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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.

Miami Historic Haven: Patch of Heaven Sanctuary hosts Wok Star class

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Ready for a unique Wok Star experience?  Start with my cooking class followed by a fascinating tour of  Patch of Heaven Sanctuary, a hidden jewel in South Miami! You’ll feel like you’re in Asia, surrounded by ancient relics and luscious foliage. You’ll end the afternoon with flavored beverages and Asian pastries. I’m so excited to share this hidden treasure with you. I first visited POH when I attended a Yoga Retreat and spent a day there taking the tour. What a relaxing experience it was and met many like minded people I’ve stayed in touch with. 

Majestic Entrance to Patch of Heaven Sanctuary with huge, gorgeous Poinciana tree.
Why I chose Patch of Heaven Sanctuary to host my class?
My classes are usually held in upscale kitchen design showrooms because a beautiful environment sets the tone for learning and creativity. POH is so serene and peaceful, you’ll immediately feel like you’ve stepped into a beautiful retreat out in the countryside. You’ll be ready to learn ANYTHING in these surroundings.  I am so honored to be hosted by them. 
Beautiful wood tables where class will be held!
Courtyard beside the area where the class will be held.
Why Patch of Heaven Sanctuary is so unique?
You won’t find anything like this in Miami. It’s like stepping back in time, as if you’re in Asia. Everywhere there are Buddhas and Asian relics, or timeless pieces picked up from all over the world. Cozy spaces, wood benches to sit, meditate and be in the moment.  
There are a few more interesting projects in the works which are not featured here like the Bat towers and Beekeeping project. You’ll hear the history and fascinating stories about POH. I’ve taken this tour personally and it’s definitely so worth it.

There’s the most beautiful Koi pond, a couple of houses with adorable indoor waterfalls, swimming pool and a horse barn. It’s TOTALLY a magical space. I’m only sharing a small portion of the property because I want you to experience the wonders yourself. You’ll be blown away by its extraordinary beauty at every turn. Bring your camera, you’ll want to remember this place and share with others. 

This unique property encompasses tropical hardwood hammock forest, pine rock-land, exotic gardens and historic structures built by the Matheson family in 1964.




Cost of POH tour?
Cost is $25 which goes directly to POH to help with upkeep of their property. There will be infused water to hydrate as well as Asian pastries on your return. 

Purchase my Wok Star class EARLY!
This is a first come, first serve basis. Do not put off till last minute and be disappointed you cannot get in. TOTAL is $110: $85 for class, $25 for tour. This is a complete experience.  

Click HERE to book your experience NOW!
Keep in mind, you can book their various spaces for weddings, photo shoots, Quinces, Corporate events, launches, musical events, food festivals, well, for anything you want with a different vibe! There’s plenty of parking too, so rare in Miami.

About Patch of Heaven Sanctuary:
POH is a one-of-a-kind historic estate dedicated to reforesting and preserving their native plant and wildlife species. Visit Patch of Heaven Sanctuary website for complete details.  It is a nonprofit charity organization located in the Redland area of Miami-Dade County and their mission is Preservation, Conservation and Education.

 

Thai Food Festival in Miami

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If you live in Miami, you have to experience The Thai Food Festival at least once in your lifetime! The sounds, smells and hubbub is quite the experience. Wat Buddharangsi Thai Temple was celebrating their 36th anniversary and every Thai person in Miami seemed to be there either selling food or eating it. Just a note if you intend to go to a future one…

BE THERE EARLY CAUSE THE FOOD GOES!
Nearly everything was $5, so bring CASH!

Do check out my foodie buddy, Brenda’s blog and video as well. We missed seeing each other at the Thai Food Festival, so it’ll be interesting to see what caught her eye. I may put together short video snippets from the Festival.

This station was a good way to try some Thai food. Smaller portions, all at $5 and comes with rice.
Look how nicely dressed this lady is. My friend, Mary recognized her. She came all the way from West Palm Beach. She was making Thai Noodle Soup.
Recognize Chef Baz, owner of Lung Yai Thai Tapas? He had to put his name down for those Thai pancakes.
This was the only stand with BBQ protein as far as I could see and had the LONGEST LINE!
Looks like hard work splitting the bamboo stick open to fill with Red Bean and Sticky Rice. Notice pile of Galangal, Thai ginger.
The most popular were Thai desserts mostly with coconut milk and a little too sweet for me.
Mango and Sticky Rice seemed to be everywhere.
My fav Thai dessert is this one, reminds me of Kuih, a Malaysian layered dessert, slightly chewy and of course with coconut milk.
My favorite dish at this festival is Ho Mok, steamed fish and scallops with coconut milk and curry. The flavor was good but no seafood detected, ha, ha!
The obligatory Papaya Salad.
The NEXT LONGEST LINE EVER was Bubble Tea, KACHING!
Khanom Krot is a rice and coconut milk pancake. Someone ordered the whole lot so she sold out. I don’t think that should be allowed because we didn’t get a chance to try this, boo!
Notice the beautifully carved papayas behind the Money Tree.
There were a few shade trees with tables and chairs.
And a HUGE tent where there was live music. Crowded and only 11am.
After a peek into the Thai Temple, we headed to sit in the side area for our lunch.
So happy this Thai Temple got built. They have provided so many wonderful community festivals for us to enjoy!
Love the monks’ orange outfits! The Thai community brings them cooked food.
The Thai community brings cooked food for the general public to share, so sweet. By the time we were invited to try, the best were gone, so GO EARLY.
Khanya and I, so good to reconnect. She was instrumental in helping bring in money to get the Temple built. Thanks to Mary for getting this shot, so fun hanging with her.