG, yay. Mike uses only grass fed beef and their chicken and pork are free range, non-gmo and antibiotic free! Wow, the only Chinese restaurant that caters to folks who are health conscious, thank you BAZI.

BAZI’s take on Chinese food is delightful, I’ve had their Thanksgiving dinner with Peking turkey. You can find out why an Italian Chef, Mike Pirolo and Jen Chaefsky decided to open a Chinese restaurant and why I chose BAZI to host my Chinese New Year celebrations here and here.

Egg Drop Soup with crispy wonton strips sets the tone for Chinese Classics!

Spare Ribs and Chicken Wings with an outrageous dip!

Big head shrimp lo mein, I could taste shrimp in the noodles, so good!

General Tso's chicken, slightly crispy exterior with succulent interior, yummy, no goopy sweetness. — General Tso’s chicken, slightly crispy exterior with succulent interior, yummy, no goopy sweetness.

Lap Cheong Fried Rice, moist and very fluffy and eggy. In Asia, we judge a restaurant by its fried rice and Bazi made the cut! Not sure why, but fried rice is always served at the end.

Chocolate lave cake just tipped me over the top, yum. — Chocolate lava cake just tipped me over the top, yum.

Note: this was a complimentary tasting but doesn’t sway my opinions!

April Events (More Updates)

April 2, 2016 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Wok Star Eleanor Hoh’s Picks of April Foodie Events or get the RSS feed!

Cochon555
Sunday, April 3rd
4pm VIP
5pm General Admission
Ritz-Carlton South Beach
Get your tickets here!
Five chefs, five pigs, five wines, hence Cochon555, a good food movement! It’s my favorite event cause you all know I love pig and hope to score some heritage pig belly this year! There’s lots of activity going on so you’re not just eating. What I love most about this hyper-local food event is their focus on raising awareness for heritage breed pigs with the world’s first nose-to-tail pig competition and a butchering demonstration with Andres Barrientos of Miami Smokers. The Butcher Shop is a retail experience raising money for the charity Piggy Bank.

The Ultimate Brunch
Sunday, April 3: 10-3pm
The Citadel, 8330 NE 2nd Ave, FL 33138
FREE Admission, Food is $7, Drinks start at $5 (beer)
click here for details
The Citadel in Little River is a soon-to-be construction site for Miami’s first food hall. This is your last chance to experience the vast space before they break ground so get ready to brunch in architecture at its most raw, beautifully decorated with plants and string lights for that perfect brunch vibe.
It will open its doors for one game-changing Sunday featuring tantalizing suprises for every taste. Take your pick of over a dozen Miami brunch masters, jam to the live tunes of Patrick & The Swayzees and Magic City Hippies, and bounce to electronic rhythms provided by III Points’ Legs Benedict and Klangbox.FM’s Patrick Walsh. Sip on pitchers of brunch essentials like Bloody Marys and Mimosas, plus some other great family-style cocktails by Mac’s Pubs.
Some of my fav chefs from Pinch Kitchen and Niu Kitchen will be there, woohoo!
Grillin N Chillin
Sunday, April 3: 11-7pm
click here for details
Miami kicks off BBQ season for the whole family with Grillin N Chillin held in Wynwood. Everyone will enjoy the best BBQ in every style from Memphis, Texas or Kansas City barbecue to the well-known Brazilian Churrasco and Argentine Parrillada. Kids will have a blast in the family fun zone, while adults enjoy drinks and sports in The Pit, a pop-up sports bar. Get smoked in the Kitchen Lab by the best in the biz, who will share tips and tricks for the BBQ master in all of us. Don’t miss your chance to Grill N Chill with us!
Common Threads Happy Hour
Wednesday, April 6: 6-8pm
GK Bistronomie
RSVP here!

BAZI: Shanghai Nights
Sundays, 6-11pm (bar opens at 5pm)
Bazi is where we had my Chinese New Year celebrations, go check this out. Asian fusion Italian, yummy! I had a blast sitting at the bar on another occasion, met some great folks and bar tender was super!

Quality Meats Spring Grill
now till end of summer
Special Spring/Summer Grill Menu at $39 pp for salad or appetizer and a select main dish! This is available every day of the week which makes it an easy decision. Chef Patrick Rebholz’s specialty is perfecting meat in any shape or form, so you’re in for a treat, enjoy! Check for full Grill Menu!
Japanese Spring Festival
April 10, 10am
Free and open to the public
Miami Beach Botanical Gardens
Details here.

Some of the featured activities include and may require RSVP to book…
* Taiko drumming performances by Fushu Daiko,
* Ikebana classes, the Japanese Art of Flower arrangement (for both children and adults),
* Authentic Japanese Tea Ceremony,
* Children’s martial arts demonstration,
* Workshop with the Miami Paper Museum,
* Japanese calligraphy demonstration (courtesy of FIU’s Asian Studies Department)
* Anime-themed vendors and plant vendors,

iPhoneography 101
April 13: 6-7:30pm
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Iphoneography 101 with 2 very talented photographers. I went to one and learned a lot! You get to eat the food you shoot! Subscribe to their newsletter for wonderful events. Another one further down.

Songkran, Thai New Year Festival
Sunday, April 17, 2016: 10-3 PM
Wat Buddharangsri Thai Temple,
15200 S.W. 240th St.
Miami, FL 33032
Cost: Free
click here for details
Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year (sometimes called “Water Festival”) which falls from April 13-15, the hottest month of a year. People enjoy splashing water on each other as they believe that water will wash away bad luck, and splashing water over friends or anyone will give them a New Year blessing. You can participate in the ordination and join in meditation, collection of merit and listening to Dharma teachings.
There will be food, fruits, vegetables, clothing, jewelry, and other items for sale. Also there will be Thai music, Thai food, and classical dance performances. I’ve experienced this event and it’s a lot of fun, just know there’s a big chance you’re gonna get soaked!

My hubby and I went to Pamela’s first one and so enjoyed it, definitely worth it! Pamela is self taught and her food is delicious with beautiful presentations. Tickets here.

WYNWOOD LIFE
Fri. April 22-Sun. April 24
Always fun, full of entertainment with live bands, art, fashion, and new this year: cooking demos from restaurant chefs! Get a free drink with RSVP. For more details, click here.

Miami Flea
Sunday, April 24, 1-5pm
Get the details here. I like going to check out new crafts and food vendors.

Redlands Blues & BBQ Festival
Sat. April 23 and Sun. April 24th: 10-6pm
click here for details
The 6th annual festival award winning BBQ and incredible blues & country music. A multitude of children’s activities and pony rides will be available.
Pecha Kucha
Tuesday, April 26, 6:30pm
Topic: Sacred
Get early bird tickets free, click here for details.

Slow Food Miami, Freshest Night Out
April 29
1 Hotel, South Beach
Tickets here.
Join Celebrity Chef and TV Personality, Tom Colicchio, Ambassador, Evan Benn, Editor in Chief of Indulge Magazine, and Miami’s freshest chefs, artisans, and the farmers and foragers with 25 stations of exquisite bites. Enjoy grey goose craft cocktails, local craft brews, and dynamic wines from Vinecraft.
Bid on amazing auction items (I donated a cooking class cert. for 2), all while raising funds for Slow Food School Garden programs.
First 50 tickets are already sold OUT at a discounted rate of $85 and I was one of the lucky ones! Tix are $95. VIP tickets are $225 and will include early entry and a special meet and greet with Tom Colicchio.
Las Olas Wine and Food Festival
Fri. April 29: 7:30pm-10:30pm
click here for details
This year’s Las Olas Wine & Food festival will feature five blocks of sips and samples from nationally recognized wineries and top restaurants throughout South Florida, this event will raise funds for research and educational programs for the American Lung Association (ALA).
There will be live music, culinary and mixology demos, cooking competitions, private VIP lounges and MYO cocktail experiences, interactive retail experiences, and more.
Tickets include all sips, samples, and fun at the Las Olas Wine & Food Festival.
Inhale Miami, April Events
Details here.
Inhale is a yoga studio and Rikki puts out amazing events. We went to a Sonic Funk mini festival and it was a bit of everything, we ended with a community acupuncture session, om!

Antica Mare, authentic Tuscan cuisine with waterviews

March 20, 2016 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

With very few waterfront restaurants in Miami, Antica Mare is a very welcome addition to our dining options! Authentic Tuscan food and water views, how can you go wrong? Let’s get straight to the food which is no pretensions or pomp, just cozy, home cooking is what you’ll get at Antica Mare on the Bay. It’s inside the new luxury ShoreCrest Club complex with a huge indoor and outdoor dining area with 224 seats, oh my! There’s also a private room for 60 if you want to hold social or business events.

1 Antica Mare Interior_Photo Credit Alissa Dragun — Antica Mare Interior-Photo Credit Alissa Dragun

Antica Mare Exterior Horizontal_Photo Credit Alissa Dragun — Antica Mare Exterior – Photo Credit Alissa Dragun

Marco Betti, the chef/owner started this Miami restaurant based on recipes from his mom, with a flagship, award winning restaurant, Antica Posta in Atlanta run by his brother, Chef Sandro. I enjoyed hearing Marco’s stories about how the three brothers grew up working in their Dad’s butcher shop in Reggello, Italy. There’s nothing more endearing than a chef who wants to be a part of the community he lives and works in and I love to support these kinds of restaurants.

AnticaMare-appetizers — 4 appetizers started off the evening! The patio light, the breeze and the views were stunning!

My favorite appetizer was of course the Octopus, so tender and pure heaven, I’m a huge fan. I helped polish that one off, no problem.

AnticaMare-4appetizers — Our media tasting started with four appetizers, clockwise: Marco salad; meatballs in tomato sauce; the Best Octopus in the World garnished with arugula; Brushetta with fresh tomatoes and basil.

Many of the servers were Italian who really knew how to make you feel right at home, you might even hear some singing if you’re lucky, it’ll make you feel like you’re in Italy!

AnticaMare-MarcoBetti — If you get a chance to meet Marco, please notice his beautiful, crisp linen shirt!

We all agreed we’d never have ordered the chicken dish, Chef Marco Pollo arrosto alla toscana but it was very tasty and tender, and the roast potatoes were crispy and flavored with the chicken juices, yummy. Marco mentioned this is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. Everyone’s favorite main was Filetti di maiale alla mostarda, tender pork medallions with the creamiest, tastiest lentils ever. Even the carnivores in our group couldn’t stop eating those lentils. And the sauteed veggies of broccoli and what looked and tasted like mustard greens were fantastic. For me, I would have preferred no tomato sauce on the salmon.

AnticaMare-Seafood-pasta — Special Seafood pasta with olives.

Chef Marco Pollo arrosto alla toscana - Chef Marco slow roast free range chicken with Tuscan herbs and roast potatoes. — Chef Marco slow roast free range chicken with Tuscan herbs and roast potatoes.

Salmone alla Livornese - salmon sauteed with cherry tomatoes, olives & capers with asparagus. — Salmon sauteed with cherry tomatoes, olives & capers with asparagus.

Ravioli al ragu toscano - spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli with traditional Tuscan meat sauce — Spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli with traditional Tuscan meat sauce.

Pork filet medallions sauteed with whole grain mustard sauce, lentils and sauteed broccoli.

Of course, you’ve got to end your dinner with Italian desserts which are some of the most wicked around…tiramisu, layers of Marscapone cream and Pavesini cookies dipped in expresso coffee; panacotta with wild berry sauce; cannoli stuffed with house made chantilly cream.

So, go, enjoy and support Antica Mare, this wonderful new waterfront restaurant with a constant breeze! If you live in Normandy Isle and North Miami, it’s a nice walk there to work up your appetite and then to work it off after you’ve eaten!

Antica Mare
7999 Northeast Bayshore Court
serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday, from 4PM to 11PM
On ground level of the Shorecrest Club high rise apartment complex on the Northeast corner of 80th and Bayshore. From 79th Street heading east, make U-turn before bridge and take right on Bayshore Court. Discounted valet parking.
Telephone: (305) 398-1001

Eleanor Hoh

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