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Smorgasburg Miami celebrates 305 Eats Day with food influencer, Mr.Eats305

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Here’s a RECAP from yesterday, Saturday March 4th’s 305 Eats Day at Smorgasburg Miami.

TODAY, Sunday March 5th from 12-7pm, Smorgasburg Miami, Miami’s largest outdoor-food market, will be celebrating our beautiful city of 305. Smorgasburg will partner with local food influencer George Arango, Mr. Eats 305 on Instagram, to honor Miami. The weekend features exciting activities and live performances showcasing Miami 305 at its best. 

Decorations of pineapples, palm trees, and punky roosters will transform Smorgasburg into a tropical oasis.  A rooster is the national Cuban emblem and represents strength and power, you’ll encounter many of them throughout the market. 

Andre Salas, a neo expressionist artist will be painting live all day on the back wall. You’ll just have to come by and watch Salas till the end to find out what surprise he has in store for 305 Eats Day. 

Smorgasburg Miami will be hosting a domino tournament from 2-4pm in the Lounge. Guests can sign up through the link in Instagram bio. 

Join the salsa class at 4pm on Saturday to shake your hips with Luca Colasuonno, renowned dance instructor, choreographer and actor.  

After you’ve finished the salsa class, Wizzmer & Trio will perform their funk-pop-jazz style music and will get you dancing even longer!  The culmination of their performance will be a conga line celebrating the 305 culture. 

Capping off the day of events at 6pm, comedy show “The Flavor of Funny” will be hosted by Brittany Brave, Miami New Times Best Comedian 2021. Also participating are Miami Comedy Legends and big voices like Cisco Duran, Eli Rodriguez, Freddy Stebbins, Pauley and Oriel Rodriguez.

On the culinary side, our vendors will be showcasing special dishes with Miami-inspired elements.  Smorgasburg will also be joined by some special guest vendors, all local to the 305, for the weekend. 

Smorgasburg Vendor Specials for 305 Eats Day

Tio Paella • 305 Rustic Paella

Bricked Burger • Croqueta Bricked Smashed Burger

Pink Love Donuts • Miami-Themed Donuts

Raclette Street • Alpine Cheesecakes

The Dutch Fries x The Wrapper • Kapsalon

Chicken Pollo • Green Plantain Shoestring French Fries 

Guest Vendors

Glazed

Doce Provisions • Beef Birria tacos • Pollo Pibil • Quesa Tacos

Dough House Cookie Co. 

The Papito Dog

La Cafetera

Event Taking Place: Saturday March 4th & Sunday March 5th from 12-7pm at 2600 NW 2nd Avenue Miami FL, 33127

About Smorgasburg Miami
Smorgasburg Miami operates every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-7pm, at 2600 NW 2nd Avenue, right next to the Wynwood Walls. Smorgasburg Miami features  60+ of the best-in-class food vendors from Miami and beyond as well as a specially curated section of retail vendors. The market also features live music and a full bar serving natural wine, specialty cocktails, and craft beer. 

Thanks for spreading the word:

Detour/Miami Herald

Forbes

Edible Florida Magazine

How to celebrate Chinese New Year in Miami, 2021

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Welcome Chinese New Year with feasting, lion dances and a magnificent Light show, ENJOY!

Kung Hei Fat Choy! Chinese New Year is Friday February 12.
It’s Year of the Metal Ox. Celebrations go for 2 weeks culminating with Lantern Festival on February 26.

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Chinese New Year Radio Interview
WDNA  with radio host, Linda Gassenheimer
Ensure your luck through Chinese Year, get tips what to eat, do’s and don’ts.
Receive Chinese New Year gift for 50% discount to my online class here. Use code: LINDAG2021, all uppercase, expires February 14!

Here are some wonderful ways to celebrate Chinese New Year starting with…

ILLUMINATE CORAL GABLES
link to download map and artists bios

Do NOT miss this light exhibit!
Get yourself there!!! You’re welcome. 

A first of its kind stunning interactive art, video projections, and light sculptures will be activated on Chinese New Year, this Friday, Feb 12 in downtown Coral Gables. A free month-long exhibition with 8 amazing artworks to experience created by 16 local, national, and international artists. Artworks 24/7. 

Colorful, handcrafted, lit lantern “Fireflies” artfully hung from pedicabs by internationally acclaimed Chinese artist, Cai Guo-Qiang will be the first I want to see! 
Local Cuban artist Carlos Estevez with his animated, light projections, Urban Universes are best viewed when dark from 6-10pm, Wed.-Sun. 

This exhibit is curated by Lance Fung Collaboratives whom I’ve gotten to know and really enjoy his sense of humor. 

Then FEASTING…

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TRAN AN and Zitzsum (indoor/ outdoor)
This is the most fun collab!
Sunday, February 14th ONLY, takeout available
2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (or sell-out)

Announcing first-annual YEᗩᖇ Oᖴ TᕼE O᙭ socially-distanced festivities. Tran An will team up with Zitzsum for a Chinese New Year inspired collab that promises to ignite the senses. Chef Jon Nguyen of Tran An and Chef Pablo Zitzmann of Zitzsum(opening soon), will be serving up a-la-carte selections brimming with authentic and nostalgic flavors! The limited-release menu (see flyer) is designed to promote prosperity, longevity, unity, luck and other aspects of good fortune for the coming year. First come first serve. See you there!

2KoreanGirls (takeout only)
Ghost kitchen for pickup and delivery only
Check for hours on their website

2 Korean Girls is celebrating Lunar New Year with an exclusive Korean New Year dish offer, Impossible Kimchi Mandu ($10) and Spicy Crab Mandu ($12), only available this weekend for takeout and delivery. The Korean Dumplings are served with a side of Umma’s special Korean Teriyaki sauce for dipping.

To round out your New Year feast, order these dishes with cute names: OB, Original Bibimbap, Ribeye Bulgogi; Kimchi Fried Rice and Napa Cabbage Kimchi; Fish Better Have My Money! –Korean Miso Cod; Phat Buddha –  Adashah; Impos-Seoul-ible – Impossible Bulgogi Meatballs.

P.S. The gals use my cast iron wok and gas stove to cook your dishes, you’ll notice the superb flavors and textures people! In their words, “it’s a game changer!”

P.P.S. will post about them in separate blog, love story how they learnt to cook from their mom. 

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Palmar (indoor/outdoor)
Friday, Feb.12

Modern Chinese with a tropical vibe, like that. I couldn’t get a definitive, I think they have 3 special dishes for Chinese New Year and this is one of them, Fried Rice. So, call before you go!

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HAKKASAN at Fountainbleau Hotel, Miami Beach (indoor)
Lion Dance Friday, Feb.12, 8pm
$108 pp prix fixe, Feb.11-15

The Year of the Ox is centered around the principle of “Peace, Love and Sharing” with Chinese New Year itself falling on Valentine’s weekend this year. Dishes include The Celebration Garden, an authentic Cantonese salad made with Smoked eryngii mushroom carpaccio with bee pollen and plum dressing; ingredients renowned in China for bringing prosperity and good fortune. Other dishes include Double Treasure Fortune with Quail blossom puff paired with a Seafood jade dumpling; Braised Abalone Roasted Duck Fried Rice and more.

Signature cocktail – Fire and Grace – with Don Julio Reposado. 

P.S. Remembering when Hakkasan hosted a 13 course Yum Cha for my Wok Star Supper Club gathering. People still rave about it to this day. If interested in joining my gatherings, sign up for my free newsletter in right side bar —>>
so you’ll be first to know and get access.

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HUTONG in Brickell (indoor/outdoor)
Friday, Feb.12, lion dance, music 
$168 pp available only for this night

This is one of our favorite restaurants, decor, service and excellent execution.

Example of Chinese New Year feast:
WAGYU BEEF MILLEFEUILLE;
GOOD LUCK CHAO SHOU: Scallop & prawn wonton in a homemade chilli oil.

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PHUC YEA (indoor/outdoor)
Thursday, Feb. 11, lion dance
$55 pp with take-home surprises

5 course prix fixe menu like…
Five-Spiced Duck Confit with curried chickpeas, cranberries, water chestnuts;
Truffled Fried Rice and Bun Bo Hue made with oxtail, cha lua, cabbage, pineapple in a spicy beef broth.

$13 hand-crafted cocktails featuring Espolon Tequila, Montelobos Mezcal and Campari.

DJ set by La Negra Fabulosa  

MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL, Brickell (indoor/outdoor)
Lion Dance with beating drums, cymbals and gongs
Feb. 12, Feb. 13, 7pm

MO Bar + Lounge will serve Dan Dan Noodles including pork roasted peanuts, green onion, chili oil [USD 20] and Pork & Shrimp Shu Mai including tobiko and black truffle aioli [USD 16]. Specials are available February 1-15. 

“Sip for Luck” cocktail made with Oxley gin, sparkling sake, passion fruit, lemon and ginger syrup [USD 17].

La Mar by Gastón Acurio will serve Min Pao steamed buns filled with Chifa flavours, XO, scallops, lobster and water chestnut [USD 25] and Long Life Noodles including wok stir fried egg noodles, vegetables, duck, shrimp and pork [USD 55].

SOBEWFF Dinner at Novikov Miami hosted by Chef Charles Phan

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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.