Asian themed restaurants

Traymore by Michael Schwartz at Como Hotel

July 28, 2019 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Smart move Como Metropolitan Hotel, Miami Beach! Opening a restaurant with a James Beard award-winning chef, Traymore by Michael Schwartz guarantees immediate success.

The reason for his success? That’s easy…his philosophy has always been to cook what’s local and seasonal and provide a “Genuine” dining experience, LOVE that! He puts so much flavor and panache into his dishes. Schwartz created Genuine Hospitality Group in 2007 with his wife and partner, Tamara and has been dominating the Miami culinary scene with 9 restaurants so far and no end in sight. His pan-Asian fusion dishes fit perfectly with Como’s Asian roots.

Michael, you definitely nailed it. Thank you for giving us uncluttered Asian flavors with an upscale ambience!

I love that they respected the Art Deco curved ceiling inlay details accented with lights and soaring columns flanked with huge pots of greenery giving the dining room a tropical look that’s tropical chic yet casual.

About the decor:

It’s a place where people feel comfortable and cozy and appeals to both hotel guests and locals. Como originated from Singapore, founded by Christina Ong and boasts 9 hotels and resorts in Asia, 3 in Europe. I am so thrilled to hear this because my mom was born in Singapore and it feels good to know this luxury brand has chosen Miami Beach as their first USA location.

Como Metropolitan Hotel, Miami Beach’s Lobby, zen and clean.

Porch setting for those who enjoy a little humidity!

Cute area which can be curtained off for private functions!

Banquettes on the back wall. Thank heavens for this, my hubby has a superstition and likes to sit with the wall behind him.

About the food:

“I have always loved the ingredients and tastes of Asia” says Schwartz. As a long time fan of Chef Michael Schwartz, we were pleased to see his signature Wok Charred Salmon on the menu as well as the inclusion of Black Rice in many dishes, another of his favorites from when he helmed the kitchen at Nemo back in 1995. I’m so happy Chef Michael gets to bring back his love of Asian flavors at Como. His culinary genius is respecting each ingredient and bringing out its best potential with sourcing from excellent purveyors.

Everything we ordered was exquisitely executed, very tasty and well presented. Quite reasonable considering this is Miami Beach. Raw Bar ranged from $17-$29. Market Table were $6-$10. Appetizers, $12-$20. Entrees, $21-$42. Dessert, large $12, small $5.

Miami Spice starts August 1st and continues to September 31, with lunch and dinner menu. It’s a great way to get a sampling. Umm, just saw Pork Belly Ramen and Black sticky rice with mango, I’m so THERE!

About the service:

As this was a media tasting, the Como staff as well as the restaurant managers were there to greet us, we appreciated the attention! Our server ‘knew’ the menu and shared his favs.

Top: Broccolini with Thai peanut sauce and black rice, staff know how to wok it, crispy crunchy. Tuna Sashimi with kaffir lime vinaigrette, very refreshing and light.

Lobster stuffed Zucchini blossoms, preserved lemon dressing. Light and fluffy.

Pan Fried Pork & Kimchi Dumplings with Papaya Mustard. I couldn’t taste the Kimchi though? Otherwise, this crispy disc was genius. Who doesn’t love crispy dumplings?

Wanted to show how each dumpling was underneath!

Grilled Rib Eye, green sambal, chile fried long green beans and black sticky rice in small plate. That was one of the most TENDER and juicy steaks I’ve ever had. It had the perfect temperature for medium rare. Stir Fried Thai Eggplant Curry was also delicious. Of course, so good as leftovers next day.

I loved how a server poured hot water to make the Vietnamese coffee which seeped into Sundae beneath and when she removed it, TA DA, there was our Vietnamese Coffee Sundae!
I posted on my Instagram story @wokstar Switch on notification for latest updates.
Vanilla ice cream, sweetened condensed milk, sesame-hempseed crunch, toffee, whipped cream, house maraschino. With Hemp Seed Balls from the Small Bites section. I’m not sure how we managed to fit this in but we did! Very rich, blame it on my hubby for ordering it, I would have preferred Miso Flan.

Disclosure: this media tasting was complimentary. As a cooking teacher and authority on Asian food, my audience enjoys my reviews and recommendations.

SOBEWFF Dinner at Novikov Miami hosted by Chef Charles Phan

February 26, 2019 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Food Network Cooking Channel and South Beach Wine and Food Festival (SOBEWFF) are doing a fantastic job with their dinner series, I love their tag line – Eat, Drink, Educate. Guest chefs from all over the States are matched with Miami restaurants who share similar cuisines. Having dined at both Novikov Miami and The Slanted Door, Charles Phan’s San Francisco restaurant at the Ferry Building back in 2004, I was curious to see how their dishes complemented each other. Seamless and flawless are two words that come to mind!

I got a chance to chat to Charles Phan before the craziness started and glad we took our photo then, cause I noticed some splashes of what looked like caramel sauce from his delicious Spanish Mackerel, ha, ha!

SOBEWFF just celebrated their 18th year! It started as a one day affair and now spans over 5 days with 100 events. Food lovers gather in South Beach from all over the world, so it’s not surprising most events were sold out.

About Charles Phan in a nutshell…
Phan was an architecture student for 3 years before dropping out to help his mom at her sewing shop prior to becoming a restauranteur with NO KNOWLEDGE of running a restaurant or cooking professionally, the closest thing he did was bussing tables. 1995 was when he opened The Slanted Door in its original location in the Mission, San Francisco. 24 years later, Phan owns and operates 5 restaurants with one opening soon in Las Vegas. I see he has applied his architecture into styling and cooking his food and into his restaurants. He enjoys merging modern Chinese, Vietnamese, French food using classic techniques to tell “stories” about his dishes.

About Novikov…
Head over for the full scoop of my Miami Spice lunch at Novikov here.

Nothing is ordinary at Novikov Miami, this unique sculpture greets you as you enter!

The ambience with the curved outdoor patio and pendulum lights, the gorgeous breeze coming off Miami River made for a perfect setting.

Top: Phan’s Mung Bean Dumplings and Gau Choy Gow Pan-Fried Wild Shrimp & Garlic Chive Dumplings. I could’ve devoured 100 of them! Paired perfectly with Ferrai-Carano Dry Sangiovese Rose 2017.

From Novikov: Marinated & Grilled Chilean Sea Bass Skewers with Ginger, Jalapeno & Cilantro. I probably had six of these, so good. Paired with Ferrai-Carano Dry Sangiovese Rose 2017.

From Phan: Refreshing Green Mango & Cucumber Salad, Thai Chile & Garlic Fish Sauce Dressing paired with Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc 2017.

From Phan: Spanish Mackerel with Caramel Sauce paired with Ferrari-Carano Pinot Noir 2016.

From Novikov: Tender morsels of Wagyu Skirt Steak, Yuzu Chimi, Garlic Crisp & Micro Herb Salad. Paired with Ferrari-Carano Cabernet Sauvignon 2015. We sat next to pescatarians so they gave us theirs, ha, ha. Oh our tummies and taste buds were so happy.

From Novikov: Dessert – Crunchy Sesame Ice Cream Cone. Gorgeous end.

NOTE: this was a media dinner but doesn’t sway my judgement.

Novikov Miami Spice Excites Your Palate

August 10, 2018 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Alright, so now we have a Russian opening a Chinese, Japanese restaurant in Miami that’s world famous, love it, bring it ON, Novikov Miami! I didn’t get a chance to meet owner, Arkadiy Novikov but hope to one day soon. I want to get into his head what his thoughts were with his restaurant concept and to date have 50 concept businesses around the world. I find out he graduated as a chef and into environmentally friendly products. I like that.

**WA WA:** Shrimp Cilantro Dumplings, Saffron Sweet Corn Dumplings set our palates tingling, wow! Good wrappers are an indication of what’s inside. You could taste flavors of each ingredient, how did they do that? Definitely order these as your appetizers.

So, I think he’s onto something. But to do it with flair and style and to succeed worldwide is another story and Novikov is on the right path.

Their London outpost attracts celebrities and such and so will Miami I’m sure but it doesn’t detract from the fact they serve excellent quality Chinese Banquet style food. It’s very rare to find that any more, so we are lucky we get to experience it. So, don’t wait too long to visit.

About the decor…
Theatrical, whimsical comes to mind! As you enter, a beautiful sculpture with colorful swirls, twirls and red flowers immediately sets the ambience of the space! Don’t just go and sit at your table, stroll around to see EVERYTHING.

The designers did a fantastic job, the artwork and colors are right up my alley. Red is dotted throughout, it’s not only my favorite color but it represents prosperity, good luck, happiness, good health in the Eastern philosophy.

My favorite areas are of course the line up of fresh produce and fish with yes, you guessed it, RED backdrop! Red makes the impeccably arranged vegetables and fish stand out, both are for sale. His concept was to resemble Asian markets and in this case, a very upscale one. I miss fresh markets terribly, I used to adore going food shopping with my mom. What a nice touch, there’s nothing like the aromas and freshness with the display of vegetables and fish.

Their stainless steel kitchen is immaculate, tidy and very organized. Don’t miss the hanging Peking Ducks, they were the highlight of my lunch!

Look up, those lampshades remind me of Asian hats, with different shapes and configurations. Bright purple and white orchids make this humungous space a lot more cozy.

There’s also a very zen sushi bar with a magnificent wood table and red accent cushioned chairs. Red banquettes are along the back wall with an area for private dining for 12 but I didn’t see it.

About the food…
I was invited to preview their Miami Spice Lunch menu, so it was perfect to have my friend from Miami Drink Scene join me so we could have more variety. My explanations are in the captions of each photo, so enjoy! I marked WA (Wok Star Approved) on ones I liked some with double WA, ha, ha.

About the cocktails and sakes…
What a gorgeous bar area with lit up counters. Fancy cocktails are the in thing and they definitely made some exotic ones like their signature Wasabi and Lychee Martinis and Apricot Margarita. I love their display with Sakes encased in a glassed area which means they must be very premium, exclusive ones.

About the service…
As I asked our server, Eduardo about certain dishes, his explanations were so detailed I asked if he was a chef? Of course he was, so interesting that he is now a server. He had a lovely personality and smile which I think is so important. If you’re going to have a complete experience at an upscale, elegant restaurant like Novikov, a server can elevate your experience no end. And their charming General Manager, Alex Manuel circled back several times to make sure we were taken care of.

I definitely want to return and try their a la carte menu and already know a few dishes I want to try! Share your experience in the comments, what dishes spiked your fancy?